HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP200900039 Review Comments Waiver, variation or substitution requirement 2009-07-07ALg�,��
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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: Summer Frederick, Current Development Planner
From: Phil Custer, Engineer
Subject: SDP - 2009 - 00039, Martha Jefferson Hospital, Road Plan Waiver Requests
Date received: 15 June 2009
Date of Comment: 7 July 2009
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide engineering analysis of the current proposal for the road
plans surrounding the Martha Jefferson Hospital Site (approved final plan: SDP - 2008 - 00016). The current
application has been submitted to convert a 1250ft portion of Willis Drive from the full 36ft wide curb -
and- gutter section to a private ditch - and - shoulder roadway. Because the site is located in the development
area, a waiver of curb - and - gutter granted by the Planning Commission is required. And, although the
roadway could be administratively approved by the Chief of Current Development under 14- 233.13.1, it is
my opinion that the private road must be authorized by the Planning Commission because of 14- 234.C.4.
The engineering analysis of the requests is as follows:
Waiver of the requirement for curb - and - gutter:
The applicant has requested a waiver of the construction of curb - and - gutter for the road design in
accordance to County Code Section 14 -4101. The applicant would prefer the rural section, private roadway
to remain in place until the medical office building north of the road is proposed (owned by the University
of Virginia Foundation) or when traffic demand warrants the full road section. It is unclear what warrants
the hospital would use to analyze this since the VDOT Road Design Manual does not provide much
assistance on this issue; the VDOT Manual allows for both curb - and - gutter and ditch - and - shoulder
sections for local urban streets.
In the applicant's letter, no arguments were provided to be considered by the Planning Commission as to
how granting the waiver would "not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare, to orderly
development of the area, to sound engineering practices, and to land adjacent thereto" or better forwards
the purposes of the Subdivision Ordinance.
14-410.i.2 Consideration and findings — In reviewing a waiver request to allow a rual cross - section (no
curb and gutter) instead, the commission shall consider:
(i) the number of lots in the subdivision and the types of lots to be served; This road would
carry traffic from the surrounding medical offices and the hospital. The estimated traffic
provided by the applicant for this portion of the roadway is between 3,600 and 6,800
vehicles per day.
(ii) the length of the street; The proposed length of the rural section is approximately 1250ft.
(iii) whether the proposed street connects into an existing system of streets constructed to a rural
cross - section; Willis Drive from Peter Jefferson Parkway to the main hospital entrance is an
urban section. State Farm Blvd. is a rural section. Peter Jefferson Parkway is an urban
section.
(iv) the proximity of the street to boundaries of the development and rural areas; The site is
entirely within the development area.
(v) whether the street terminates in the neighborhood or at the edge of the development area is
otherwise expected to provide interconnections to abutting lands; Willis Drive will not be
extended. Additional traffic will be served by Willis Drive as the hospital expands to
intermediate phases and other adjacent properties are developed.
(vi) whether a rural cross - section in the development area furthers the goals of the comprehensive
plan, with particular emphasis on the neighborhood model and the applicable neighborhood master
plan; To be determined by someone within Planning.
(vii) whether the use of the a rural cross - section would enable a different principle of the
neighborhood model to be more fully implemented; To be determined by someone within
Planning.
(viii) and, whether the proposed density of the subdivision is consistent with the density
recommended in the land use plan section of the comprehensive plan. To be determined by
someone within Planning.
Engineering review finds no clear engineering benefits to the granting of the curb and gutter waiver. The
use of curb - and - gutter will always direct flow more efficiently to the proposed storm sewer networks.
However, the health and safety of the public would not be jeopardized with the use of the rural section
because the road design meets the VDOT standards for an urban local road.
