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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB200900052 Review Comments Preliminary Site Plan 2009-07-13ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #: Name ARB- 2009 -52: South Plains Presbyterian Church Review Type Preliminary Review of a Site Development Plan Parcel Identification Tax Map 80, Parcel 116 Location On the south corner of the intersection of Louisa Road (SR 22) and Black Cat Road (SR 616) Zoned Rural Areas (RA) and Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner South Plains Presbyterian Church of Keswick Virginia, Inc. Applicant David K. Garth, Pastor Magisterial District Rivanna Proposal To construct an approximately 5200 sq. ft. Fellowship Hall as Phase I of church expansion ARB Meeting Date July 20, 2009 Staff Contact Eryn Brennan SITE HISTORY A small, vernacular Gothic Revival chapel and manse currently exist on this wooded, pastoral site. Sources differ as to the construction date of the South Plains Chapel. Some cite the early nineteenth century as the date of construction; others say the 1870s. The manse was built in the 1870s to replace the original manse which had burned. Both structures contribute to the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District. A cemetery, owned by the Church, is located in the southeast corner of the parcel. PROJECT DETAILS The proposed expansion is a two -phase project, with only the first phase of construction proposed at this time. Phase I consists of the construction of an approximately 5,200 sq. ft. Fellowship Hall attached to the north fagade of the historic manse, approximately 150' south of Route 22 EC. The Fellowship Hall will house church offices, Sunday School classrooms, and meeting rooms. The brick of the addition is proposed to match the material and color of the existing historic chapel, but using an all- stretcher bond instead of the historic five- course American bond found on the chapel. At this time, no existing landscaping is proposed to be removed from the site and none is proposed to be added. Phase II of the project includes expansion of the parking lot along the Route 22 frontage and the construction of a new sanctuary attached to the west fagade of the Fellowship Hall. At this time, there is no schedule of construction for Phase II. PROJECT HISTORY A Special Use Permit was approved, with conditions (see Attachment A and B), for this church expansion on May 13, 2009. Staff comments regarding impacts to the EC and the historic resources were provided throughout the SP process. Primary concerns included: impacts of grading and construction on mature trees, ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 1 the scale and location of the proposed buildings and resulting de- emphasis of the historic church, the awkward relationship of the Fellowship Hall to the existing manse and the loss of the manse's integrity, and the location and character of the expanded parking area. Condition 1 of the SP indicates that the location of the parking area and the location of the new sanctuary and Fellowship Hall shall be in strict accord with the concept plan approved with the SP. Consequently, the location of these features cannot be modified by the ARB. The SP approval also indicates that plantings provided between the parking lot and Routes 22 and 616 shall be as required by the ARB as part of the site plan review /approval process. (The expansion of the parking area is proposed as part of Phase II construction.) A site plan for Phase I has been submitted to Current Development and is currently under review. Staff met with concerned neighbors on July 9, 2009. Two letters from those neighbors are included as Attachments C and D to this report. Staff understands that these neighbors interpret the conditions of SP approval to mean that trees along the EC are required with Phase I construction. Staff interprets the condition to mean that planting is required to offset the impacts of the expanded parking area, but it is not mandatory that the planting occur with Phase I. CONTEXTNISIBILITY The site is located on the south corner of the intersection of Louisa Road and Black Cat Road in Keswick. The primarily deciduously wooded site has several significant trees of substantial size, and the gravel parking area for the existing church is located in the northeast portion of the parcel along Black Cat Road. The southernmost portion of the parcel is cleared. The parcel is situated in an idyllic, rural setting, with cleared open parcels to the east, densely wooded parcels to the north, and large residential lots to the south and southwest. The existing church and rectory are readily visible from the EC. Likewise, given its height and mass, at the completion of Phase I construction, the north, east, and west elevations of the proposed Fellowship Hall will also be readily visible from the EC. (Eventually, with the completion of Phase II construction, the western elevation of the Fellowship Hall will be obscured by the new sanctuary.) The Fellowship Hall will effectively obscure all but the west fagade of the manse from the EC. ANALYSIS (based on Sheets A -0 dated 6/13/09 and A -1 dated 5/29/09; SP -1 through SP -3 dated 5/29/09; SP -2 dated 1/19/2009; and photos of the site) Issue: Work Area, Tree Protection, and Grading Near Trees Comments: The limit of work areas shown on the Preliminary Site Plan, Sheet C1.1, submitted to Current Development, and on the Conceptual Site Plan, Sheet SP -2, submitted