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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201300078 Review Comments Preliminary Site Plan 2013-07-30ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB- 2013 -78: Final Touch Tree Service Contractor Storage Yard Review Type Site Development Plan Parcel Identification 05600000008600 Location 5165 Three Notch'd Road, on the south side of Rt. 240, approximately 600' west of Park Ridge Drive Zoned Light Industry (LI), Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner /Applicant Final Touch Tree Service LLC /David Anhold Magisterial District White Hall Proposal To establish a contractors storage yard to park tree service vehicles. Context The site is located just west of the Crozet Self Storage facility. Single family residences stand to the north and west. The CSX railroad tracks and the Western Ridge residential development are to the south. The storage yard would be located approximately 360' south of Rt. 240. Visibility The wooded area that currently occupies the subject parcel is visible from the Entrance Corridor. Some of the wooded area would be removed to create the storage yard and the future gravel driveway. Wooded area would remain between the cleared area and the EC. That wooded area, together with proposed planting, is expected to reduce visibility of the storage yard. However, some visibility of the yard is expected to remain, particularly in the winter when the leaves are off the trees. ARB Meeting Date August 5, 2013 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY: The ARB has reviewed no applications on the subject parcel. The self storage buildings and the medical office building to the east were both reviewed and approved by the ARB. DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL The storage yard measures approximately 120' x 100'. The yard would be enclosed by an 8' -high chain link fence coated with dark green vinyl. A row of 19 Prague Viburnum is proposed along the north side of the storage yard, 3' -4' tall at planting, spaced approximately 6' on center. The viburnum is an evergreen shrub growing 8' -12' high x 6' -10' wide, with a fast growth rate. The yard would be used for parking approximately 6 tree service vehicles overnight and on weekends. A stream exists on the parcel. A portion of the stream buffer would be disturbed with the proposed development, so mitigation is required. Proposed mitigation is the planting of a mix of 228 hardwood seedlings (red maple, black gum, tulip poplar, sycamore, and shingle oak) in a 70' deep band across the parcel, beginning just north of the stream. The yard would be reached by a gravel drive extending from the existing paved area on the storage site. An 18' -wide gravel drive and an associated 50' -wide driveway access easement are planned to span the parcel just north of the storage yard. ANALYSIS REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDA TION GENERAL GUIDELINES 2 Visitors to the significant historical To achieve integration and compatibility, and to promote See below. sites in the Charlottesville and visual order, visibility of the proposed storage yard should be Albemarle area experience these sites eliminated. as ensembles of buildings, land, and vegetation. In order to accomplish the integration of buildings, land, and vegetation characteristic of these sites, the Guidelines require attention to four primary factors: compatibility with significant historic sites in the area; the character of the Entrance Corridor; site development and layout; and landscaping. 7 The requirements of the Guidelines regarding landscaping are intended to reflect the landscaping characteristic of many of the area's significant 2 historic sites which is characterized by large shade trees and lawns. Landscaping should promote visual order within the Entrance Corridor and help to integrate buildings into the existing environment of the corridor. 8 Continuity within the Entrance Landscaping will go a long way towards harmonizing the See below. Corridor should be obtained by appearance of the storage yard with the surroundings, as planting different types of plant viewed from the EC. The seedlings proposed for the materials that share similar mitigation area should eventually increase the density of the characteristics. Such common wooded area between the storage yard and the residential elements allow for more flexibility in property adjacent to the road, helping to reduce visibility. The the design of structures because viburnum proposed for the north side of the yard is an common landscape features will help evergreen shrub growing 8' -12' high x 6' -10' wide, with a to harmonize the appearance of fast growth rate. The viburnum will eventually form a visual development as seen from the street barrier across the length of the yard. upon which the Corridor is centered. 