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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB200800156 Staff Report 2008-12-08ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #: Name ARB- 2008 -156: Unity Church Review Type Advisory Review of an Amendment to a Special Use Permit and Preliminary Review of an Amendment to a Site Development Plan Parcel Identification Tax Map 61, Parcel 4 Location 2825 Hydraulic Road (Route 743), on the west side of Hydraulic Road approximately .25 miles north of the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Lambs Road Zoned Rural Areas (RA), Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner /Applicant Unity Church of Charlottesville Magisterial District Jack Jouett Proposal To add 67 `grass pave' parking spaces to the site, 36 of which are located near the Entrance Corridor. ARB Meeting Date December 15, 2008 Staff Contact Eryn Brennan SITE/PROJECT HISTORY On October 13, 2004 the Board of Supervisors approved the original Special Use Permit for this church. On September 19, 2005 the ARB unanimously approved the Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposal, pending staff administrative approval of conditions. A Certificate of Appropriateness was issued on October 5, 2005. On August 15, 2006 staff approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for amendments to the site development plan pertaining primarily to landscape changes and the addition of a sidewalk. The addition of parking spaces is considered an expansion of use; consequently, an amendment to the Special Use Permit is required. CONTEXT The subject parcel is 4.44 acres in size and located immediately adjacent to the Hydraulic Road (Route 743) EC, north of Whitewood Road and Lambs Road. The surrounding context of the site is mixed. A graveyard and large tracts of wooded area lie across the EC to the southeast. To the north and northwest of the parcel are large single - family residential lots, and to the southwest lies a developed site containing Sentry Electric, Inc. Multi - family residential lots are located southeast of the parcel. PROJECT DETAILS The applicant is proposing to add 67 parking spaces to the site. Currently, 84 spaces exist on the site, but four would be removed in the existing parking area east of the entrance to provide a connector to the proposed new parking in that area. With the additional parking proposed, the number of parking spaces available on the site would total 147. Of the 67 new spaces, 36 spaces are proposed near the EC in the east corner of the parcel, and ARB 12/15/2008 Unity Church - Page 1 these would use the Grasspave porous paving system. The Grasspave would have the appearance of a large green, grassy area. The applicant has not indicated how parking spaces will be delineated in the grassy area. Painting, concrete curbs, or bricks can be used to delineate parking spaces. An expansion of the parking area in the rear west corner of the parcel, including 11 Grasspave and 20 paved parking spaces is also proposed. The applicant is proposing to construct a new terrace that wraps around the rear portion of the building, and to build a 12' wide service drive from the new parking area in the west corner of the lot to the rear terrace. Other minor additions include a 5' wide sidewalk to connect the north portion of the proposed rear terrace to a playground proposed approximately 45 feet from the east fagade of the existing structure. None of these changes are expected to be visible from the EC. VISIBILITY The church is centered in the rear (west) portion of the parcel below the grade of the EC, and a roundabout is located between the church and the entrance to the site. The southeast portion of the site is dominated by parking, and landscape buffers have been planted along the EC. The first 17 parking spaces nearest to the EC in the proposed 36 -space parking area in the southeast corner of the site will be clearly visible due to their proximity to the EC. The remainingl9 parking spaces furthest from the EC will be somewhat obscured by landscaping along the EC, but will still be visible given the removal of several existing trees in this area. ANALYSIS based on: Site plan drawings C1 — C9, dated 10/20/08. Issue: Proximity of Proposed Parking to the EC Comments: The 36 space parking area proposed in the southeast corner of the site is located very close to the EC. The first space is only set back approximately 20 feet from the EC, and the close proximity of the entire proposed parking area tends to emphasize parking as a primary feature of the development. This will have a negative visual impact on the EC. Recommendation: Relocate the proposed parking area to a minimum setback of 45 feet from the EC. Issue: Tulip Poplar Grove Comments: An existing grove of tulip poplars consisting of six 17" -20" caliper trees, nine 10 " -15" caliper trees, and fifteen 5 " -7" caliper trees is located approximately 30' north of Building 2. This cluster of trees is not clearly or accurately represented on Sheet C3 Existing Conditions /Demolition Plan. Information concerning the location of these trees on the Existing Conditions Plan is needed in order to determine which trees are proposed to be demolished. Recommendations: Revise Sheet C3 Existing Conditions /Demolition Plan to clearly and accurately show the size, species, and dripline of all the existing trees to be removed to construct the proposed parking area in the east corner of the site. Issue: Demolition of the Tulip Poplar Grove Comments: The tulip poplar grove behind Building 2 provides a much needed buffer between the EC and existing development. The anticipated loss of this tulip poplar grove is expected to have a negative visual impact on the EC and would permanently alter the rural, wooded quality of this portion of the site. Recommendations: Reduce the number of