in the ARB application do not correspond. The limit of work area shown on Sheet C 1.1 circumscribes only the proposed Fellowship Hall and rear garden, while the limit of work area shown on Sheet SP -2 encompasses a majority of the northwest corner of the parcel. Although the plans do not correspond, they both do show work to occur under the drip lines of existing trees, which is expected to stress the trees. Also, no tree protection fencing is shown on either plan. Grading is also proposed underneath the drip line of a weeping cherry and a dogwood in the rear garden area of the development. Recommendations: Coordinate the limit of work areas shown on all the plans. Provide a signed tree conservation checklist and show on the plan all the applicable tree protection measures, including measures that will ensure the health of the trees whose drip lines are disturbed by grading /construction. Issue: Building Design Comment-.- ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 2 The extant historic vernacular Gothic Revival chapel on the site is simple, balanced, and well - proportioned in its composition and articulation. The decoration is minimal and reserved only for the design of the windows, the pointed -arch brickwork above the windows, and the five- course brick bonding. In contrast, the north elevation of Fellowship Hall possesses design elements from several different architectural "styles," including a Gothic Revival pointed arch window, neoclassical pilasters, Colonial Revival 18 -pane fixed sash windows, and casement windows with semi - circular Romanesque arches. The use of so many contrasting design elements presents an uncoordinated appearance lacking cohesion and unity and insensitive to the historic chapel on the site. The north elevation also possesses a number of different window types, including fixed sash windows, casement windows, a fixed pointed -arch window, and 2/2 windows on the lower floor, which contributes to the overall lack of coordination and cohesion of the north facade. Furthermore, the irregular spacing of casement windows along the northwest portion of the facade; 5' -6" between the first and second, 4' -6" between the second and third, 4'-0" between the third and fourth, 11' -0" between the fourth and fifth, and Y- 0" between the fifth and sixth, presents an awkward appearance not compatible with or respectful of the historic chapel's symmetry and simplicity. • The historic chapel was not included in the north elevation drawing, which is necessary in order to understand the relationship between the two buildings in terms of scale, height, overall design, and decorative details. • East and west elevations of the addition, which will be visible from the EC, have not been provided. • The perspective drawing of the north elevation submitted with the application does not match the elevation drawing of the north facade submitted with the concept plan, particularly the design, configuration, and distribution of the windows, and the relationship of the roof of the manse to the Fellowship Hall. The perspective drawing shows that the roof of the manse will be visible from behind the Fellowship Hall, whereas the elevation drawing shows that the manse roof will not be visible. • A building material schedule has not been provided. • The material in the arched area above the casement windows has not been identified on the elevation drawings. • It is not possible to determine from the elevation drawings what kind of brick bonding is proposed for the Fellowship Hall. It is important to understand the type of bond pattern proposed to ensure that it will not mimic and, therefore, detract from the historic chapel. • The design of the true- divided windows constitutes one of the few and most significant decorative features of the historic chapel, and the Fellowship Hall, given its proximity to the historic chapel, should be sensitive to its details. False muntins would be inappropriate, and it is unclear from the elevation drawings whether the muntins in the 2/2 and 18 -pane fixed sash windows will be false or true- divided. Recommendations: • Revise and simplify the north elevation to present a more coordinated, cohesive appearance that is also sensitive to and compatible with the historic chapel on the site, and include the chapel in the north elevation drawing. • Provide drawings of the east and west elevations. • Reconcile and coordinate the perspective drawings and the elevation drawings to accurately show how the Fellowship Hall will look from the EC and that the roof of the manse will not be visible above the Hall. • Provide a material schedule in the elevations identifying all the proposed materials for the Fellowship Hall, including color and manufacturer. • Include a note on the elevation drawings stating the type of brick bond proposed for the Fellowship ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 3 Hall. An all- stretcher brick bond would be appropriate. Identify the type of muntins proposed for the windows on the Fellowship Hall on the elevation drawing. False muntins should be avoided. Issues: Landscaping Along the EC Comment: Currently, no additional landscaping is proposed to mitigate the visual impact of Phase I development on the EC. The existing site is wooded and includes mature trees of substantial size that contribute to the character of the property and the corridor. There is, however, a substantial open setback along the EC, and there is no planting in or around the existing gravel