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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZMA201300012 NarrativeRIVANNA VILLAGE Application Narrative ZMA # 2013-12 Amendment to ZMA # 2001-08 APPLICANT: Rivanna Village, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company PROPERTY: County TMP nos. 07900-00-00-025A0, 08000-00-00-04600, 08000-00-00-046A0, 08000-00-00-046CO3 08000-00-00- 04600, 08000-00-00-046E0, 08000-00-00-05000, 08000-00- 00-05100, 08000-00-00-052A0, 08000-00-00-055A0, 093A1- 00 -00-00300,093A1-00-00-00400, & 093A1-00-00-00200 December 16, 2013 RIVANNA VILLAGE SECTION I. PROJECT PROPOSAL A. Existing Property Characteristics County Tax 07900-00-00-025A0, 08000-00-00-04600, 08000-00-00-046A0, 08000 -00 -00 - Map Parcels 046CO3 08000-00-00-046D0, 08000-00-00-046E0, 08000-00-00-05000, 08000- 00-00-05100, 08000-00-00-052A0, 08000-00-00-055A0, 093A1-00-00-00300, 093A1-00-00-00400, & 093A1-00-00-00200 Comprehensive Neighborhood Density Residential or Community Service Plan Designations Current Use Several of the parcels comprising the project front on Route 250 and have long been used for residential purposes. Some are abandoned, while others remain in use. Parcel 093A1-00-00-00200 contains the East Rivanna Volunteer Fire Station. The vast majority of the Property is comprised of rolling, wooded open space with small creeks and ponds. Adjacent Parcels located adjacent to the Property are in residential use. Property Characteristics B. Timeline of County Approvals Concerning the Project 2001 The then -owner of the Property submitted a request to amend the County's Comprehensive Plan and the Future Land Use Map for the village of Rivanna in support of this project (CPA -01-03). Prior to this Amendment, the properties were designated for Neighborhood Density uses. May 15, 2002 The Comprehensive Plan was amended and all properties included at the time of the CPA request were designated as "Community Service" for the purposes of future land use planning. Following the CPA amendment, several adjacent parcels were purchased by the owner and added to the rezoning request, which retained their "Neighborhood Density" land use designation. June 13, 2007 The Board of Supervisors approved ZMA 2001-00008, Rivanna Village at Glenmore, which included 13 parcels comprising 92.711 acres, from PRD (Planned Residential Development) and RA (Rural Areas) to NMD (Neighborhood Model District). This rezoning approval is referred to in this Application Narrative as the "2007 ZMA." The 2007 ZMA included the following tax map parcels as had then been assembled by the owner to comprise this project: Tax Map 79, Parcel 25A; Tax Map 80, Parcels 46, 46A, 46C, 46E, 50 & 55A; and Tax Map 93A1 Parcels 1 (portion), 2, 3 & 4. 2 ':�l�lel►Llsl�dL�s[�l� May 12, 2010 The County adopted a land use plan (the "Village Master Plan") for the area surrounding the project, including a Future Land Use Plan for the area. The area described in the Village Master Plan is described therein as "Village of Rivanna." Although similarly named, it is important to clarify that the County development area described as the "Village of Rivanna" in the Village Master Plan includes but is not limited to this project, which is known as "Rivanna Village." The Village Master Plan refers to the property then comprising this project as the "Village Center." Present Following the approval of the 2007 ZMA, the then -current owner Glenmore Associates did not undertake the development of the project. Glenmore Associates subsequently acquired several parcels that were not subject to the NMD Rezoning, including Tax Map 80, Parcels 51 and 52A. Likewise, the owner has conveyed TMP 93-A1-2, which was subject. to the 2007 ZMA, to the East Rivanna Volunteer Fire Co., Incorporated. Finally, the portion of TMP 93-A1-1 that was subject to the 2007 ZMA has been added to TMP 93-A1-4. On June 28, 2013, Glenmore Associates Limited Partnership conveyed all of the Rivanna Village parcels to a Rivanna Village, LLC, the current applicant. C. Proposed Development Characteristics The Applicant has fostered a vision that blends the core tenants of the Neighborhood Model with recognition of the changed realities of the real estate marketplace. This revised plan (hereinafter the "2013 Plan") offers an opportunity to retain the core features of the 2007 ZMA Application Plan, including a level of density consistent with the designations in the Comprehensive Plan, while at the same time reducing the environmental impacts inherent in the 2007 ZMA plan. Specifically, the 2013 Plan preserves many of the numerous stream courses and wetlands. It also creates an improved park with more usable land for active recreational activities. The reduction in density results in less impervious surfaces within the Property, which results in reduced levels of stormwater runoff. While the current proposal maintains a mix of residential and non-residential uses, which is consistent with the 2007 ZMA, the overall approach to use of the land is less aggressive and, therefore, less dense. Where the 2007 ZMA proposed between 348 and 521 residential units, the 2013 Plan reflects a total of 347 units, 15% of which would be affordable. Regarding density, the 347 proposed units represent a gross density of approximately four dwelling units per acre (DUA). These numbers are well within the prescribed 3-6 DUA of the Comprehensive Plan Neighborhood Density designation for the Property. The prior approved concept plan proposed between 79,000 and 125,000 square feet of non-residential space, supported by large parking fields. The 2013 Plan proposes a single location for these uses overlooking the large park. This concept is envisioned as two mixed-use structures with ground floor non-residential uses of rouges 20,000 square feet each with one or more floors of residential use located above. The 2013 plan does not propose uses that 3 RIVANNA VILLAGE would require