18 The following should be located to The storage yard and the stored vehicles, without additional Replace the eliminate visibility from the Entrance plants, would be visible from the EC, though the view would viburnum with an Corridor street. If, after appropriate be through an existing wooded area. Given the distance from alternate screening siting, these features will still have a the road, the proposed chain link fence would probably be plant with a taller negative visual impact on the hard to detect through the wooded area, and the dark green mature height and Entrance Corridor street, screening vinyl coating is expected to blend with the surroundings taller planting size. should be provided to eliminate better, and be less conspicuous, than the standard galvanized visibility. chain link would. Carry the screening a. Loading areas, plants around the b. Service areas, An alternative to screening with chain link fence is installing front corners of the c. Refuse areas, a solid fence. However, it is anticipated that such a fence — a storage yard, d. Storage areas, board fence, for example — would be visible from the EC and approximately 10'- e. Mechanical equipment, would attract attention to itself. 15' down the sides f. Above - ground utilities, and of the yard. g. Chain link fence, barbed wire, razor The proposed viburnum hedge would eventually, but not wire, and similar security fencing immediately, eliminate visibility of the chain link fence on the devices. north side of the yard, assuming the Viburnum grow at least 8' high. It will likely take 2 years, possibly more, to reach that Screening devices should be height, and another 1 -2 years to reach 10' tall (average height compatible with the design of the for Viburnum). During that growing period, tree service buildings and surrounding natural vehicles will likely be visible through the wooded area. vegetation and may consist of: a. Walls, The applicant has indicated that the tallest tree service vehicle b. Plantings, and is 12' high. Consequently, the taller vehicles might be visible c. Fencing. above the mature Viburnum hedge, if it does not grow to its typical maximum height. An alternate screening plant with a taller mature height than the Viburnum would provide more consistent and more reliable screening. A taller height at planting could also reduce the length of time that the equipment will be visible. Carrying the screening plants around the front corners of the storage yard, approximately 10' -15' down the sides of the yard, would reduce potential angled views into the yard. It should be noted that wintertime visibility will be greater than summertime visibility. 19 Sometimes, a dense row of shrubs intended for screening an None. objectionable feature can appear conspicuous in the landscape, attracting as much attention to the screen as to the feature in need of screening. This could be remedied by sing more than one plant species in the screen and providing a less regular planting layout. However, in this case, the regularity of the Viburnum hedge is expected to be dispersed by the depth of the existing wooded area. 38 Plant health: The note does not appear on the plan. Add the following The following note should be added note to the to the landscape plan: "All site landscape plan: "All plantings of trees and shrubs shall be site plantings of trees allowed to reach, and be maintained at, and shrubs shall be mature height; the topping of trees is allowed to reach, and prohibited. Shrubs and trees shall be be maintained at, pruned minimally and only to support mature height; the the overall health of the plant." topping of trees is prohibited. Shrubs SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. Visibility of the storage yard from the EC. 2. Visibility of parked vehicles. 3. Visibility of the chain link fence from the EC /green vinyl coating. 4. Viburnum mature height/vehicle height. Staff recommends approval of the plan with the following conditions: 1. Replace the viburnum with an alternate screening plant with a taller mature height and indicate a taller planting size. 2. Carry the screening plants around the front corners of the storage yard, approximately 10' -15' down the sides of the yard. 3. Add the following note to the landscape plan: "All site plantings of trees and shrubs shall be allowed to reach, and be maintained at, mature height; the topping of trees is prohibited. Shrubs and trees shall be pruned minimally and only to support the overall health of the plant." TABLE A This report is based on the following submittal items: Sheet # Drawing Name Drawing Date/Revision Date and trees shall be Cover Sheet March 4, 2013 S2 pruned minimally and March 4, 2013 S3 Site Details only to support the S4 E &S and Mitigation Plan March 4, 2013 overall health of the Site photos - plant." SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. Visibility of the storage yard from the EC. 2. Visibility of parked vehicles. 3. Visibility of the chain link fence from the EC /green vinyl coating. 4. Viburnum mature height/vehicle height. Staff recommends approval of the plan with the following conditions: 1. Replace the viburnum with an alternate screening plant with a taller mature height and indicate a taller planting size. 2. Carry the screening plants around the front corners of the storage yard, approximately 10' -15' down the sides of the yard. 3. Add the following note to the landscape plan: "All site plantings of trees and shrubs shall be allowed to reach, and be maintained at, mature height; the topping of trees is prohibited. Shrubs and trees shall be pruned minimally and only to support the overall health of the plant." TABLE A This report is based on the following submittal items: Sheet # Drawing Name Drawing Date/Revision Date S1 Cover Sheet March 4, 2013 S2 Site Plan March 4, 2013 S3 Site Details March 4, 2013 S4 E &S and Mitigation Plan March 4, 2013 - Site photos - 5