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Home My WebLink AboutSDP201100064 Review Comments Waiver, variation or substitution requirement 2012-10-04Phone 434 - 296 -5832 _ p County of Albemarle Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902 Memorandum Fax 434 - 972 -4126 To: Paty Saternye /Herb White From: Ellie Ray, CLA, Senior Planner Division: Planning Date: October 3, 2012 Subject: Belvedere - ZMA 04 -07 (Senior Center SDP201100064) Variation Applications from Approved Plans and Code of Development (Variations #49 -51 Three variation requests for Belvedere (ZMA 04 -07) were submitted July 18, 2012 (additional copies submitted August 14, 2012). Staff has determined that additional information is necessary for completion of our review. We have also indentified design guidance and potential conditions of approval. Variation #1 ( #49) From the application - Request: To allow the "Front build to from street" for the building to vary from the distance of 5' specified in Table 10 of Belvedere's Code of Development (page 36) to be increased to 2' beyond any existing utility easements that have been located along the road. Reason: "Front Build to from Street" for Block 1 is 5' (see Table 10 on page 36 of Belvedere's Code of Development (C.O. D)). There are existing utility easements that run along the BLVD that extends further into the property than 5' (see the exhibits titled "Plat Showing Fifteen Foot Gas Easement Dedicated to the City of Charlottesville" and `Physical Survey showing TMP 61 -154 Belvedere'). The building and its foundation cannot be built within these easements. Therefore, the Senior Center is requesting to locate the building and its foundation just beyond the existing utility easement. Staff Comments: • Staff understands the realities involved with the existing easements on this site and can support this request. Recommendation for approval will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors when all of the necessary site variations are ready to proceed. Variation #2 ( #50) From the application- Request: To allow a variation of building massing, interior parking access road and parking layout from that shown in the ZMA exhibits titled `Block 1 and 2 General Development Plan Exhibit 2B" and `Block 1 and 2 Potential Development Scenario Exhibit 4 ". Reason: A single structure is required due to the nature of the use as well as patrons' needs (see exhibit titled "The Center at Belvedere — Site Plan'). The Senior Center will serve differently -abled individuals throughout the day. To split functions between buildings would be untenable from a programming and use standpoint. Having to travel from one building to another would likely dissuade patrons from attending programs, especially during cold or rainy weather. Staffing would also have to be increased if multiple buildings were required, increasing operating costs to a point of being infeasible. As evidenced in the design sketches produced to date, it is the Center's and design team's intention to articulate the building as multiple individual volumes, breaking -up the massing to read as multiple structures, as intended in the C.O.D. Parking is to be shielded from Belvedere Boulevard by the building and by gardens and garden structures (such as a pergola). It is the design team's intention to place the building along Belvedere Boulevard and facing the stormwater pond so that vehicles on Belvedere Boulevard are presented with a welcoming structure with activities inside instead of a parking lot. Ninety- degree parking will be utilized in lieu of the diagonal parking called for in the C. 0. D. because it is much more efficient and because it is better suited to the aging patrons of the Senior Center. One -way drive aisles (as required for diagonal parking) can be confusing and dangerous for older drivers, creating hazards for pedestrians and drivers alike. Pedestrian paths within the parking lot will be wide (i.e. 5' -6) and well- shaded so as to provide a pedestrian- and elderly- friendly path from the furthest reaches of the parking lot to the building. Staff Comments: • Staff believes that the building and parking layout as presented in the exhibit titled "The Center at Belvedere — Site Plan" achieves the desired goal of presenting a "face" to the road and buffering parking from view. The `Pergola and Garden' feature along Belvedere Boulevard will be especially important in accomplishing this goal. It should be noted that these site elements will be required in addition to the minimum street tree and parking lot landscaping requirements for the site plan. Recommendation for approval will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors when all of the necessary site variations are ready to proceed. • As noted in Zoning comments, if this variation is approved, an updated description of Block 1 in the Code of Development should be provided. Current Variation #3 ( #51) From the application- Request: To allow on- street parking along both sides of the "Parkway Section" of Belvedere Boulevard within Block 1 and the addition of a sidewalk on the far side of the road from the Senior Center for pedestrian access to the parallel parking, which is a variation from both the ZMA and the approved "Belvedere BLVD — Phase 1 Road & Drainage Improvements" Site Plan (see section labeled "Belvedere Boulevard — 100' R/W Parkway Section" on sheet 6 of 23). Reason: In Belvedere, as a Neighborhood Model District, parking along the streets is the norm. However, this section of Belvedere Boulevard was not designated to have on- street parking. The Senior Center periodically has the need for parking that exceeds that capable of being met through the use of parking lots within the parcel alone. Please see the attached exhibit labeled "The Center at Belvedere — Site Plan" that shows the parallel parking spaces proposed for Belvedere Boulevard. With the addition of a sidewalk and crosswalk, for the parking on the far side of the Boulevard from the Senior Center, this expands the parking that is available to the Senior Center while creating a pedestrian friendly linkage to the parallel parking spaces. Staff Comments: Additional information requested: 1. Clarify how the number of on- street parking spaces requested was established. What determined the need for 82 additional parking spaces? 2. Provide more definitive information about where the parking will begin and end on each side of the boulevard. The conceptual sketch shows roughly 69 spaces, but indicates 82 spaces are proposed. It is also unclear why the majority of the spaces appear to be on the far side of Belvedere Boulevard. 3. As noted in Zoning comments, information addressing Proffer 4.1 was not provided with the request. This information is required for Zoning to determine if the proffer is being met. Please also note that should the County demand dedication of the reserved 100' right -of -way (as provided in Proffer 4. 1), the design of Belvedere Boulevard could change and eliminate these on- street spaces. 4. Clarify if the required parking for the senior center is being provided on -site, or if the on- street spaces are needed to satisfy the requirement. This may involve a parking determination by Zoning. 5. Verify that bike lanes are still provided in both directions on Belvedere Blvd. 6. Clarify the impact on Green Space from Table 4; it appears that the `other green space' in Block 1 could potentially be impacted by the widening of the street and addition of sidewalk on the far side. Design guidance: • As provided in Engineering and VDOT comments on this request, the revised road design will likely need to incorporate traffic calming measures, reduction of speed, and either an 8' sidewalk on the far side of the boulevard or the addition of a planting strip between the curb and the sidewalk. Likely conditions of approval: • Approval of revised road plans. • Approval of a revised WPO application. • VDOT acceptance of the road. • Update of Exhibit 2B and Table 8 of the Code of Development. An updated Code of Development and Application Plan reflecting all changes comprehensively will be required if the variations are approved. Please contact Ellie Ray at the Division of Current Development by using eray(a)albemarle.org or 434 - 296 -5832 ext. 3432 for further information.