HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP201200067 Legacy Document 2013-02-21 (9)\000 �- -0
IN
VZAR& OAwireless
Hand- delivered
January 4, 2013
TO: Brent Nelson, Planner
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
401 McIntire Road
North Wing
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
RE: SP- 2012 -067 - Houchens Property / Britts Mountain Verizon Wireless Tier II PWSF
Critical Slopes Waiver Request
Dear Brent:
Verizon Wireless submits this request for a waiver in order to allow the disturbance of critical slopes
for installing the proposed Tier II Personal Wireless Service Facility ( "PWSF" or "facility "). The
total amount of disturbance required for this facility is 14,346 square feet, which is 87% of the entire
16,548 square foot project area. Approximately 13,735 square feet or 67% of the total area is
covered in critical slopes, and 5,295.36 square feet (32 %) of those slopes will be disturbed as a result
of the construction activity, which includes the facility, access road and equipment staging areas. In
total this 4.508 acre parcel, contains 3.74 acres (83 %) of critical slopes and only 0.33 acres (7.33 %)
of those critical slopes are proposed for disturbance.
Areas of critical slopes are identified on the site plan / construction drawings, and Verizon
Wireless will address the five health, safety and welfare concerns that are set forth in Section
4.2 of the Ordinance below:
Rapid and /or large scale movement of soil and rock
During construction the site will be stabilized using the measures outlined in the construction
drawings, and Erosion and Sediment Control plan narrative required for the Water Protection
Ordinance (WPO) application. This includes the installation of silt fencing, culvert inlet and
outlet protections among other recommended methods that will keep any loose soil and rock
within the site area. Once the finished grades have been established, both the cut and fill slopes on
each side of the site will be stabilized with gabion retaining walls.
Excessive stormwater run -off
The finished surface of the site area and access drive will be pervious, consisting of a layer of
gravel over a meshed layer of geosynthetic fibers that will allow stormwater to drain back into the
ground instead of flowing off -site. Additionally, topsoil, temporary and permanent seeding will
be used to stabilize the areas where grading is to take place outside of the graveled areas.
Houchens ( "Britts Mountain ")Orizon Wireless •
Critical Slopes
Page 2
Siltation of natural and man -made bodies of water
No existing bodies of water have been identified on the subject parcel or areas immediately
surrounding the proposed PWSF site. The proposed compaction and the layer of geosynthetic
fiber will stabilize the soil below the gravel in the lease area, while the retaining walls will be used
to stabilize soils on the resulting slopes. These factors combined with the amount of grass and
other vegetation that will remain downslope from the facility will ensure that silt from this small
project are does not travel to any streams or ponds located further away on outlying properties.
Loss of aesthetic resource
There will be no significant loss of existing aesthetic resources, which are chiefly characterized by
the existing wooded characteristics of the property. Based on the results of the balloon test this
site has been shown to have an ample amount of backdrop provided by the trees and mountain on
the eastern side of the site. Because of the limits placed on tree clearing for the installation of
PWSFs with treetop monopoles, a large amount of vegetation will remain around the site after
construction. Verizon Wireless will submit a tree conservation plan that will be prepared by Dave
Rosene of VanYahres Tree Company in order ensure that the trees surrounding this facility will be
maintained to provide adequate backdrop and screening.
Greater travel distance of septic effluent
This will be an unmanned facility that will not have a septic system or any other form of plumbing.
Therefore, the concern for possible impact on the travel of septic effluent is not relevant to this
request.
Section 4.2.5(b) allows the Planning Commission to waive the restrictions on disturbing critical
slopes upon finding the following (in part):
A strict application of these provisions would not forward the purposes of the Zoning
Ordinance
Section 5.1.40(b)(1) of the zoning ordinance states, "Notwithstanding section 4.2.3.1 of this chapter,
a facility may be located in an area on a lot or parcel other than a building site." Critical slopes
regulations and building site requirements in the Rural Areas are largely focused on ensuring that
adequate building sites can be attained for dwellings or other uses dependent on sewage systems
without large - scaled, adverse impacts to critical slopes.
The subject parcel located at the foot of a mountain so the areas surrounding the site are largely
covered with critical slopes. The design and sites of the proposed facility both comply with the
requirements for mitigating the visual impacts of Tier 11 treetop PWSFs. Furthermore, this particular
site has an existing access that does not require the removal of any trees that are instrumental in the
camouflaging of the site. Therefore, a strict application of the critical slopes provisions in this case
would not further the purpose of the Zoning Ordinance as it applies to Personal Wireless Service
Facilities.
Houchens ( "Britts Mountain ") Orizon Wireless
Critical Slopes
Page 3
2. Restriction of the use of the property due to tonoeranh
Because the entire property is located on the slope of a mountain, critical slopes disturbance is
necessary in order to install the by -right facility, regardless of its location on the property.
