HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP200900002 Review Comments Special Use Permit 2009-03-23ALg�,��
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COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
Department of Community Development
401 McIntire Road, Room 227
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 -4596
Phone (434) 296 -5832 Fax (434) 972 -4126
MEMORANDUM
TO: Gerald Gatobu
FROM: Eryn Brennan
RE: Historic Preservation comments on: SP 2009 -2: Keswick Hunt Club (AT &T CV333-
Tier II)
DATE: March 16, 2009
I have reviewed the Special Use Permit application for the above referenced proposal, Site Plan Sheets
CV333A -A -0 through CV333A -A -11, CV333A -ES -1 through CV333A -E -5, and CV333A -SP -1 through
CV333A -SP -3, dated 3/13/09, and I have the following comments:
The personal wireless services facility is proposed for a site near the Keswick Hunt Club, a contributing
resource in the Southwest Mountains National Register Rural Historic district, on the Route 22 Entrance
Corridor. A balloon test was conducted on March 3, 2009. Routes 22, 731, 744, Highway 64, Little Keswick
Lane, and a private driveway approximately one mile west of the site were traveled to determine the extent of
visibility of the proposal. The balloon was approximately 350 feet south of the EC and only visible for a short
distance along portions of the Route 22 EC, including near the entrance to Hunt Club Road and the entrance
driveway to Keswick Farm. The balloon was not visible from Highway 64. Given the distance from which the
balloon was seen and the treeline in between the balloon and the EC, there was not a substantial difference in
visibility when the balloon was reduced in height from 10' to 7' above the reference tree. Similarly, given the
significant distance, the balloon was barely visible from the top of the private driveway that was traveled one
mile west of the site. The balloon was visible from Keswick County Club, one of the contributing historic
resources in the district; however, the balloon was not skylit. The tower is proposed to be wood, yet the
applicant has included a paint sample for the tower. Painting the wooden pole would present an awkward
appearance and make the pole more noticeable from the Keswick Hunt Club. A wood pole would blend with
the wooded hillside background; however, it should be stained a color similar to the SW Java #6090 to match
the surrounding trees. Wood poles are often much lighter in color than live trees and can take years to patina.
Staining the pole a color similar to the existing trees in the area will mitigate the visual impact of the pole on
the Club.
The proposal includes the option of removing three large coniferous trees labeled #206, #207, and #208 on the
site plan. The loss of these trees would reduce the screening of the monopole and have a detrimental impact on
the historic district. In contrast, the removal of trees #214 and #215, given their location and the smaller height
of #214, a Mulberry, would not have a detrimental impact on historic properties in the district. At the requested
height of 10' above the reference tree, the facility is not expected to have a detrimental impact on important
public views or historic landscapes because it would not visually overwhelm its surroundings, dominate the
setting, or create a focal point. It is not anticipated that the public will be visually aware of the proposal,
allowing their enjoyment of the rural historic district to remain undisrupted; hence, adverse impacts on the
scenic quality of the district are not anticipated. If the wood pole is stained to match SW Java #6090 in order to
blend with the surrounding landscape and the trees numbered 206, 207, and 208 remain, the proposed work is
not expected to cause damage to any historic resource.