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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCPA200800002 Staff Report 2008-11-06COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE PLANNING STAFF REPORT SUMMARY Project Name: CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Staff: Rebecca Ragsdale/David Benish Business Park Planning Commission Work Session: Board of Supervisors: November 11, 2008 N/A Owners: RA Yancey Lumber Corporation Applicant: Will Yancey Consulting Representatives: Terra Concepts, P.C. and Valerie Long, Williams Mullen Tax Map Parcels: TMP 55-98A, 111 B, 112, 112A; Acreage: 184 acres total TMP 71-42, 42; TMP 72-1 A Location: 6317 Rockfish Gap Turnpike Proposal: Include property in the Crozet Development Magisterial District: White Hall Area and amend the Land Use Plan from Rural Areas to Industrial Service By -right use and Zoning: Comp. Plan Designation: Rural Areas- preserve RA Rural Areas - agricultural, forestal, and fishery uses; and protect agricultural, forestal, open space, and residential density (0.5 unit/acre in development lots) natural, historic and scenic resources/ density ( .5 and HI — Heavy Industrial — industrial and commercial unit/ acre in development lots) uses (no residential use) Character of Property: 35.74 acres of existing HI Use of Surrounding Properties: Open Space/rural property is used for sawmill business, the remaining and residential, Interstate 64 148.5 acres is undeveloped open/rural and partially wooded. Factors Favorable Summary (see page 13 for Factors Unfavorable (see page 13 for detailed detailed points) : points) : 1. The property has access to a major highway 1. The proposal is inconsistent with the Growth with an interstate interchange, is partially zoned Management Policy and Rural Areas HI, has utility access, and is adjacent to policies. commercial uses. 2. The property is located within the water 2. The proposal would provide for light industrial supply watershed. space and employment opportunities fulfilling 3. There is no sewer capacity to serve the some objectives of the Economic Development proposed development. Policy. 3. The proposal would provide some opportunities 4. Additional commercial activity on Route 250 for employment in the larger Crozet area and is not supported by the Comprehensive Plan potentially address some of the jobs -housing and Crozet Master Plan. balance called for in the Crozet Master Plan. 5. The proposal is inconsistent with the Planning Commission's recommended amendment to the County Economic Development Policy regarding the provision of adequate industrial lands. 6. The assessment of industrial land use needs should be evaluated on a county -wide level. RECOMMENDATION: Based on the scope and scale of the proposal as submitted, staff does not recommend further study. If studied further, it should be in conjunction with the 5 -year review and update of the Crozet Master Plan. STAFF PERSON: PLANNING COMMISSION DATE: Rebecca Ragsdale/David Benish November 11, 2008 CPA 2008-002 THE YANCEY MILLS BUSINESS PARK PETITION: PROJECT: CPA2008-002 Yancey Mills Business Park PROPOSAL: Amend Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map from Rural Areas to 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). The applicant is seeking this CPA to allow for the potential of a future rezoning that would permit uses such as contractors' office and equipment storage yard, flex -space, and office space but no retail component. EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LAND USE/DENSITY: Rural Areas- preserve and protect agricultural, forestal, open space, and natural, historic and scenic resources/ density ( .5 unit/ acre in development lots) EXISTING ZONING: RA Rural Areas - agricultural, forestal, and fishery uses; residential density (0.5 unit/acre in development lots) and HI — Heavy Industrial — industrial and commercial uses (no residential use) ENTRANCE CORRIDOR: Yes LOCATION: 6317 Rockfish Gap Turnpike in Whitehall Magisterial District TAX MAP & PARCELS: TMP 55-98A, 111 B, 11 2, 112A; TMP 71-42, 42; TMP 72-1 A CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE & SURROUNDING AREA: The property is located at 6317 Rockfish Gap Turnpike (Route 250), east of the intersection of the 1-64 Interchange with Rockfish Gap Turnpike (Route 250). The HI Heavy Industrial zoned sawmill property adjacent to Route 250 consists of two parcels that total 35.74 acres. The proposal also involves 148.5 acres that are currently zoned RA Rural Areas. Those parcels have been used for cattle grazing and hay farming, and forested in some areas. Stockton Creek, including stream buffers, flood plain, and critical slopes are also located on the property. The applicant has provided site photos and further description of the site in Attachment F, along with existing conditions maps in the appendix that show vegetation, hydrology, and topography/critical slopes of the property. The applicant has also provided mapping that shows the surrounding area, including the Development Area boundaries, Albemarle County Service Authority Jurisdictional Area (ACSAJA), zoning, and existing land uses of the surrounding properties. The area surrounding the Yancey property is a mix of residential, rural, industrial and strip commercial along Route 250. Yancey Mill Lane and residential Rural Area zoned properties are located to the west of the site, between the site and Interstate 64. Village Residential zoned properties are located to the north across Route 250 from the property. Also located nearby to the northeast is the Old Trail Golf Course. To the south and east of this site, are rural properties both located in the Rural Area and zoned Rural Area. Located to the northeast of the property, on the south side of Route 250 are Highway Commercial zoned properties in the Rural Area, one of which has recently submitted a proposal for a gas station and office uses called Re- storen Station. Western Albemarle High School abuts the northeastern edge of the proposal as well. CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 PLANNING & ZONING HISTORY The 1971 Land Use Plan designated portions of the property, primarily around the existing sawmill area, as Light Industry and Research and Other Commercial uses, including Warehousing and Highway uses. The 1977 plan designated the property Agriculture/Conservation and it has been designated Rural Areas in subsequent plans since 1977. The sawmill business was established in 1951 according to the applicant and the sawmill site has been zoned HI Heavy Industrial since the comprehensive rezoning in 1980. Prior to 1980, the property was zoned M1 Industrial. The remainder of the property has been zoned Rural Areas since 1980. BY -RIGHT USE OF THE PROPERTY Industrial and commercial uses are allowed on the Heavy Industrial (HI) portion of the property and such uses would include sawmills, manufacturing, warehousing, contractors office and storage yard. More intense industrial uses are allowed by special use permit such as asphalt plants. A copy of the HI zoning district is provided as Attachment A. The applicant plans to keep the sawmill in operation and has not indicated any plans to discontinue that operation. The Rural Areas (RA) zoning district allows agricultural, forestal, and fishery uses along with residential at a density of 0.5 unit/acre in development lots. Civic, uses, sawmills, private schools, veterinary uses, kennels and other uses are allowed by special use permit. A copy of the RA zoning district is provided as Attachment B. SPECIFICS OF THE PROPOSAL: The applicant has submitted a proposal to amend the Crozet Development Area Boundaries and designate the property with the Industrial Service land use designation. (Attachment C - Crozet Master Plan map and Attachment F -CPA booklet) This proposal was submitted September 2. Policy issues and preliminary review comments have been provided to the applicant in a review letter sent October 10 and the same issues and comments are outlined in this report. The applicant's response letter to initial County comments is also provided as Attachment E. The applicant would like to eventually seek a rezoning of the property to PDIP Planned Development Industrial Park, to primarily provide for uses such as contractors' office and storage yard, flex -space, and office space. There are no plans to redevelop the sawmill property but the Rural Areas zoned properties would be developed into the business park concept. The applicant intends to keep the sawmill operation. The Conceptual Plan provided in Attachment F shows areas of the site that would provide for future development. The applicant has also provided an Area Breakdown Table on the Conceptual Plan that indicates potential yields in the range of 1,105,000-1,832,000 gross square feet (GSF) of building area. The applicant has explained that this is a very preliminary analysis of yield and density based upon generic assumptions. It was determined by multiplying acreage in the potential developable areas of the site by Floor Area Ranges (FAR) ranges typical for standard industrial or business parks. An FAR range of 0.15 to 0.25 was used, except for Area 2 where a range of 0.30 to 0.50 was used. (Refer to letter from applicant- Attachment E Conceptual Plan -Attachment F) CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park 3 Planning Commission November 11, 2008 APPLICANT'S JUSTIFICATION FOR REQUEST: The applicant's justification is that this proposal would provide for light industrial land, which the update of the economic policy data has shown a lack of, and also that the property is a suitable location for such uses, with adjacent highway access and utilities nearby. The applicant believes that this proposal would accommodate businesses that would not be suitable for Downtown Crozet and would not be counter to the goals of the CMP for Downtown Crozet. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Economic Development Policy The applicant's submittal provides a justification for considering the CPA based on updated data and proposed changes to the County's Economic Development policy that are under consideration by the County. Both the current policy and draft policy goals support economic development that is consistent with the County's growth management policy, which discourages additional development outside the designated development areas. Staff has provided a summary of the additional comprehensive plan policy that applies to the proposal. The following goals and objectives are applicable under the current economic policy, which must be balanced with all other goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan: GOAL: Maintain a strong and sustainable economy: 1) benefiting County citizens and existing businesses and providing diversified economic opportunities; 2) supportive of the County's Growth Management Policy and consistent with the other Comprehensive Plan goals; and, 3) taking into consideration regional (including the City of Charlottesville, and Greene, Louisa, Fluvanna, and Nelson Counties) economic development efforts. OBJECTIVE I: Base economic development policy on planning efforts which support and enhance the strengths of the County. OBJECTIVE II: Plan for land and infrastructure to accommodate future business and industrial growth. OBJECTIVE IV: Consider fiscal impact as one indicator of positive economic development, along with environmental impact and standard of living impact. OBJECTIVE V: Provide local business development opportunities The Planning Commission has been reviewing an update of the Economic Development Policy and has specifically discussed the shortfall of available designated and zoned land in the Development Area for industrial uses. The Commission has recommended an amendment to the Economic Development policy which recognizes the need to provide adequate land to meet industrial use needs, along with zoning text amendment changes that could address the issue. The Commission has recommended that only areas within the