parking area. Although it would not be appropriate to apply the standard EC guidelines that call for regularly spaced trees and shrubs along the corridor and parking areas for Phase I because of the rural character of the site and because no additional parking is proposed, the scale of the proposed development does warrant the addition of planting to integrate the various elements into the site, and the site into the corridor. The existing condition of the gravel parking lot does not lend itself to planting the full length of the lot's perimeter. Phase H calls for expanded parking along the EC and revised parking along Black Cat Road. The plan approved with the SP shows a low wall around the new parking areas. Alternate planting, coordinated with that wall, will be required if /when that phase of development is submitted for review. The planting that would "look right" along the wall would appear out of character without the wall. That type of planting, therefore, is not recommended at this time. Although new plants in the area of the future parking lot construction may need to be replanted if and when Phase H is undertaken, the Phase I development requires some planting to help integrate it into the existing environment at the completion of Phase I. The guidelines that call for interspersed ornamental trees apply to this site, and a landscape architect may find that a limited number of large shade trees might also be added in support of the existing rural character. There is also an existing sign at the site that is not shown on the plan. Planting at the base of the sign could also help to integrate the sign into the development. Recommendations: Submit a revised landscape plan showing ornamental trees interspersed among the extant large shade trees along the EC and dispersed in a random fashion, in groups of three or five, around the north end of the existing parking area and in the northeast corner of the site. Distribute the trees in a pattern that promotes and protects the rural character of the site. Provide large shade trees, as necessary, to further integrate the site. Provide a complete plant schedule on the landscape plan including plant species, size, quantity, etc. Provide all trees at 3' /z" caliper minimum, at planting. Identify on the plan those trees that may be removed when Phase H is constructed. Show the existing sign on the plans. Show plants to integrate the sign into the overall landscape. Issues: No Proposed Site Lighting Comment: This submittal does not include any information on exterior lighting, though the applicant has indicated that some exterior light fixtures may be used on the Fellowship Hall. Recommendations: Provide a luminaire schedule and manufacturer's cutsheets for any lighting proposed on the site or the Fellowship Hall. Identify all the lighting options, including fixtures, lamps, and fixture finish in the luminaire schedule. Include the cutsheets in the site plan. Submit a photometric plan of the site. All site fixtures shall be full cut off. Issue: Mechanical Equipment Comments: No mechanical equipment is shown on the site plan, but the applicant has indicated that ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 4 mechanical equipment will be located on the rear south elevation of the Fellowship Hall. The mechanical equipment must be shown on the site plan to determine whether it will be visible from the EC. Recommendations: Revise the site plan to show the location of any proposed mechanical equipment. Include the following note on the site and architectural plans: "Mechanical equipment shall not be visible from the EC." SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. Coordinate the limit of work areas shown on all the plans. Provide a signed tree conservation checklist and show on the plan all the applicable tree protection measures, including measures that will ensure the health of the trees whose drip lines are disturbed by grading /construction. 2. Revise and simplify the north elevation to present a more coordinated, cohesive appearance that is also sensitive to and compatible with the historic chapel on the site, and include the chapel in the north elevation drawing. 3. Provide drawings of the east and west elevations. 4. Reconcile and coordinate the perspective drawings and the elevation drawings to accurately show how the Fellowship Hall will look from the EC and that the roof of the manse will not be visible above the Hall. 5. Provide a material schedule in the elevations identifying all the proposed materials for the Fellowship Hall, including color and manufacturer. 6. Include a note on the elevation drawings stating the type of brick bond proposed for the Fellowship Hall. An all- stretcher brick bond would be appropriate. 7. Identify the type of muntins proposed for the windows on the Fellowship Hall on the elevation drawing. False muntins should be avoided. 8. Submit a revised landscape plan showing ornamental trees interspersed among the extant large shade trees along the EC and dispersed in a random fashion, in groups of three or five, around the north end of the existing parking area and in the northeast corner of the site. Distribute the trees in a pattern that promotes and protects the rural character of the site. Provide large shade trees, as necessary, to further integrate the site. Provide a complete plant schedule on the landscape plan including plant species, size, quantity, etc. Provide all trees at 3' /z" caliper minimum, at planting. Identify on the plan those trees that may be removed when Phase H is constructed. Show the existing sign on the plans. Show plants to integrate the sign into the overall landscape. 