atypical hours of operation or generate unusual traffic volumes. The permitted land uses are consistent with the Neighborhood Model and are mutually compatible. The current proposal maintains the concept of a large, centrally -located park of over 18 acres and an additional approximately 13 acres of linear park space. The 2013 Plan adjusts the street and block layout so as to accommodate and incorporate stream beds, ponds, critical slopes, and other natural features that enhance the community's design. These concepts are discussed in greater detail in Section IV of this ZMA Application Narrative. SECTION If. CONSISTENCY WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN A. Consistencv with the Neiehborhood Model & Villaee Master Plan The County's Land Use Plan, a component of the Comprehensive Plan, advances the "Neighborhood Model" as the central principle for land use planning. This concept "supports change in the form of urban development from what currently exists."1 The Land Use Plan provides a range of three forms of "Development Areas" in decreasing order of density and scope: the Urban Area, the Community and the Village. By directing development into designated Development Areas, the Land Use Plan recites the County's intent "to capture the wide range of development and land uses necessary in Albemarle County" while achieving "a balance of efficient land use and appropriate separation and buffering ... in areas with a variety and mix of uses .n2 Specifically, the Land Use Plan advances villages as communities that "combine the feeling of 'country living' with the amenities of a Development Area.i3 In doing so, it recognizes that the scale of Villages lends this type of Development Area to being established based on public requests rather than County initiative. Accordingly, the Land Use Plan sets forth development and design guidelines for considering the appropriateness of proposed development concepts.4 These principles were refined in the Village of Rivanna Master Plan, as approved by the County and described above in Section I.B. The characteristics of the proposed 2013 Plan supports the guiding principles set forth in the Village Master Plan, as described in greater detail below: Village of Rivanna Master Plan Guiding Characteristics of Proposed ZMA Principles5 1. The density, design, and character of The project proposes residential uses in the existing residential neighborhoods will be form of apartments, townhouses, semi - protected as the Village of Rivanna further detached villas and single-family detached 1 ALBEMARLE COUNTY LAND USE PLAN at 8 (adopted June 5, 1996, as last amended July 10, 2002) [hereinafter LAND USE PLAN]. 2 Id. at 12. s Id. at 14. 5 Albemarle County Village of Rivanna Master Plan (adopted May 12, 20 10) [hereinafter Village Master Plan]. M RIVANNA VILLAGE develops. dwellings. These will be offered in a ratio that ensures diversity of housing type, achieving density without overwhelming the existing neighborhoods in the vicinity of the project. The 2013 Plan reduces development density adjacent to the Magruder Subdivision as compared to the 2007 Application Plan. 2. The size and scale of new development will The scale and intensity of the uses is be compatible with existing neighborhoods consistent with the Code of Development within the Village of Rivanna. approved in connection with the 2007 ZMA. 3. The Village of Rivanna will integrate the The revised 2013 plan reorients the lot and natural landscape and incorporate designs blocks of the proposed development to that complement the area's rural ambiance. preserve additional wetland and streambed Development along the boundaries of the areas, far beyond what would have been Village of Rivanna will be sensitive to adjacent preserved at full build -out of the prior Rural Areas. approved concept plan. 4. The Village of Rivanna will concentrate In addition to the existing East Rivanna commercial uses in a pedestrian -friendly Volunteer Fire Department facility containing Village Center where commercial and public approximately 24,000 square feet, the non - services are at an appropriate scale for residential uses are proposed in two buildings meeting the community's common needs. of approximately 20,000 square feet each, located in the center of the project, in sufficient proximity to foster pedestrian access from the residential and recreational areas of the project. Apartments are located above the non-residential component in the buildings, which promotes shared parking. 5. Street connections`to and pedestrian paths The revised plan incorporates trail between residential areas and the Village connectivity with adjacent properties to Center, and between the Village of Rivanna promote a common scheme of non -vehicular and larger community, will be sensitive to transportation. Typical street sections call for existing development. Options for different 36 feet curb -to -curb with parking on both types of travel will be provided, including sides for main roads and 29 feet curb -to -curb driving, walking, cycling, and public transit. for secondary streets, with one -side street Street designs will promote good drive parking to calm traffic and foster a pedestrian - behavior and be appropriately sized for the scale environment. volume and speed of traffic. 6. Historic sites in the Village of Rivanna and There are no historic sites located within the surrounding area will be respected. project area. 7. Water, sewer, and streets will keep pace Infrastructure needs are addressed in Section with changes and growth that occur within the III below. 