HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP201400013 Staff Report 2014-11-18ALBEMARLE COUNTY PLANNING
STAFF REPORT SUMMARY
Project Name: SP2014- 00013, Broadway Street
Staff: Claudette Grant, Senior Planner
Soccer (Indoor)
Planning Commission Public Hearing:
Board of Supervisors Hearing: To be determined.
November 11, 2014
Owner(s): VAS of Virginia, Inc.
Applicant(s): Thomas S. Weber
Acreage: 1.36 acres
Special Use Permit for: Indoor athletic facility
[Section 22.2.1(b)(24)] permitted via Section 26.2
as a "general commercial use" of Zoning Ordinance.
TMP: 07700- 00- 00- 040K0, 07700- 00- 00- 040J0,
By -right use: LI — Light Industry which allows
and 07700- 00- 00 -040LO
industrial, office, and limited commercial uses; no
Location: 1740 Broadway Street
residential use.
(See Attachment A)
Magisterial District: Scottsville
Conditions: Yes
Proposal: Request for a special use permit
DA (Development Area): Neighborhood 4
to establish an indoor soccer training facility
within an existing building.
Requested # of Dwelling Units /Lots: N/A
Comp. Plan Designation: Industrial Service which
allows warehousing, light industry, heavy industry,
research, office uses, regional scale research,
limited production and marketing activities,
supporting commercial, lodging and conference
facilities, and residential (6.01 -34 units /acre).
Character of Property: The subject property has
Use of Surrounding Properties: The area is
an existing vacant building and parking area.
surrounded by industrial uses with the Buckingham
railroad line serving as the northern boundary.
Factors Favorable:
Factors Unfavorable:
1. There are no anticipated detrimental
1. The proposed use is not consistent with
impacts on adjacent property resulting
the Comprehensive Plan.
from the proposed use.
2. The proposed commercial use will result in
2. Allows a vacant building to be occupied.
a potential loss of inventory in the
3. Allows the start up of a new business.
industrial district.
3. Potential loss of central location for
industrial uses.
Recommendation: Based on the findings described in this staff report and factors identified as
unfavorable, staff does not recommend approval of SP 2014 -00013 Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor).
SP201400013 — Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor)
Planning Commission: November 11, 2014
Page 1
STAFF CONTACT:
PLANNING COMMISSION:
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
Claudette Grant, Senior Planner
November 11, 2014
TBD
PETITION:
PROJECT: SP201400013 Broadway Street Indoor Soccer
MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT: Scottsville
TAX MAP /PARCEL: 07700- 00- 00- 040J0, 07700- 00- 00- 04 -K0, 07700- 00- 00 -04 -1-0
LOCATION: 1740 Broadway Street
PROPOSAL: Establishment of an indoor soccer training facility within an existing building.
PETITION: Request for an indoor athletic facility [Section 22.2.1(b)(24)] permitted via Section 26.2 as a
"general commercial use." No dwelling units proposed.
ZONING: LI -Light Industry - industrial, office, and limited commercial uses; no residential use.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Industrial Service — warehousing, light industry, heavy industry, research,
office uses, regional scale research, limited production and marketing activities, supporting commercial,
lodging and conference facilities, and residential (6.01 -34 units /acre) in Neighborhood 4 of the
Development Area.
CHARACTER OF THE AREA:
This site is developed with a warehouse building and associated parking and loading areas. In general,
the immediate surrounding area is tailored to industrial uses. Clear Communications and Champion
Brewing Company are located to the west of the subject property. Wimberly, Inc. is located to the east of
the subject site; to the north is the Buckingham Branch railroad line with the City /County boundary just
beyond the railroad. The Yves Delorme corporate office and warehouse and the Festive Fare party
rentals are located across Broadway Street, and to the south.
PLANNING AND ZONING HISTORY:
The property was zoned LI prior to 1980.The building was built in 1989.
SDP 90 -98 was a site plan allowing gas tanks on the site for the Data Visible business.
DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL:
The applicant proposes to open a new business that allows for indoor soccer training. The applicant feels
the subject property provides access that serves the greater Charlottesville and Albemarle community
and the existing warehouse space allows a convenient retrofit space. The applicant wishes to remain in
the subject building for up to three years, allowing him time to pursue his long term plan of being able to
secure another facility that is zoned C -1 or building his own warehouse space. The training and all
activities will occur indoors and the applicant plans on renting approximately half of the 51,000 square
foot building. There are no anticipated exterior physical changes to the existing building or property.