9. Provide a luminaire schedule and manufacturer's cutsheets for any lighting proposed on the site or the Fellowship Hall. Identify all the lighting options, including fixtures, lamps, and fixture finish in the luminaire schedule. Include the cutsheets in the site plan. Submit a photometric plan of the site. All site fixtures shall be full cut off. 10. Revise the site plan to show the location of any proposed mechanical equipment. Include the following note on the site and architectural plans: "Mechanical equipment shall not be visible from the EC." ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 5 AttarhmPnt A J$ �p - - - -- Owl �'IRGII�P COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road, Room 227 Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 -4596 Phone (434) 296 -5832 Fax (434) 972 -4012 June 15, 2009 Ashley Cooper c/o Atwood Architects Inc 250 W. Main St., Suite 100 Charlottesville, VA 22902 RE: SP200800029 South Plains Presbyterian Church Tax Map 80 Parcel 116 Dear Ms. Cooper: On May 13, 2009, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors took action on SP #2008000029 to allow an addition of a new fellowship hall and sanctuary to the existing church on Tax Map 80 Parcel 116 in the Rivanna District. This special use permit was approved based on the following conditions: 1. The development of the site shall be in general accord with the "Conceptual Site Plan" (page SP 4 attached) prepared for South Plains Presbyterian Church by Atwood Architects, Inc., dated January 19, 2009. In addition, the following elements shall be in strict accord with and conform to the Conceptual Site Plan: the location of the parking area, the location of the new sanctuary and fellowship hall, and the preservation of existing trees as shown on "Tree Survey, Trees to be Removed" (page SP 3 attached). Plantings between the parking lot shown on the "Conceptual Site Plan" and Routes 22 and 616 shall be provided as required by the Albemarle County Architectural Review Board as part of the site plan approval; 2. The footprint of the new sanctuary shall not exceed three thousand five hundred fifty (3,550) square feet. The footprint of the new fellowship hall shall not exceed five thousand seven hundred fifty (5,750) square feet; 3. Provided parking shall not exceed seventy -five (75) spaces; 4. Commercial setback standards, as set forth in Section 21.7.2 of the Albemarle Zoning Ordinance, shall be maintained adjacent to properties zoned Rural Areas; 5. Storm water facilities and parking lot surface meeting the approval of the County Engineer shall be required before approval of the final site plan for this use; 6. There shall be no day care center or private school on site without approval of a separate special use permit; 7. Health Department approval of well and /or septic systems; 8. All outdoor lighting shall be only full cut -off fixtures and shielded to reflect light away from all abutting properties. A lighting plan limiting light levels at all property lines to no greater than 0.3 foot candles shall be submitted to the Zoning Administrator or their designee for approval; 9. A tree conservation plan in accordance with the "Tree Survey, Trees to be Removed" (page SP 3 attached), prepared by a certified arborist, shall be submitted prior to issuance of a building permit. Development of the site shall be undertaken in accordance with the tree conservation plan; and 10. Staff approval of a landscape plan shall be required before approval of the final site plan for this use. The landscape plan shall provide a planting of trees along the property line of the Rintels' property with the following requirements: (i) The plantings will be evergreen trees, five (5) to six (6) feet tall, planted a minimum of eight (8) feet on center or spacing distance as recommended by the American Nurseryman's Association; (ii) ° The tree choices are arborvitae or trees of comparable value; and (iii) The trees will run along the property line and will be planted on Mr. Rintels' property provided that the property owner agrees to permit the landscaping to be planted and maintained on that property. Please be advised that although the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors took action on the project noted above, no uses on the property as approved above may lawfully begin until all applicable approvals have been received and conditions have been met. This includes: • compliance with conditions of the SPECIAL USE PERMIT; • approval of and compliance with a SITE PLAN amendment; and • approval of a ZONING COMPLIANCE CLEARANCE. In the event that the use, structure or activity for which this special use permit is issued is not commenced within twenty -four (24) months from the date of Board approval, it shall be deemed abandoned and the permit terminated. The term "commenced" means "construction of any structure necessary to the use of the permit." If you have questions or comments regarding the above -noted action, please do not hesitate to contact Sherri Proctor at 296 -5832. Sincerely, V,�f�i V. Wayne ilimberg Director o Planning cc: David K Garth, Pastor c/o South Plains Church P O Box 277 Keswick, VA 22947 ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 7 Attachment C VIA EMAIL Jonathan Rintels July 10, 2009 Eryn Brennan and Elizabeth M. Marotta, Senior Planners County