3. Modification or waiver would serve a greater public purpose
The placement of PWSFs in areas where critical slopes are present allows wireless carriers to take
advantage of the County's preference for siting facilities so that there is a backdrop of trees behind
the monopole. Furthermore, since the adoption of the wireless policy several other PWSFs have
been approved in this and other areas where critical slopes are present, based mainly on the ability to
camouflage the sites within the trees that provide foreground screening and a mountainous backdrop.
Conclusion:
Many of the concerns and requirements for granting a critical slopes waiver are already considered
and addressed generally through the existing Personal Wireless Service Facilities Ordinance
requirements (finished grades of less than 2:1 slope and tree conservation requirement).
Furthermore, Verizon Wireless will address the concerns for this site in a more specific manner,
using the proposed design, WPO requirements, tree conservation methods recommended by a
certified arborist and sound construction techniques. Therefore, we appreciate your thoughtful
consideration in analyzing this particular PWSF request for consistency with the criteria for
modifying the critical slopes regulations based on its own merits related to the requirements of
Section 5.1.40 of the zoning ordinance.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience, if you should have any questions or will require any
additional information.
Sincerely,
4Mn4W all er, AICP
Zoning Manager
Wireless Resources, Inc.
Consultants to Verizon Wireless
VVMZOAwireless
Hand - delivered
January 7, 2013
TO: Max Greene, Engineering Technician
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
401 McIntire Road - North Wing
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
%f)
RE: SP- 201.2 -067 - Houchens Property / Britts Mountain Verizon Wireless Tier If PWSF
Dear Max:
Please find responses to your comments, dated December 5, 2012, provided below:
I. WPO Application: A WPO application form and the supporting narrative are being submitted
for review with the revised site plan.
2. Road construction / "cul -de- sac ": The proposed access road extension will be designed and
construction in accordance \\ ith al relevant County requirements. Please note that the "cul -de-
sac" feature identified as a "Staging and Stockpiling Area" in the construction drawings is
already largely covered in impervious and semi- pervious materials, as shown in the attached
photos. This area will only be used to store materials during the construction of the facility and
it will remain largely as it currently exists, solely in order to avoid having to do an extensive
amount disturbance that would have allowed the necessary staging and stockpiling to occur
uphill and closer to the facility site.
3. Critical Slopes: A critical slopes waiver request is being submitted with these revisions.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience if you should have any questions
regarding this re- submittal.
Sincerely,
4teen aller, AICu
Planner / Site Development Consultant
GDN Sites
Consultants to Verizon Wireless
stephen.wal lerra,gdnsites.com
Attachments:
Critical Slopes Waiver Request
Staging Area Photos / existing Conditions
Revised Construction Drawings
Ii
iA
,� •: -. 'L
V-74
r �
6
�. .t.� ��
+art• ,
ter. ���'' •. ~ ..
' % u.
.�. � - f
., ' C d
ts. ( �'r
�� � r � �, R
b � ''
�' '
. � � �,i
��
.. � �,�, `
'1„ ` � � t
� � t • � � � �
�yD �
� W � t�
� �_ � y
��! ! },
i r. �.
.�
t �� A
i ;:1 r, 1 1. i � ti�
.. � �' �
.0 � ,
1�
• �I R�y�J ��� i� 1` ,. 'try r�(., r� ,
� � ' � � � ��
h �
�� � � , ',
i
� �:r °' -.
...r.t �" � ,�s
i
.fir. _ t. ..� ; �
.���� ,
� j
�• � �
` �,►�•:
.. :�;ii� � � '
+r�A
� '
.
r
Y fpm' ♦ a
— .
•
mom
��` • i� t
r _
War
r y-
r�
R } + i
Y,
1i 11-1w
a
#J
/
s,
I
of
r '
•
•' r oo
Jam' j�~' ! ��ro j � • i '
,1
of
' S r
r rr 3✓ f `
IL
!.
•
Ir
it
or
go
ell
� r 1
..1 •C • t
A r(
yy,'•1#Sr. Y+� ' T >R ', ? ' .' � �., - •�- `fit � ` y4 - • � � t `.
oe
if
�iu .Fr t #t 'r4 : n .� k 'r1t/ • 1�� V'' �" 1 i—
TTI
Fu
tv
lIg
s'' � -.. `Pi •, ► :..: ` �,�i'�'t . +, . � , 7 its ,� � '
444 � � � �'� l�.i� •
t
. f•• .- �' �f •fir• �J. wad ,���i�i� `I t i.�' (. �.
t�
V>
iy
�y ,'` ,,; �, tit r•, 4) .�%, ,r � �' `x,. +�� 4�,'f
�+ �,'` ♦ r' � ?yet k,r •� ' '.. .�
r t A Of .
f
1,•
"NEW �. r• �.': ti dry
1
`1
L