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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201300162 Staff Report 2013-12-02ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB- 2013 -162: Northside Library and Storage Facility Review Type Site Plan Amendment Parcel Identification 061000000120KO Location 705 Rio Road West, on the south side of Rio Road, approximately 650' west of Rt. 29 Zoned Highway Commercial (HC), Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner /Applicant County of Albemarle, Virginia/Holzheimer Bolek & Meehan Architects (James Shook) Magisterial District Rio Proposal To renovate an existing building and construct an addition to accommodate a 29,000 sf library and 20,000 sf storage facility, and to complete associated site improvements, including 84 parking spaces. Context The subject parcel is developed with a Butler metal warehouse building and was operated as part of the Philips Building Supply Company. The developed site to the east, which includes a similar warehouse building, was also operated as a part of that business. The Daily Progress headquarters building is located to the west of the subject parcel. A mix of office, retail and residential properties are located across Rio Road to the north. Visibility The building is readily visible from the Rio Road Entrance Corridor. Open views of the north and east elevations are available; the west elevation is screened by existing on- and off -site trees. ARB Meeting Date December 2, 2013 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY The existing Butler building on this site was erected in 1988. It predates the establishment of Rio Road as an Entrance Corridor. The existing building is basically a box with a brick -faced front, four pilasters dividing the front into bays, and an entrance projecting from the center. The building has little in the way of form or detailing to distinguish it. Signs were approved for the building in 2005 and 2008. On September 16, 2013 the ARB held a work session on the architectural design of the library building. At that meeting, the ARB indicated that the project was moving in the right direction and noted the following issues: 1. The book drop -off area needs more attention. 2. The relationship between the interior program and the exterior appearance is appreciated, as is the re -use of the existing building. 3. The project is moving in a good direction. Positive features include: marking entry, differentiating activities and adding scale. 4. There were questions about the appearance of the front loading /dumpster area. 5. There were questions about landscaping, and about materials and colors. 6. The book drop -off and canopy on the EC side of the building will "identify" the building. Changes to the proposal since the work session and included in the current proposal are: 1. The book drop -off area has been revised. 2. The dumpster area has been further refined. 3. Corner windows have been emphasized. 4. A yellow accent color has been added. ANALYSIS REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION Structure design 1 The goal of the regulation of the design of The proposed renovation exhibits minimal None. development within the designated Entrance ties to historic architecture of the area and Corridors is to insure that new development clearly attempts to meet the guidelines within the corridors reflects the traditional standard of compatibility with a architecture of the area. Therefore, it is the contemporary architectural form. The purpose of ARB review and of these Guidelines, proposed design adds a number of elements that proposed development within the designated to the building. A few of those elements can Entrance Corridors reflect elements of design be seen as modern interpretations of characteristic of the significant historical traditional building elements: a surround to landmarks, buildings, and structures of the identify an entrance, a canopy to shelter a Charlottesville and Albemarle area, and to walkway and provide direction, the use of promote orderly and attractive development elements of varying height and shape to within these corridors. Applicants should note that replication of historic structures is neither required nor desired. identify and separate uses. Other added elements have no obvious ties to traditional architectural elements of the area: the 4 The examples contained in Appendix A should be used as a guide for building design: the window and door forms, and the forms of standard of compatibility with the area's historic the book drop and dumpster areas. These structures is not intended to impose a rigid features, however, establish scale and design solution for new development. provide interest, which are lacking in the Replication of the design of the important existing building. And, as the applicant historic sites in the area is neither intended nor points out, the character of the renovated desired. The Guideline's standard of building is in line with the Butler building compatibility can be met through building scale, system at its core, and with adjacent materials, and forms which may be embodied in buildings. The building re- design is architecture which is contemporary as well as expected to result in an improved traditional. The Guidelines allow individuality in appearance for the overall site. As such, it is design to accommodate varying tastes as well as expected to promote orderly and attractive special functional requirements. development along the corridor. 