of Albemarle Community Development Dept. RE: South Plains Presbyterian Church, Keswick, SP- 2008 -029 Dear Ms. Brennan and Ms. Marotta: Many thanks for taking the time to meet with Trish and me today. We appreciated the helpful dialogue, and hope you found it helpful as well. To recap for the record who we are, we live along with our two children at Heathcote Farm in Keswick and are the only property owners immediately contiguous to the Church, sharing a border with it to its west and south. Built in 1915, our farmhouse and dependency are "contributing structures" to the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District. We've never opposed the Church's expansion; all we've asked is that it be adequately screened so as not to negatively impact our rural property and the surrounding community. We were pleased that the Supervisors recognized this need and adopted landscaping conditions to its approval of the Church's conceptual site plan that required a tree conservation plan and a landscaping plan that would be approved by the staff prior to final approval of the site plan. We were surprised that these plans were not part of the Church's submission and hope you will require them before final approval. In requiring a landscaping plan in Condition 10, we are quite clear that the Supervisors intended that it include the planting of trees upon our shared property line with the Church, but that it was not limited to those plantings. Rather, it was to include landscaping in the front of the new building as well, and along Route 22, as had been shown on the conceptual site plan. This is clear from the language in Condition 1 calling for "plantings between the parking lot shown in the "Conceptual Site Plan" and Routes 22 and 616 shall be provided as required by the Albemarle County Architectural Review Board as part of their site plan approval." ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 8 We don't believe the Supervisors intended to postpone the landscaping in the front of the buildings until Phase 2 was built, but rather wanted that landscaping to be included in the landscaping plan required in Phase 1, along with the planting of the trees along our shared property line. After all, why should the Supervisors provide landscaping to benefit us in back of Phase 1 along our property line, but not provide it in front of the Phase 1 building to benefit the rest of the community and everyone who uses the Entrance Corridor? That doesn't make sense. Nor does it make sense to wait to buffer what will be a non -rural huge building that the staff identified as harmful to the rural, scenic, and historic qualities of the Keswick community until Phase 2 is built. In addition, my understanding is that the Church has no funding to build Phase 2 and there's a question of whether it will ever be built, depending on whether the church grows its congregation and raises the necessary funding. Would the Supervisors really have intended that the buffering of the non -rural Phase 1 building be contingent on whether and when the Church undertakes to build Phase 2? No, they were very clear; there needed to be buffering of this project to protect the community and the Entrance Corridor, and it wasn't contingent on building Phase 2. Regarding the question of where the trees are planted along our property line, we volunteered to the church that those trees could be planted on our side of the line, as they were in 2007 when the Little Keswick School built its dormitory on our western boundary and the Supervisors added a landscaping condition in its approval. But it now turns out that putting the trees on our side may be a complicating factor here. When similar complications arose in the case of the School planting its required trees, we mutually agreed with the School to a revision of the condition that the Supervisors had previously approved. The County staff then accepted that revision. We could do something similar here, I believe. As I mentioned, we are quite open to planting the trees on the Church's side of the property line. We only agreed to plant them on our side as an accommodation to them when they requested it. If they are now agreeable to planting the trees on their side to avoid easements, permissions, and other complications, then so are we. I have no doubt that such a revision would not be contrary to the intent of the Supervisors, who wanted buffering landscaping planted along that property line, but were indifferent to which side of the line it was planted on. I look forward to working with you constructively on this project and thank you in advance for your service. Sincerely, Jonathan Rintels ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 9 Attachment D Peter Hallock P.O. Box 3 Keswick, VA 22947 July 10, 2009 Elizabeth M. Marotta, Senior Planner Eryn Brennan, Senior Planner Albemarle County Community Development Dept. 401 McIntire Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22902 -4596 RE: South Plains Presbyterian Church, Keswick, SP- 2008 -029 Dear Ms. Marotta and Ms. Brennan: Thanks for taking the time to meet with the Rintels and me today to review the site plan application of the South Plains Church. I appreciate your willingness to answer our questions, listen to our review of the history of this project, and hear our concerns. As I may have mentioned, I've lived in Keswick across Route 22 from the Church most of my adult life and have worked hard to preserve the rural, scenic, and historic qualities of our