designated development areas be designated for Industrial Service on the Land Use Plan. Areas to be designated as Industrial Service should also be consistent with master plans, where master plans have been adopted. Should additional lands need to be designated for industrial uses, the assessment of the amount and location for additional industrial land should be evaluated on a county -wide level to determine the most appropriate locations for industrial uses. It is acknowledged that the Yancey site, while currently outside the Development Area and not consistent with the Growth Management Policy, provides an opportunity to locate industrial type CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 uses near existing zoned and developed sites and with access to a primary road and interstate highway, features that are generally desirable for many industrial sties/uses. Rural Areas The Comprehensive Plan currently designates the subject property as Rural Areas and the Rural Areas Plan places a strong emphasis on resource protection, through the preservation and protection of agricultural, forestal, open space, and natural, biological, historic and scenic resources, and farming and forestal activities. The "Vision" of the Rural Areas plan is multi- faceted and focuses on the following elements: • A pattern of land uses defined by farms, forests and other natural elements, and traditional crossroads communities, rather than by suburban or ex -urban — outside the suburbs - development that typically uses land faster than population increases; • A strong agricultural and forestal economy, with large unfragmented parcels of land on which to produce their goods, opportunities to gain value from processing their own produce, and access to local markets; • Diverse, interconnected areas of viable habitat for native wildlife, extensive enough and sufficiently protected and restored to allow ecological processes to endure for the long term; • Healthy streams and sustainable supplies of unpolluted groundwater; • Protected historic structures, archaeological sites, and other cultural resources; • Rural citizens supported by community meeting places, a basic level of services, and rural organizations and other cultural institutions at traditional rural scales, with opportunities to take part in community life and decisions; • A clearly visible rural character achieved by supporting lively rural industries and activities and discouraging suburbanization of the Rural Areas; • A significant tourist economy in which rural and historic landscapes augment the visitors' experience and give historic sites as authentic a setting as possible; • Well informed citizens, both rural area and development area residents, who understand the cultural, economic, and ecological aspects of the Rural Areas and appreciate their importance to the community, region, and state; • Plans, policies, and decision making that consider and protect rural economies and ecological processes; • Boundaries that show a clear distinction between rural and urban areas, without low-density transition areas. • The visual character of the Rural Areas should be made up of farms, forests, and natural areas. • Stream buffers and habitat corridors should be common throughout the Rural Areas. • Growth should be limited and well managed to maintain the rural character of the County. • Residential development should be directed into the designated Development Areas. • Agricultural and forestal lands are critical County resources, and that agriculture and forestry are the desired primary land uses in the Rural Areas. The primary land uses and economic activities supported by the Rural Areas chapter of the Comprehensive Plan (adopted March 2, 2005) focus on those related to agriculture, forestry, and conservation and supportive of this vision. Objectives of the plan include supporting agricultural land uses and to create additional markets for agricultural products through creative economic and land use strategies, maintaining and/or restoring sufficient forestlands in the County to provide sustainable ecological services and forest products, supporting the forestry industry. The plan also encourages supporting rural land owners whose main objective is the conservation of rural land not necessarily in agricultural or commercial forestal production. The intent is to permit income producing land uses that will offset financial pressure to subdivide CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park 5 Planning Commission November 11, 2008 and. The plan promotes establishing crossroad communities that would be viable in meeting the goal of providing limited services to the immediate surrounding area of the crossroads community without creating strip development. Current uses on the Yancey property are supportive of these Rural Areas objectives. The sawmill operation is supportive of the local forestry industry and the agricultural activities on the remainder of the property are supportive of the agriculture industry. In the past, the local farming community has indicated a need for suitable agricultural land to be available to farmers for rent. There are also other potential uses that could locate on the Yancey property that could be supportive of the surrounding Rural Area. Natural Resources & Cultural Assets Plan The Natural Resources and Cultural Assets Chapter applies to both the Development Areas and Rural Areas and would be a major consideration if the study of this CPA goes forward. It discusses the concept of sustainability; the physical setting of Albemarle County; open space resources, including natural, scenic and historic resources; and open space planning. Water resources (including surface water, surface drinking water and groundwater) and agricultural and forestry resources are discussed in this chapter. Natural and Water Resources This chapter and the Rural Areas Plan focus on protecting productive soils in the Rural Areas. The Rural Areas Plan, for example, states that the County should "encourage