There will be minor changes to the interior of the building in order to accommodate the proposed indoor
soccer use, however, the applicant anticipates that the changes can easily be taken out and the space
will readily revert back to its' original light industrial use. The owner of the building is also working to
lease the other half of the building. The Concept Plan is attached. (See Attachment B)
The applicant describes the following challenges in finding a space that is appropriate for the indoor
soccer facility: difficulty locating space (warehouse space) that is large enough to fit this proposed use in
a commercial district; finding a location that is easily accessible; and finding something that is affordable
in the commercial district. This existing industrial building and location provides appropriate space for a
large indoor recreational facility and is in an accessible location important for the businesses to thrive.
SP201400013 — Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor)
Planning Commission: November 11, 2014
Page 2
ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUEST
Section 33.8 of the Zoning Ordinance states that the Planning Commission and Board of
Supervisors shall reasonably consider the following factors when reviewing and acting upon an
application for a special use permit:
No substantial detriment. The proposed special use will not be a substantial detriment to
adjacent lots.
No substantial detriment is anticipated. The exterior of the existing building and property will remain
unchanged and the proposed special use for an indoor soccer facility is not anticipated to increase the
intensity of uses in this neighborhood of industrial uses. The activity generated by the proposed use is
primarily focused to the interior of the building and this use is not anticipated to be a large traffic
generator. The applicant describes a parking need of approximately 20 spaces.
Character of district unchanged. The character of the district will not be changed by the
proposed special use.
The proposed indoor soccer facility is a commercial recreation establishment which is also permitted
by right or by special use permit in the Commercial (C -1), Commercial Office (CO) and Highway
Commercial (HC) districts. As such, the character of uses in this industrial district would be changed
by this proposal. As previously described in this staff report, the exterior of the building and property
will remain unchanged. The building is currently vacant and provides the space needed for three small
soccer fields (50' x 100'). The proposed use would be located within an existing, vacant space and will
not change the physical character of the district (no significant change to the building or the site), but
will begin changing the mix of uses in the area by introducing a commercial use. Traffic to the site,
although not anticipated to be a significant number, will be primarily customer based. The customers
of the commercial use will be potentially mixing with industrial type traffic including employee traffic to
and from the existing sites.
Harmony. The proposed special use will be in harmony with the purpose and intent of this
chapter,
The LI zoning district is established to permit light industrial and supporting uses that are compatible
with, and do not detract from, surrounding districts. Commercial uses permitted by right or by special
use permit in the Commercial (C -1), Commercial Office (CO) and Highway Commercial (HC) districts
and not otherwise expressly authorized in this industrial district are permitted by special use permit
under Section 26.2(a) of Zoning Ordinance. The following provides staff analysis of additional factors
that are to be considered for such a special use permit per Section 26.3 of the Zoning Ordinance:
a. The purpose of the industrial district in which the use is proposed.
The industrial district in which the use is proposed is a vital district due to its proximity of access to
the Interstate, location to the central downtown district, and its relevance in providing future
employment opportunities.
b. The proposed use and its proposed size should be consistent with the intent of the applicable
industrial district.
The proposed use is generally not consistent with the intent of the LI district to provide for
industrial uses and uses that support industrial use. As the proposal will utilize 20,000 square feet
of the space provided in the existing 51,000 square foot building, there will still be the opportunity
for a by -right industrial use to use the balance of leftover space.
c. The use proposed should not be located on the lowest floor of any building having direct exterior
access to the ground surface in order to allow that floor to be used for industrial purposes.
SP201400013 — Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor)
Planning Commission: November 11, 2014
Page 3
As this is a one story building, the proposed use will be located on the lowest floor providing
exterior access.
d. The gross floor area of each establishment should not exceed three thousand (3, 000) square feet.
The gross floor area for the proposed use (20,000 square feet) greatly exceeds three thousand
(3,000) square feet.
e. The aggregate gross floor area of the independent offices or general commercial uses, or both,
should not exceed twenty -four thousand (24, 000) square feet and should not exceed twenty -five
(25) percent of the gross floor area of the building.
The aggregate gross floor area of the proposed use (20,000 square feet) does not exceed twenty -
four thousand (24,000) square feet, but does exceed twenty -five (25) percent of the 51,000 square
foot gross floor area of the building.
f. Whether the structure or structure expansion will be constructed to the standards required for
industrial structures, regardless of its intended use.