Private Road Authorization:
The applicant has not provided a letter requesting a private street. The letter requesting a waiver of the
curb - and - gutter requirement and the plan set alludes to the need for a private street. And, as I mentioned
in the introduction, under different conditions the private street could be authorized by the Chief of Current
Development under section 14- 233.B.1. However, because Willis Drive connects two public streets and
will serve through traffic, the Planning Commission must authorize the private street. [14- 234.C.4]
14 -234.B In considering a request for approval of one of more private streets, the agent and commission
shall consider that: (i) private streets are intentded to be the exception to public streets; and (ii)absent
compelling circumstances, private streets should not cross over dams or bridges or in involve other
infrastructure that would be reasonably prohibitive to maintain, should not serve as the primary or sole
interconnection between the subdivision and butting property, or serve through traffic by being the
connector between two or more public streets.
This road would carry traffic from the surrounding medical offices and the hospital. The
estimated traffic provided by the applicant for this portion of the roadway is between 3,600
and 6,800 vehicles per day.
14 -234. C The agent and the commission may authorize one or more private streets in a subdivision if it
finds that one or more of the circumstances in sections 14 -232 or 14 -233 exist and it determines that:
1. The private street will be adequate to carry the traffic volume which may be reasonably
expected to be generated. This road would carry traffic from the surrounding medical
offices and the hospital. The estimated traffic provided by the applicant for this portion
of the roadway is between 3,600 and 6,800 vehicles per day. The road appears to meet
the minimum VDOT guidelines for an urban local and collector streets (GS -7 and GS -8)
found in Appendix A of the Road Design Manual but there is no maximum ADT
specified for these design guidelines.
2. The comprehensive plan does not provide for a public street in the approximate location of the
proposed private street. A public road is shown in the Comprehensive Plan. The
applicant intends for the road to be public after the final phase of the hospital is
constructed.
3. The fee of the private street will be owned by the owner of each lot abutting the right of way
thereof or by an association composed of owners of all lots in the subdivision, subject in either
case to any easement of the benefit of all lots served by the streets. Road will be maintained
by the hospital.
4. Except where required by the commission to serve a specific public purpose, the private street
will not serve through traffic nor intersect the state highway system in more than one location.
All vehicles served by this road will be through traffic.
5. And, if applicable, the private street has been approved in accordance with section 30.3, flood
hazard overlay district, of the zoning ordinance and other applicable law. Not applicable.
The current horizontal, vertical, and cross - section design of the proposed private road meet the VDOT
requirements for an urban local road. Therefore, all technical engineering concerns are addressed.
However, since a request for private road authorization was never received by Current Development, a full
engineering review of the issue cannot be supplied. A publicly maintained roadway around a hospital,
even for the intermediate stages of its development, is something the public should prefer. Without
reasoning for the request provided by the applicant, it is difficult to justify support for this waiver.
Engineering summary and recommendation
When the hospital first approached staff to discuss this issue, we replied that the following options, in
order of preference, were available for Willis Drive:
1. No Phasing. Construct the road to the full width as approved.
2. Barricades. At the main hospital and employee entrances terminate the roadway and put a
VDOT reflective barricade. If desired by the hospital, this option can include a private emergency
access path if there is a problem on PJP. This would require the waiver of a few standards of the
zoning ordinance for the path.
3. Public Rural Section roadway (suggested by the applicant). Redesign roadway with a rural
section for the predicted traffic volumes for Phase I. This option would require a waiver from the
Planning Commission per 14 -410H.
4. Private Rural Section roadway (suggested by the applicant). Redesign roadway with a rural
section for the predicted traffic volumes in Phase I. This option would require two waivers from
the Planning Commission: 14 -410H and 14- 234.C.4.
The option considered now by the Planning Commission requires two waivers. Engineering review sees
no technical reason to either approve or deny the two requests since VDOT standards are met. The issues
at hand seems to be whether the Planning Commission wishes to deviate from the default standards
outlined in the ordinance at the request of the hospital.
If the Planning Commission decides to approve the two requests, engineering review recommends
attaching a condition that requires the applicant to examine the need for left turn lanes into Parking Lot J
and the Martha Jefferson Outpatient Care Site. In addition, engineering review requests that the Planning
Commission consider including in their approval letter guidance to staff and the applicant regarding the
time when the curb and gutter section must be built.
File: E1_wvr_PBC_sdp200900039 Martha Jefferson Private Road.doc