the protection of prime agricultural soils." The majority of the property has soils rated "Prime" or "Locally Important". Comprehensive Plan policies would say that such soils should be protected for rural uses. This chapter also states that the County should protect its "surface water through a management program that recognizes the functional interrelationship of stormwater hydrology, stream buffers, flood plains, wetlands, and human management practices." The subject property is in the water supply watershed and Stockton Creek, which flows through the property, drains to the South Fork Rivanna River and is also part of the Middle James River Basin. To help protect the watershed, the County constructed the Lickinghole Creek sedimentation basin and the majority of the Crozet Development Area drains to the Lickinghole Creek basin. This site does not drain to that facility, which means that protection of the watershed through sediment control could not be provided through the Lickinghole Basin. Since water supply protection is one of the six major elements that form the basis for the Rural Area concept and the County's comprehensive plan, this is a major policy issue that must be addressed in terms of providing for water supply protection if a CPA moves forward. Historic and Archaeological Resources The Historic Preservation Plan encourages Virginia and National Register designations for all potentially eligible villages (Advance Mills, Crozet, White Hall, and Yancey Mills) as identified in the Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle County Villages. There is currently a proposed Greenwood Rural Historic District, which would incorporate the area identified in that survey for Yancey Mills. The draft boundaries of the proposed district do not include the applicant's property. The records of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources include no surveys for properties included within the CPA project area. The applicant's submittal indicates that there are no CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 historic resources present, but a more formal documentation of the properties included within the project area would allow for a thorough assessment of impacts to resources on the property or nearby. Staff requests that a formal documentation of the properties within the project area be provided if the CPA moves forward. Scenic Resources US Highway 250 and Interstate 64 are both designated Entrance Corridors and subject to the Architectural Review Board review. Route 250 is discussed in the context of Scenic Resources in the Comprehensive Plan and it is also designated as a Virginia Byway. A Virginia Byway is an existing road with relatively significant aesthetic and cultural values, leading to or lying within an area of historic, natural, or recreational significance. A Virginia Byway designation does not place any restrictions upon properties along the Byway. The primary purpose is to give formal recognition to deserving roads and to further the creation of a system of roads to promote tourism and public appreciation of natural and historic resources. Review and input from Scenic 250, which is a citizen group interested in protecting the scenic aspects of the roadway, would be sought if this CPA proposal moves forward for further study. Interchange Policies The "Interstate Interchange Development" section of the Land Use Plan provides guidelines for the development of regional -service and highway -related uses near interchanges. The section states: Because Interstate 64 is a limited access highway, its interchanges may be a focus for development activities. To accommodate appropriate land uses in the vicinity of interstate interchanges, while maintaining the safety and functional and aesthetic integrity of such interchanges, the standards and policies set forth below are recommended. Urban Area land at the following interchanges should be developed in accordance with the standards set forth below: - Route 250 East (Shadwell) (Urban Area side only) - Route 20 South - Route 631 (Fifth Street), north side only. - Route 29 South Other interchanges -Route 250 West (Yancey Mill), Route 637 (Ivy), and Route 616 (Black Cat Road) - are not recommended for development except as provided generally in the Plan and as permitted under Rural Areas zoning provisions. The Interchange Policy has been in the Comprehensive Plan since the 1982 plan was adopted. The Route 250 West interchange has never been identified as area for further development. This is likely due to the character of most of the existing interchange, with rural and residential uses on most quadrants of the interchange, and its location with the water supply watershed. Crozet Master Plan One of the major recommendations of the Crozet Master Plan is to protect Route 250 West from further development, preserving its character as a scenic roadway. CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 Crozet - West Development in the area west of Crozet Avenue should emphasize neighborhood related road creation and other improvements. Specific recommendations and tasks for Crozet -West include the following: Encourage mixed use development in the center of the western area. Protect Route 250 from further commercial development. Fringe Areas Most of the periphery of the Crozet Development Area is recommended for the lowest density of development, consistent with the Rural Area designation in the Comprehensive Plan. The importance of Route 250 as a scenic by -way has been reinforced throughout the public process of developing the Master Plan. This recommendation supports the preservation of the rural setting along much of Route 250 West as well as the eastern portion of Route 240. Commercial and mixed-use functions were considered for the segment of Route 250 west of the Development Area. However, the sensitivity of historic Yancey Mills, the value of the Route 250 viewshed itself, and the central role of downtown Crozet as the commercial focus for the area support the