11.1ITf_wveILTA W-ATOA Village of Rivanna. Characteristics of Proposed ZMA 8. Public and private common space, parks, The 2013 Plan incorporates an approximately and sports fields will be provided and located 18 -acre park with recreational amenities, to foster a vibrant community. including tennis courts, a basketball court, a A "main street" with retail and office buildings playfield, dog park, pond, picnic shelters, restrooms, roughly 8,000 linear feet of trails, Street connections to Glenmore Way, U.S. 250 and other amenities shown on the 2013 Plan, East, and properties to the south and east of together with an additional approximately 13 the Village Center acres of linear park space, the aggregate of which represents approximately thirty-five A variety of housing types that provide for all percent (35%) of the entire Property. B. Consistencv with the Village Master Plan, Future Land Use Ma Approved as a component of the Village Master Plan, the Village of Rivanna Future Land Use Map (the "Future Land Use Map") shows the particular land use designations for the Village of Rivanna Development Area .6 The Future Land Use Map designates the majority of the project as "Village Center", which is defined as having a mixture of residential and non- residential uses.' Other characteristics of the Village Center include the following: Village Center Characteristics$ Characteristics of Proposed ZMA Neo -traditional streets characterized by Plan includes regulations concerning narrow widths, on -street parking, curb, gutter, neighborhood streetscapes, parking, sidewalks, and street trees hardscapes and landscaping. A "main street" with retail and office buildings Plan includes a mixed-use area with blend of commercial and residential uses. Street connections to Glenmore Way, U.S. 250 Street connections are favored over use of cul - East, and properties to the south and east of de -sacs to promote connectivity with the Village Center adjoining neighborhoods and compatibility of land uses. A variety of housing types that provide for all Plan includes a variety of housing types, socioeconomic levels, to live in the Village of single-family attached, single-family detached, Rivanna and potentially senior living. Nonresidential uses, mostly in small Plan provides for non-residential uses, commercial, office, retail and restaurant/inn permitting small-scale commercial, office, uses. Total square footage should not exceed retail and restaurant uses, with a total 125,000 for retail, office, and institutional maximum non-residential square footage of uses, including the East Rivanna Volunteer Fire 60,000 gross square feet. Id. at 24-25. 7 Id. Note that the area shown as "Village Center" does not include TMP 80-52, which was acquired by the current owner following the adoption of the Village Master Plan. This parcel lies to the east of Cumbria Lane and is shown 8 Albemarle County Village of Rivanna Master Plan (adopted May 12, 2010) [hereinafter Village Master Plan]. 0 RIVANNA VILLAGE Company. Automobile repair and self -store areas are not considered appropriate uses for the Village Design at a pedestrian scale that reflects the Code of Development includes architectural architectural tradition of Williamsburg and design criteria. other historic towns in Virginia A well -integrated pedestrian system, including Plan includes pedestrian paths and sidewalks sidewalks and paths within protected open space areas with connectivity to surrounding communities. A variety of park and recreational amenities, Plan includes preservation of open space for a including open space appropriate to the public park area, with appropriate active open residential needs of the Village space and recreational amenities to be dedicated to the County Parks Department. Development in a manner that is sensitive to Plan includes architectural design criteria. its location within Monticello's viewshed Minimization of adverse impacts on residential Plan includes buffer and screening regulations. properties adjoining the Village Center by preserving mature vegetation, having residences abut adjoining residential properties; using buffers, screening and berming; and using wide buffer strips Shared parking Plan includes provisions for shared parking. SECTION.III. IMPACTS ON PUBLIC FACILITIES & PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE The prior owner Glenmore Associates Limited Partners entered into an agreement with the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) in 1995 that ultimately resulted in the construction by Glenmore Associates of a sewage treatment facility to serve the needs of Glenmore and the surrounding area, including the majority of the Rivanna Village property. This 1995 agreement provided that in exchange for construction of the facility, the land within the boundaries of the property subject to the agreement would be prioritized for sewer capacity, and would not be charged connection fees by the ACSA. As successor to Glenmore Associates for the Rivanna Village property, the Applicant will have the benefit of this agreement with regard to the portions of the Rivanna Village property that is subject to the agreement. In addition, for those portions beyond the boundaries of the 1995 agreement, the Applicant has confirmed with ACSA that sufficient sewer capacity exists to serve the Project. The Applicant has worked closely with Williamsburg Environmental Group to design an environmentally -sensitive and comprehensive plan for stormwater management. This plan is shown on an exhibit prepared by Williamsburg Environmental Group and submitted herewith. 7 RIVANNA VILLAGE SECTION IV. IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES The 2007 ZMA Plan involved the disturbance of 1.5 acres of wetlands and 5,200 linear feet of stream. As noted above, the 2013 Plan significantly reduces such environmental impacts by reducing the stream crossings significantly, and where such crossings were unavoidable, utilized plans for arch pipes and headwalls to mitigate stream disturbance. In addition, the areas of wetlands disturbance are minimal, involving a small area in the southwest corner at a road crossing. SECTION V. PROPOSED PROFFERS 21441716_5 See Amended and Restated Proffer Statement, which is incorporated herein.