HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP200600125 Review Comments Waiver, variation or substitution requirement 2008-05-30Al
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COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
Department of Community Development
401 McIntire Road
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 -4596
Phone (434) 296 -5832 Fax (434) 972 -4126
To: Bill Fritz, Chief of Current Development
From: Amy Pflaum, Engineering Review
Subject: SDP - 2006 - 00125, Van Dine Plaza, Waiver Request
Date received: 29 April 2008
Date of Comment: 30 May 2008
The applicant has requested a waiver for the new construction proposed on TMP 45 -100, 101, and 101 B.
The waiver request was received on 29 April 2008.
The engineering analysis of the requests is as follows:
Waiver of the requirement for street entrance adequate landing:
The applicant has requested a waiver for relief from providing an adequate entrance landing as required
per County Code Section 18.4.12.17.b. This section requires that an adequate landing and/or grade
transition shall be provided for vehicle access aisles at the intersection with public streets to allow for
stopping of vehicles and sight distance. The approach grade should not exceed 4% for a distance of not
less than 40 feet from the edge of the street being intersected.
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Albemarle County Community Development
SDP - 2006 -00125 Waiver Request
Sheet 2 of 2
The development site has an existing access to Rio Road West which is shared with TMP 45 -102, an
existing retail site. The existing access does not meet the requirements of the Code. The first 40 feet from
the edge of Rio Road West slopes downward at up to 15 %. The total slope differential between the
existing edge of Rio Road West and the sub - entrance into the existing retail site is approximately 13 %.
Van Dine proposes to match the centerline of its sub - entrance with the existing one.
An entrance which sharply drops away from the street such as this generates safety concerns. A vehicle
exiting such a site may not have an adequate place to stop while assessing traffic on the street. Once
stopped, it will be difficult for the vehicle to regain momentum to enter the street in a timely manner
between traffic. The vehicle may also have a problem with sight distance.
This is an existing paved entrance that is already in use by the retail site on TMP 45 -102. Curb returns on
both sides of the entrance are already in place. Upgrading this entrance to meet the County Code would
most likely require the rebuilding of both curb returns and repaving the entire cross section. If an adequate
4% landing of 40 feet was constructed, tying the grades back into the existing sub - entrance of TMP 45 -102
at the maximum allowable 10% grade for travelways would probably trigger the regrading and replacement
of asphalt on the retail site. This work would be significant and would require easements from the retail
site property owner.
The proposed development plans to add over 25,000 square feet of retail space, generating over 800
vehicle trips per day entering and exiting. This is a substantial amount of traffic to add to this sub - standard
entrance. Engineering feels it is imperative that the entrance be improved and has had meetings with the
applicant to discuss design alternatives. Engineering has offered the applicant the option of rebuilding the
entrance with a 4% landing of 20 feet, and then the possibility of waiving the 10% maximum travelway
slope in order to tie back to existing. The applicant then proposed building the 20 -foot landing on one lane
of the existing entrance and tying to the existing curb on the other side, this would cause a steep cross -
slope on the entrance that engineering does not feel is safe or adequate.
Aside from upgrading the existing entrance and regrading the sub - entrances, another alternative is to close
this existing entrance and rebuild a new complying entrance completely within the property boundaries of
the applicant's site, consequently, granting an access easement to TMP 45 -102.
As a result of the existing alternatives available to provide this new development with a safe and adequate
Fig. 2: Existing entrance and retail site off of Rio Fig. 3: In -car view of exiting existing
Road West. File: El _wvr ADP_06 -125 Vandine Plaza