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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB200900104 Review Comments Preliminary Site Plan 2010-01-11ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #: Name ARB- 2009 -104: 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 55 parking spaces to the site, 24 of which are "grass- pave" and located near the Entrance Corridor ARB Meeting Date January 19, 2010 Staff Contact Eryn Brennan SITE/PROJECT HISTORY • October 13, 2004: Board of Supervisors approved the original Special Use Permit for this church. The ARB's initial comments on the Special Use Permit requested the applicant to remove the 22 parking spaces along the EC. The spaces were not removed. • November 1, 2004: The ARB conducted a preliminary review of the site plan for the proposed church, travelways, and parking areas. The ARB suggested curving the 22 parking spaces located east of the roundabout to reduce their impact on the EC. The curved layout was approved and constructed. • September 19, 2005: ARB unanimously approved the Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposal, pending staff administrative approval of conditions. • October 5, 2005: A Certificate of Appropriateness was issued for the church and the related site development. • 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. • November 3, 2008: The applicant submitted a proposal for additional parking spaces, which required an amendment to the Special Use Permit and an amendment to the site development plan. Both were forwarded to the ARB for review on December 15, 2008, but the applicant requested withdrawal of the application on December 8, 2008. Although the ARB never reviewed the application, a staff report was written. • December 7, 2009: The applicant resubmitted the application for additional parking spaces, but made changes to the proposal based on comments provided in the 2008 staff report. As in 2008, an ARB 1/19/2010 Unity Church - Page 1 amendment to the Special Use Permit and an amendment to the site development plan are required. Given the ARB' s previous reviews of this development, staff recommended that the current proposals be forwarded to the ARB for comment. 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 /CHANGES TO THE PROPOSAL The 2008 proposal to expand parking at this site showed 67 additional parking spaces, 48 of which would be grass - paved. Thirty -six of the grass -paved parking spaces would be located in the east corner of the site, 20' from the EC, and would have required the demolition of a grove of tulip poplars. ARB staff recommended that the applicant set the parking area proposed in the east corner of the site 45' back from the EC, reduce the number of spaces to a maximum of 20, and preserve the grove of tulip poplars on the site. Staff also recommended that the applicant show more plantings and a more integrated planting scheme along the EC, and revise the grading along the eastern edge of the proposed east parking area to be more rounded to meet adjacent conditions and, therefore, more sensitive to the existing natural landscape, as required by the EC Guidelines. Changes since the 2008 proposal include a reduction in the total proposed additional parking spaces on the site from 67 to 55. This includes 24 grass -pave spaces in the eastern portion of the site, approximately 20' from the EC, and 31 parking spaces in the western portion of the site, 11 of which would be grass - paved. The applicant is also proposing to preserve a majority of the trees in the tulip poplar grove. Currently, 84 spaces exist on the site, but four would be removed in the existing parking area east of the roundabout to provide a connector to the proposed new parking in that area. With the additional proposed parking, the number of parking spaces available on the site would total 135. The applicant is also 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 and labyrinth proposed approximately 30 -35 feet from the northeast corner of the existing structure. 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 24 parking spaces proposed 20' from the EC in the eastern portion of the site will be somewhat obscured by landscaping and a 7' berm along the EC, but will still be visible given the depth of the parking area and removal of some of the existing mature landscaping in this portion of the lot. The rear terrace, playground, and labyrinth additions, and the expansion of the parking area in the rear west corner of the site, are not expected to be visible from the EC. ANALYSIS based on: Site plan drawings C1 — C9, dated 11/24/09. ARB 1/19/2010 Unity Church - Page 2 Issue: Parking Layout Comments: The additional parking proposed in the eastern portion of the site is only 20' from the EC. Adding parking between the building and the EC is not typical practice for the ECs. However, the original approved layout of the development included a significant amount of parking along the front of the site, in between the church and the EC. Given the significant amount of parking already on the site, parking is already a primary part of the visual experience of the site. The proposed eastern parking area is also somewhat similar to the parking area in the south corner of the site, which is set back only 25' from the EC. The applicant has also reduced the number of parking spaces proposed in the eastern portion of the site to retain the Tulip Poplars, as recommended by staff. Furthermore, the 7' berm, combined with appropriate plantings proposed in front of the new parking, area will help to mitigate negative impacts. Recommendations: See landscape and site grading recommendations below. Issue: Site Grading Comments: The site grading along the eastern edge of the proposed 24 grass -pave parking spaces closest to the EC cuts into the existing topography at a steep angle, effectively creating a bioswale, which does not meet the EC Guideline that requires cut slopes to be rounded to meet adjacent conditions and to respect existing topography. The grading in this area also begins at the edge of the grass -pave parking, which is unrealistic. A three to four foot shelf will be necessary to prevent erosion in this area. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the four Willow Oak proposed to be planted in the bioswale would survive, especially during a heavy rainy season. Recommendations: Revise the site grading shown on Sheet C6 Landscape Plan and Sheet C5 Grading Plan along the eastern edge of the proposed east parking area to be more rounded to meet adjacent conditions, and to create a more natural, less engineered appearance. Establish a shelf to prevent erosion and provide sufficient area for planting. Issue: Landscape Plan Comments: 1. To accommodate the new parking in the eastern corner of the property, the existing wooded area along the eastern property line would be significantly reduced. The depth of the reduced wooded area would range from 10' to 45'. (The existing depth ranges from 10' to 110'.) 2. The EC guidelines call for perimeter parking lot trees and the proximity of this parking lot to the EC suggests that additional screening is required to mitigate the impacts of the expanded parking. 3. The proposal shows 5 Willow Oaks as the perimeter parking lot trees. However, they are shown in a bioswale, which is not an optimal planting condition. 4. The existing wooded area might provide sufficient additional buffer, but individual trees to remain have not been identified in the existing wooded area, and tree protection fencing has not been proposed to ensure the protection of the existing trees to remain. If a survey indicates that existing trees to remain would not provide sufficient buffer, additional planting would be appropriate. 5. To achieve an appropriate appearance for the EC, the existing landscaping, existing wooded area to remain, proposed berm planting and proposed perimeter parking lot planting should all be part of an integrated landscape design. 6. Several of the quantities shown in the Plant List do not match the number of species shown on the landscape plan. Recommendations: Revise Sheet C3 Existing ConditionslDemo Plan and Sheet C6 Landscape Plan to clearly and accurately show the size and species of the existing trees to remain in the eastern portion of the site. Also show tree protection fencing around those trees intended to be preserved in this area. Note that if existing trees to remain do not provide sufficient screening, additional trees may be required. Ensure that the existing and proposed plants throughout the eastern part of the site establish a thoroughly integrated landscape plan. Revise ARB 1/19/2010 Unity Church - Page 3 Sheet C6 to ensure that the quantities listed in the Plant List are coordinated with the number of species shown on the landscape plan. Issue: Site Plan Notes Comments: Throughout the site plan it is stated that 67 additional parking spaces are being proposed, which is inconsistent with the 55 additional parking spaces shown on the plan. Recommendation: Revise the notes throughout the site plan regarding the number of proposed additional parking spaces to coordinate with the quantity shown on the plan. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as s the primary points of discussion: 1. The site grading along the eastern edge of the proposed grass -pave parking area closest to the EC. 2. The existing wooded area and proposed landscaping along the east edge of the parcel boundary. Regarding the Site Plan Amendment: Staff offers the following comments on the preliminary site plan amendment: 1. Revise the site grading shown on Sheet C6 Landscape Plan and Sheet C5 Grading Plan along the eastern edge of the proposed east parking area to be more rounded to meet adjacent conditions, and create a more natural, less engineered appearance. Establish a shelf to prevent erosion and provide sufficient area for planting. 2. Revise Sheet C3 Existing Conditions /Demo Plan and Sheet C6 Landscape Plan to clearly and accurately show the size and species of the existing trees to remain in the eastern portion of the site. Also show tree protection fencing around those trees intended to be preserved in this area. Note that if existing trees to remain do not provide sufficient screening, additional trees may be required. Ensure that the existing and proposed plants throughout the eastern part of the site establish a thoroughly integrated landscape plan. Revise Sheet C6 to ensure that the quantities listed in the Plant List are coordinated with the number of species shown on the landscape plan. 3. Revise the notes throughout the site plan regarding the number of proposed additional parking spaces to coordinate with the quantity shown on the plan. Regarding the Special Use Permit for 55 additional parking, spaces: Staff has no objection to the request for additional parking spaces for the following reasons: The additional parking spaces proposed in the eastern portion of the site have been reduced from 36 to 24 spaces; the reduction of the parking spaces proposed in this area has allowed the grove of Tulip Poplars to be preserved; the site is already dominated by parking, and the parking proposed in the east corner of the site is similar to the existing parking in the south corner of the site; and the 7' berm and proposed landscaping along the EC will help mitigate the negative impact of the proposed parking area on the EC. Staff recommends that the ARB forward the following recommendation to the Planning Commission: The ARB has no objection to the request with the following condition: Planting and grading associated with the parking proposed in the eastern part of the site shall be modified to the satisfaction of the ARB to achieve screening and an integrated landscape design, with sufficient area for planting and a shelf to prevent erosion. ARB 1/19/2010 Unity Church - Page 4