This is not applicable since there is no expansion plans associated with this proposal.
...with the uses permitted by right in the district
An indoor athletic facility at this site is expected to be in harmony with other by -right uses in the
district. This use will not prohibit or affect permitted uses of adjacent property.
... with the regulations provided in section 5 as applicable,
There are no supplemental regulations in section 5 applicable to this use.
...and with the public health, safety and __general welfare.
There are no significant negative traffic impacts anticipated from this proposal. This use would
introduce general public /customer traffic to an area where industrial type traffic may be more
prevalent; however, this indoor athletic facility is typically a low traffic generator, so the potential traffic
conflicts should be minimal. Staff has identified no other aspects of this proposal which is contrary to
the general public health, safety, and welfare.
Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. The use will be consistent with the Comprehensive
Plan.
The land use designation for this property and the immediate area is Industrial Service which provides
for primarily warehousing, light industry, heavy industry, research, office uses, regional scale
research, limited production and marketing activities, with potential for supporting commercial, lodging
and conference facilities, and some residential (6.01 -34 units /acre). This designation is particularly
intended for such uses to provide employment opportunities. The relatively close proximity of this
industrially designated area to Interstate 64 and to Downtown Charlottesville makes this a prime
location for those intended uses needing accessibility to the interstate and the central city.
While the existing warehouse space and its location meets the particular needs of the proposed
indoor soccer use, this proposal creates a loss of inventory for industrial uses that are by -right and
can provide employment opportunities through job creation and bring economic vitality to the area.
Furthermore, the proposal is not considered a supporting commercial use to the surrounding industrial
uses in the vicinity. The temporary nature of this use in this location could provide a viable alternative
use until an intended use would locate there. However, even if temporary the proposal is not
SP201400013 — Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor)
Planning Commission: November 11, 2014
Page 4
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
The Albemarle County Economic Development office has stated that the portion of the County where
this property is located is intended to provide employment opportunities and that the proposed
commercial use is relatively inconsistent with the trucks and activity in the area. Its location near
Interstate -64 and downtown Charlottesville is ideal for the types of light industrial uses the County
would like to see located in this area.
Neighborhood Model:
An analysis for consistency with the Neighborhood Model was not done for this project since the
proposal is for an existing building and there will be no physical changes to the exterior of the
building or the site.
SUMMARY:
Staff has identified factors which are favorable and unfavorable to this proposal:
Factors favorable to this request include:
1. There are no anticipated detrimental impacts on adjacent property resulting from the proposed
use.
2. Allows a vacant building to be occupied.
3. Allows the start up of a new business.
Factors unfavorable to this request include:
1. The proposed use is not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
2. The proposed use will be a potential loss of inventory in the industrial district.
3. Potential loss of central location for industrial uses.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Based on the findings described in this staff report and factors identified as unfavorable, staff does not
recommend approval of SP 2014 -00013 Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor).
Should there be a desire to approve this special use permit request, the following conditions are
recommended:
1. The indoor soccer facility is limited to fifty percent (50 %) of the production area, as shown on
the Data Visible Corporation Landscaping Plan, prepared by Wiley & Wilson, and dated 4/7/87
(Attachment A). All parking for the facility shall be located in areas designated on the
landscaping plan, referenced above. Any additional buildings or other site changes, except for
those required by the conditions of this permit, require an amendment to this Special Use
Permit;
2. All improvements needed per the letter from Jay Schlothauer, Building Official, dated
September 22, 2014 (Attachment B) shall be completed prior to the release of the Certificate of
Occupancy (C /O) of 1740 Broadway Street; and
3. SP- 2014 -00013 shall expire on [three years from BOS approval date].
Motions:
Special Use Permit
A. Should the Planning Commission choose to recommend approval of this special use permit:
I move to recommend approval of SP 201400013 Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor) with the
conditions outlined in the staff report.
SP201400013 — Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor)
Planning Commission: November 11, 2014
Page 5
Should the Planning Commission choose to recommend denial of this special use permit:
I move to recommend denial of SP 201400013 Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor) based on
the findings of staff and factors identified as unfavorable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A — Location Map
Attachment B — Concept Plan
SP201400013 — Broadway Street Soccer (Indoor)
Planning Commission: November 11, 2014
Page 6