9 Building forms and features, including roofs, windows, doors, materials, colors and textures The proposed design retains some of the should be compatible with the forms and features of the significant historic buildings in the area, brick of the existing building, which is a exemplified by (but not limited to) the buildings traditional material of the area. It also described in Appendix A [of the design retains existing metal siding and adds new guidelines]. The standard of compatibility can be metal siding. All siding is to be painted met through scale, materials, and forms which blue. Metal box window units and awnings may be embodied in architecture which is are added in a clear anodized finish. Metal contemporary as well as traditional. The panels added at entrance portals and replication of important historic sites in canopies have a smooth outside surface Albemarle County is not the objective of these painted a shade of brown and an inside guidelines. corrugated surface painted yellow. The applicant has indicated that these painted metal surfaces are not glossy finishes. Typical building colors in the immediate area include white, off - white, tan, yellow and brick walls, and red, green, blue and gray /silver roofs. So, the proposed building colors are not unprecedented in the area, but they may be perceived as unusual given their application in this particular design. The existing building may be considered a "background" building; its design does not attract attention to itself. The forms and colors of the proposed renovation are expected to make the building much more conspicuous in the streetscape. Nearby properties considering redevelopment will look to the library when attempting to establish compatibility. 5 It is also an important objective of the Guidelines The buildings in this block predate the None. to establish a pattern of compatible architectural establishment of the Entrance Corridor and characteristics throughout the Entrance Corridor most would not likely meet the EC in order to achieve unity and coherence. Building guidelines if proposed and reviewed today. designs should demonstrate sensitivity to other Although there is no specific building nearby structures within the Entrance Corridor. element that ties the proposed design to Where a designated corridor is substantially nearby buildings, the applicant indicates developed, these Guidelines require striking a that the proposed design builds on the careful balance between harmonizing new industrial nature of the building and development with the existing character of the neighborhood where the site is flanked by a corridor and achieving compatibility with the warehouse, a newspaper headquarters significant historic sites in the area. building, and storage units. 10 Buildings should relate to their site and the surrounding context of buildings. 11 The overall design of buildings should have The addition of the new building forms, None. human scale. Scale should be integral to the including the canopy over the walkway, the building and site design. entrance portal, the forms at the book drop and dumpster areas, and the corner window, all help establish scale in a building that currently has no scale or visual interest. 12 Architecture proposed within the Entrance The distribution of forms, materials and None. Corridor should use forms, shapes, scale, and colors in the proposed design creates a materials to create a cohesive whole. cohesive whole. 14 Arcades, colonnades, or other architectural connecting devices should be used to unify groups of buildings within a development. 13 Any appearance of "blankness" resulting from The existing building is primarily blank. None. building design should be relieved using design Although the west elevation would remain detail or vegetation, or both. predominantly blank with the renovation, overall the blankness of the building is significantly reduced with the addition of windows and other building forms on the north, east and south sides. Accessory structures and equipment 17 Accessory structures and equipment should be A dumpster enclosure is proposed on the Provide detail drawings of integrated into the overall plan of development EC front of the building. A screening wall is the dumpster enclosure. and shall, to the extent possible, be compatible proposed for this area, but it is difficult to Provide a perspective view with the building designs used on the site. tell from the drawings exactly what the dumpster area will look like. More (from the west) that clarifies the appearance of 18 The following should be located to eliminate visibility from the Entrance Corridor street. If, information is needed to confirm that it will the dumpster area. Provide after appropriate siting, these features will still have an appropriate appearance. sufficient information to have a negative visual impact on the Entrance show how the dumpster Corridor street, screening should be provided to area will have an eliminate visibility. appropriate appearance for a. Loading areas, b. Service areas, c. Refuse the EC. areas, d. Storage areas, e. Mechanical equipment, f. Above - ground utilities, and g. Chain link fence, barbed wire, razor wire, and similar security fencing devices. 19 Screening devices should be compatible with the design of the buildings and surrounding natural vegetation and may consist of: a. Walls, b. Plantings, and c. Fencing. 21 The following note should be added to the site The note does not appear on the plans. Add the standard equipment plan and the architectural plan: "Visibility of all note to the site plan and the mechanical equipment from the Entrance architectural drawings. Corridor shall be eliminated." Lighting 22 Light should be contained on the site and not A note on C3.01 states that lighting requires Revise the plan to include spill over onto adjacent properties or streets; a separate approval. Other notes indicate all proposed lighting and that additional plaza and entry lighting will related details. be proposed. All proposed lighting and related details must be included in the site Ensure the photometrics plan amendment for review. are calculated using a maintenance factor of 1.0. The lighting plan does not indicate the Indicate the maintenance maintenance factor used to calculate the factor on the plan. photometrics, but it needs to be identified on the plan. 26 Dark brown, dark bronze, or black are A note on the lighting plan states that the Revise the plans to identify appropriate colors for free - standing pole fixture and pole finishes will be selected by the color of the light poles mounted light fixtures in the Entrance Corridors. the architect; the choices are not indicated and fixtures. Dark bronze on the plans. is recommended. 