parking spaces proposed in the east portion of the site to a maximum of 20 spaces in order to meet the minimum 45 foot setback recommended in the first issue of this analysis and preserve the existing grove of tulip poplars. ARB 12/15/2008 Unity Church - Page 2 Issue: Plantings Comments: • The applicant is proposing to relocate trees and shrubs from the east side of the existing parking lot to the EC frontage. Sheet C3 Existing Conditions /Demo Plan identifies five Leyland Cypresses to be relocated on the plan, but Sheet C6 Landscape Plan shows that five Deodar Cedars will be relocated in the same location. • No flowering ornamental trees are proposed in conjunction with the plantings fronting the EC as is required by the EC Guidelines. • Only one perimeter parking lot tree is shown along the western edge of the east corner parking area. More trees in this location would reduce the impact of the parking lot and are required by the EC Guidelines. Also, no shrubs are proposed in conjunction with the trees in this area, nor are shrubs proposed in conjunction with the trees along the eastern edge of this parking area. Recommendations: Revise Sheet C3 Existing Conditions/Demo Plan and Sheet C6 Landscape Plan to show the same planting scheme along the EC. Revise the planting scheme along the EC to include native flowering ornamental trees consistent with existing planting. Revise Sheet C6 Landscape Plan to show more plantings and a more integrated planting scheme along the eastern and western edges of the southeast corner parking area using trees at least 21/2" caliper at planting and shrubs at least 24" in height at planting. Issue: Site Grading Comments: The site grading along the eastern edge of the southeast corner parking area cuts into the existing topography at a steep angle, which does not meet the EC Guideline that states cut slopes should be rounded to meet adjacent conditions. This site grading also appears too steep to sustain the proposed landscaping. In general, the site grading in the eastern edge of the proposed parking area is not sensitive to the existing natural landscape. Recommendations: Revise the site grading shown on Sheet C6 Landscape Plan along the eastern edge of the proposed east parking area to be more rounded to meet adjacent conditions, and to be more sensitive to the existing natural landscape as stated in the guidelines. Issue: Delineation of Parking Spaces Comments: The Grasspave porous paving system proposed for the new parking area in the east corner of the site requires some type of delineation for the parking spaces. Concrete curbs, bricks, or paint are often used. The method of delineation could impact the appearance of the parking area and this detail is subject to ARB review. Painted stripes on the grass are expected to have an inappropriate appearance. Recommendations: Revise the site plan to show the manner in which parking spaces shall be delineated and the type of material to be used. Submit details and a color sample of the proposed material. Brick would be the preferred method of delineation. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The proximity of the new parking to the EC. 2. The existing Tulip Poplar grove. 3. Landscaping along the EC and new parking area. 4. The method of delineating parking spaces in the proposed east parking lot addition. ARB 12/15/2008 Unity Church - Page 3 Regarding the Preliminary Site Plan Amendment Staff offers the following comments on the preliminary site plan amendment: 1. Relocate the proposed parking area to a minimum setback of 45 feet from the EC. 2. Revise Sheet C3 Existing Conditions /Demolition Plan to clearly and accurately show the size, species, and dripline of all the existing trees to be removed to construct the proposed parking area in the east corner of the site. 3. Reduce the number of parking spaces proposed in the east portion of the site to a maximum of 20 spaces in order to meet the minimum 45 foot setback recommended in the first issue of this analysis and preserve the existing grove of tulip poplars. 4. Revise Sheet C3 Existing Conditions /Demo Plan and Sheet C6 Landscape Plan to show the same planting scheme along the EC. Revise the planting scheme along the EC to include native flowering ornamental trees consistent with existing planting. Revise Sheet C6 Landscape Plan to show more plantings and a more integrated planting scheme along the eastern and western edges of the east corner parking area using trees at least 21/2" caliper at planting and shrubs at least 24" in height at planting. 5. Revise the site grading shown on Sheet C6 Landscape Plan along the eastern edge of the proposed east parking area to be more rounded to meet adjacent conditions, and to be more sensitive to the existing natural landscape as stated in the guidelines. 6. Revise the site plan to show the manner in which parking spaces shall be delineated and the type of material to be used. Submit details and a color sample of the proposed material. Brick would be the preferred method of delineation. Regarding the he Special Use Permit for 67 additional parking spaces. Staff recommends that the ARB forward the following recommendation to the Planning Commission: The ARB cannot support the request as proposed for the following reasons: The proximity of the proposed parking area in the east corner of the site will have a negative visual impact on the EC; and the anticipated demolition of several trees will eliminate a needed buffer between the EC and development on the site. The ARB would have no objection to the request with the following conditions: 1. Parking shall be set back from the EC by a minimum of 45 feet; 2. The cluster of tulip poplars located east of Building 2 shall be preserved; 3. The parking area proposed nearest the EC shall be reduced to a maximum of 20 spaces. ARB 12/15/2008 Unity Church - Page 4