HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP201100002 Review Comments Special Use Permit 2011-03-30*—&A
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
Memorandum
To: Joan McDowell, Principle Planner
From: Glenn Brooks, County Engineer
Date: 30 Mar 2011
Subject: Castle Hill Cider (SP201100002)
The application for special events of up to 3000 people has been reviewed. The following comments are
offered for your use.
A traffic study is recommended. The number and times of events may need to be limited to
manage traffic concerns at the entrance on the public road. Improvements to the road and
entrance, or some sort of traffic control may be warranted.
2. It is recommended that the entrance drive meet one of the private or public road standards. The
drive is currently 10' wide gravel with a vertical curve just beyond the public road entrance which
has poor sight distance. The lowest road standard at the County which might be applied is the
private road standard which applies to subdivision of 3 -5 lots, and requires a 14' wide travelway
with 4' shoulders and a minimum of 100 feet of sight distance. The public road standard for rural
roads is 18' wide with 4' shoulders. The spot road widening proposed on the vertical curve where
the sight distance problem exists helps this situation, but most of the road will only allow one -way
traffic.
3. In the rural areas, parking areas have been granted waivers of the zoning ordinance requirements
to allow for gravel parking lots with some form of edge treatment and parking space delineation,
typically landscaping timbers. Allowing a grass field to be used for parking, without a limit to the
frequency of use, is beyond what is typically allowed, and may result in significant erosion.
4. I cannot find that the dam recently constructed behind the events building had any permits from
the County or FEMA. The stream on which this dam was constructed has a FEMA floodplain,
and is in the Flood Hazard Overlay. A special use permit is required by Chapter 18 section
30.3.05.2.2 In addition, the culvert crossing for the driveway upstream appears to have been
recently improved, and if this is the case, also requires a special use permit. Applications should
include an analysis, plan and measurements of the structures and fill, and the impacts to the
floodplain, showing before and after limits and elevations. An application to FEMA to change the
floodplain limits will need to be made. The requirements of the Water Protection Ordinance with
regard to mitigation and the stream crossing should be addressed.
file: El SP2011 -2 GEB CastleHillCider