27 The height and scale of freestanding, pole- It appears that the proposed light poles are Limit overall light pole mounted light fixtures should be compatible 18' tall on 2' 6" bases. This exceeds the height (including bases) to with the height and scale of the buildings and recommended height by 6 ", but it does not 20'. the sites they are illuminating, and with the use exceed the height of the building. of the site. Typically, the height of freestanding pole- mounted light fixtures in the Entrance Corridors should not exceed 20 feet, including the base. Fixtures that exceed 20 feet in height will typically require additional screening to achieve an appropriate appearance from the Entrance Corridor. 29 The following note should be included on the The note does not appear on the plan. Add the standard lighting lighting plan: "Each outdoor luminaire note to the plan. equipped with a lamp that emits 3,000 or more initial lumens shall be a full cutoff luminaire and shall be arranged or shielded to reflect light away from adjoining residential districts and away from adjacent roads. The spillover of lighting from luminaires onto public roads and property in residential or rural areas zoning districts shall not exceed one half footcandle." 7 32 35 The requirements of the Guidelines regarding landscaping are intended to reflect the landscaping characteristic of many of the area's significant 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. Landscaping along the frontage of Entrance Corridor streets should include the following: a. Large shade trees should be planted parallel to the Entrance Corridor Street. Such trees should be at least 3' /a inches caliper (measured 6 inches above the ground) and should be of a plant species common to the area. Such trees should be located at least every 35 feet on center. b. Flowering ornamental trees of a species common to the area should be interspersed among the trees required by the preceding paragraph. The ornamental trees need not alternate one for one with the large shade trees. They may be planted among the large shade trees in a less regular spacing pattern. c. In situations where appropriate, a three or four board fence or low stone wall, typical of the area, should align the frontage of the Entrance Corridor street. d. An area of sufficient width to accommodate the foregoing plantings and fencing should be reserved parallel to the Entrance Corridor street, and exclusive of road right -of -way and utility easements. Landscaping of parking areas: a. Large trees should align the perimeter of parking areas, located 40 feet on center. Trees Establishing landscaping at this site that meets the EC guidelines could help integrate the site into the corridor and establish a character for this section of the corridor, as well as generally promoting visual order. No large shade trees are proposed to be added along the EC frontage. One existing Zelkova is to remain and 5 Dogwoods spaced at 20' on center are proposed instead. Existing overhead lines are indicated on the plan. The landscape plan is difficult to read. Call - outs, quantities, and symbols are confused. No planting sizes are indicated in the schedule. Utility easements are not clearly shown on the plan. Planting in easements must be coordinated with the holders of the easements. Several trees are shown on top of proposed pipes. Shrubs are proposed in the planting strip that fronts the EC, but they are proposed in short rows oriented perpendicular to the EC Provide large shade trees at 35' on center along the EC frontage. Intersperse ornamental trees among the large shade trees. Indicate the height of the overhead lines along the EC frontage for coordination. Provide the quantity of the proposed species in the plant call -outs and/or use consistent symbols for each type of plant proposed. Include proposed planting heights in the landscape schedule. Coordinate all landscaping with utilities and easements. Orient the shrubs parallel to the EC /parking row to better screen the parked should be planted in the interior of parking areas Strips of perennials, also oriented cars. at the rate of one tree for every 10 parking spaces perpendicular to the EC, are proposed provided and should be evenly distributed between the rows of shrubs. The orientation throughout the interior of the parking area. of the shrubs limits the ability of the shrubs b. Trees required by the preceding paragraph to screen parked cars. should measure 21/2 inches caliper (measured six inches above the ground); should be evenly spaced; and should be of a species common to the area. Such trees should be planted in planters or medians sufficiently large to maintain the health of the tree and shall be protected by curbing. c. Shrubs should be provided as necessary to minimize the parking area's impact on Entrance Corridor streets. Shrubs should measure 24 inches in height. 36 Landscaping of buildings and other structures: The west elevation of the building remains Show how the grading will a. Trees or other vegetation should be planted primarily blank. The plans show 3 white be accomplished to along the front of long buildings as necessary to pines and 1 mulberry tree to remain near the maintain the health of the soften the appearance of exterior walls. The north end of the elevation, but grading is white pines and mulberry spacing, size, and type of such trees or also proposed around the trees to remain. identified as "to remain" vegetation should be determined by the length, on the west side of the height, and blankness of such walls. building, or propose b. Shrubs should be used to integrate the site, replacement landscaping. buildings, and other structures; dumpsters, accessory buildings and structures; "drive thru" windows; service areas; and signs. Shrubs should measure at least 24 inches in height. 41 No grading, trenching, or tunneling should occur within the drip line of any trees or other existing features designated for preservation in the final Certificate of Appropriateness. Adequate tree protection fencing should be shown on, and coordinated throughout, the grading, landscaping and erosion and sediment control plans. 41 No grading, trenching, or tunneling should occur within the drip line of any trees or other existing features designated for preservation in the final Certificate of Appropriateness. Adequate tree protection fencing should be shown on, and coordinated throughout, the grading, landscaping and erosion and sediment control plans. 