community. In 1991, my neighbors and I succeeded in creating the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District. We have put thousands of acres of rural land into permanent conservation easement. The State has recognized the beauty that resulted from our efforts by designating Rts. 22 and 231 as "Virginia Byways." The County Supervisors just last October approved designation of this road as a "National Scenic Byway" and the group Scenic America once named it one of the ten most beautiful drives in America. The success of our efforts to preserve Keswick's rural, scenic, and historic character has truly been a community effort. Many have worked very hard. Many have accepted reductions in the value of their land in order to donate permanent conservation easements that they intend will preserve the character of the community for future generations as well as charm the tourists who contribute so much to the economy of our County. As you may have seen in the file of this project, nearly 60 members of the Keswick community, including nearly every resident within close proximity of the South Plains Church, signed a letter to the Planning Commission not opposing this project, but asking that it be designed, built, and landscaped so as to minimize the damage done to the rural and scenic qualities of the community that we've worked so hard to preserve and protect. ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 10 In response to this desire, the Board of Supervisors added conditions to its approval of the conceptual site plan. Condition 9 called for a "tree conservation plan" to be prepared by a certified arborist so that all existincl trees on the site are preserved, other than those marked for removal on the plan, (please review Wayne Cilimberg's comments to the Supervisors at the meeting about this condition). Condition 10 states that "staff approval of a landscape plan shall be required before approval of the final site plan for this use." I was surprised to see that neither plan had yet been filed by the Church and hope you will remind them of these requirements. I was also surprised to see that no landscaping in front of the new Phase 1 building or along Route 22 is shown on this application. It was the clear expressed intent of the Supervisors to have this project buffered by landscaping as it was constructed, and not to wait for years, if ever, until the construction of the new Phase 2 Sanctuary and parking lot before adding landscaping along Route 22 to buffer the impact of the massive Phase 1 building. To wait until a Phase 2 is ultimately built not only defies the Supervisor's intent; it also defies common sense. Why wait years to buffer the new, massive, non -rural building that is to be built now? Indeed, with the church unsure of when the new Phase 2 will be built (if ever, as I've heard it has no money to build it), to wait for Phase 2 means it's possible that the landscaping and buffering of the Phase 1 building might never occur. That is completely contrary to the Supervisors' intent. In Condition 1, the Supervisors state that "Plantings between the parking lot shown on the "Conceptual Site Plan" and Routes 22 and 616 shall be provided as required by the Albemarle County Architectural Review Board as part of their site plan approval." There's nothing here that requires the ARB to wait until Phase 2 to require the landscaping needed to adequately buffer Phase 1. Indeed, this sentence shows the Supervisors' clear intent that plantings shall be provided, and that the ARB should require them as part of their site plan approval. With no clear statement from the Supervisors to wait for the Phase 2 site approval, common sense dictates that those plantings be required as part of the Phase 1 site approval. The Staff's report is quite clear that the Church's new buildings will harm the very qualities we've worked so hard to protect here in Keswick. Should it now be built without adequate buffering from the start of its construction and not waiting until Phase 2, 1 believe it will become far more difficult to persuade members of our community to donate permanent conservation easements. Many will question why they should now commit their land in perpetuity to a rural, scenic, and historic conservation easement when the County approves non - conforming "special use" developments that threaten those very qualities and undermine the goal of preserving the community's rural character, and then don't buffer those non -rural special use projects with adequate landscaping? This is why it is vital to the rural, scenic, and historic character of our community that the landscaping in front of the new building and along Route 22 be adequate and be planted as Phase 1 is constructed. Requiring adequate landscaping now, in Phase 1, will make this expansion much more "community- friendly" and avoid ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 11 burdening this community with a Church expansion that negatively —and needlessly -- impacts the "postcard of Keswick," one of our community's - and our County's -- most charming and historic rural churches, as well as one of our most scenic roads and entrance corridors. We would greatly appreciate any help the County and you can give to help us protect and preserve our community, one of the most beautiful areas of not just Albemarle County, but our nation. That was the Supervisors' clear intent. Sincerely, Peter Hallock ARB 7/20/2009 South Plains Presbyterian Church Preliminary - Page 12