38 Plant health: The note does not appear on the plan. Add the standard landscape The following note should be added to the note to the plan. 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." Development pattern 39 The relationship of buildings and other structures Connections are made to pedestrian and Coordinate the various to the Entrance Corridor street and to other vehicular circulation systems, but the sheets of the plan regarding development within the corridor should be as sidewalks on the layout and landscape plans the sidewalk layout. follows: don't match. a. An organized pattern of roads, service lanes, bike paths, and pedestrian walks should guide The building is arranged parallel to the EC. the layout of the site. b. In general, buildings fronting the Entrance The site is already developed. No Corridor street should be parallel to the street. significant open areas or natural features Building groupings should be arranged to remain on the property. parallel the Entrance Corridor street. c. Provisions should be made for connections to adjacent pedestrian and vehicular circulation systems. d. Open spaces should be tied into surrounding areas to provide continuity within the Entrance Corridor. e. If significant natural features exist on the site (including creek valleys, steep slopes, significant trees or rock outcroppings), to the extent SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The current context of the site 2. The minimal ties to traditional architecture in the proposed architectural design 3. The strong contemporary character of the proposed architectural design; its suitability for setting a precedent for this section of the corridor 4. The location and appearance of the dumpster area 5. The trees and shrubs proposed along the EC frontage 6. Signage Staff offers the following comments on the proposal: 1. Provide detail drawings of the dumpster enclosure. Provide a perspective view (from the west) that clarifies the appearance of the dumpster area. Provide sufficient information to show how the dumpster area will have an appropriate appearance for the EC. 2. Revise the plan to include all proposed lighting and related details. 3. Ensure the photometrics are calculated using a maintenance factor of 1.0. Indicate the maintenance factor on the plan. 4. Revise the plans to identify the color of the light poles and fixtures. Dark bronze is recommended. 5. Limit overall light pole height (including bases) to 20'. 10 practical, then such natural features should be reflected in the site layout. If the provisions of Section 32.5.2n of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance apply, then improvements required by that section should be located so as to maximize the use of existing features in screening such improvements from Entrance Corridor streets. f. The placement of structures on the site should respect existing views and vistas on and around the site. Signs Sign permit applications have not been It would be useful to have submitted, but signs are shown on the the ARB's input on the size building elevations. Staff can review and and general appearance of approve the walls signs when the the proposed signs for applications are made. reference in the future staff review. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The current context of the site 2. The minimal ties to traditional architecture in the proposed architectural design 3. The strong contemporary character of the proposed architectural design; its suitability for setting a precedent for this section of the corridor 4. The location and appearance of the dumpster area 5. The trees and shrubs proposed along the EC frontage 6. Signage Staff offers the following comments on the proposal: 1. Provide detail drawings of the dumpster enclosure. Provide a perspective view (from the west) that clarifies the appearance of the dumpster area. Provide sufficient information to show how the dumpster area will have an appropriate appearance for the EC. 2. Revise the plan to include all proposed lighting and related details. 3. Ensure the photometrics are calculated using a maintenance factor of 1.0. Indicate the maintenance factor on the plan. 4. Revise the plans to identify the color of the light poles and fixtures. Dark bronze is recommended. 5. Limit overall light pole height (including bases) to 20'. 10 6. Provide large shade trees at 35' on center along the EC frontage. Intersperse ornamental trees among the large shade trees. Indicate the height of the overhead lines along the EC frontage for coordination. 7. On the landscape plan, provide the quantity of the proposed species in the call -outs and/or use consistent symbols for each type of plant proposed. 8. Include proposed planting heights in the landscape schedule. 9. Coordinate all landscaping with utilities and easements. 10. Orient the shrubs parallel to the EC /parking row to better screen the parked cars. 11. Show how the grading will be accomplished to maintain the health of the white pines and mulberry identified as "to remain" on the west side of the building, or propose replacement landscaping. 12. Coordinate the various sheets of the plan regarding the sidewalk layout. 13. Add the standard equipment note to the site plan and the architectural drawings: "Visibility of all mechanical equipment from the Entrance Corridor shall be eliminated." 14. Add the standard lighting note to the plan: "Each outdoor luminaire equipped with a lamp that emits 3,000 or more initial lumens shall be a full cutoff luminaire and shall be arranged or shielded to reflect light away from adjoining residential districts and away from adjacent roads. The spillover of lighting from luminaires onto public roads and property in residential or rural areas zoning districts shall not exceed one half footcandle." 15. Add the standard landscape note to the 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 C3.01 Layout and Materials Plan 21 Oct 2013 L1.0 Landscape Plan 18 Oct 2013 E1.0 Lighting Plan 18 Oct 2013 AP.3 Exterior Elevations 18 Oct 2013 APA Exterior Elevations 18 Oct 2013 AP.5 Perspective Renderings 18 Oct 2013 - Material samples: Sherwin Williams paint colors: 6061 Tanbark (brown), 6683 Bee (yellow), 6500 Open Seas (blue); Glass: Viracon Neutral Low -E VNEI -63; Kawneer permanodic anodized finish metal (clear 14 and 17); - IF