fringe area recommendation, that of maintaining the lowest possible density for future development. (CMP, Page 32) The master plan also recognized the importance of providing for a jobs/housing balance in Crozet, which the applicant's proposal could potentially address: Local Businesses and Community Economic Development: County staff and officials must engage in public/private partnerships with local businesses to realize the development of Crozet as more than a `bedroom community' to the City of Charlottesville. Jobs that keep residents of Crozet working in Crozet will be key to revitalizing downtown and mitigating a deteriorating traffic condition on Routes 240 and 250. (CMP Pages -Guiding Principles) Future Actions (CMP, Page 11) Any long range plan must be revisited, and the Crozet Master Plan will be updated at regular intervals. The following essential principles will guide any such adjustments within Crozet: Reinforce focal points for development and redevelopment Provide multi -modal transportation linkages (pedestrian, bike, cars, buses) Create opportunities for creating a range of housing types and affordability Support and create opportunities for locally -owned businesses and jobs Preserve historic and natural landscape features Provide public facilities which foster a sense of community and civic pride The applicant's CPA request shows the areas of Crozet previously designated in the development area for Industrial Service that are now designated Employment in the master plan or as CT 3, 4, or 5. The applicant's request proposes more intense development in the fringe areas, but could provide additional employment opportunities to the Crozet area. One significant issue is the timing of review of the request. Staff believes if the request has merit for further study, it should be studied as part of the Crozet Master Plan revision study in 2009. IMPACTS The purpose of the November 11, 2008 work session is to look at the significant policy issues and impacts of the proposal and not to work out specific details of the proposed plan. The more significant impacts and preliminary reviewer comments are outlined below in order to identify issues for consideration if the CPA is studied. CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 Environmental Resources The property is located in a Water Supply Protection Area and under current policy adding more development area within a reservoir watershed is not recommended because stormwater management and buffers are only partially effective in watershed protection. Protection of water quality, particularly the protection of water supply watersheds, has been one of the defining goals of the County's growth management policy. Since the 1977 Comprehensive Plan and adoption of the 1980 Comprehensive Plan and downzoning of the zoned land in the Rural Areas, the County has not designated any new land for growth (Development Area) in the water supply watershed. In 2004, the County did adjust the boundary of the Crozet to include the north downtown area (north of Three Notch'd Road and Railroad Avenue) while "un -designating" a relatively equal area of land along Route 250 (east of Clover Lawn) from Development Area to Rural Area. This relatively equal exchange did not result in any additional developable land being added to Crozet within the water supply watershed. The Yancey site contains rolling topography with many areas of critical slopes. Considering slopes and water resources, it may be difficult to realize the development which is contemplated on the Conceptual Plan. (Attachment F) Intermittent streams or wetlands may not appear on the current maps, and these streams and wetlands require buffers under the Water Protection Ordinance. There may be less developable acreage than what is indicated by the applicant. If the CPA is studied, a detailed environmental assessment would be needed. Reviewers have provided specific comments regarding environmental resources: Where Stockton Creek leaves the property, it passes through a wetland classed by the National Wetlands Inventory as a "Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland." This wetland should not be disturbed, and buffers should be provided to protect it from any development activity. Precise standards would require the input of a biologist or other wetlands -management professional. There are also several other mapped wetlands downstream of the site along Stockton Creek, in the vicinity of two properties under conservation easement that are located between the proposal site and Stockton Creek's confluence with the Mechums River. The property is located upstream of stream reaches noted as important aquatic habitats by the Natural Heritage division of the Department of Conservation & Recreation. The federally endangered James Spinymussel is known to occur downstream of this site. Stream disturbance and increased pollutant loads or sedimentation would degrade those habitats. The property includes critical slopes, which should be protected from disturbance to protect the other resources listed here. Transportation VDOT and the County Engineer have conducted an initial review of the CPA proposal. At this stage of review, there are concerns with tying down entrance locations and establishing a road layout since these items would be better decided during a rezoning process. The main entrance might be better situated further from the interchange, but this is usually decided in the rezoning process. If the 1-64 interchange were ever to be upgraded to a more urban design, or to a higher capacity design, it may need more separation. This section of Route 250 does not currently fall within the Access Management Standards; however, this section of road will be implemented under Access Management Regulation in October 2009 and proposals for the site should follow the regulations in expectation that they will be in place prior to site plan CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park 9 Planning Commission November 11, 2008 development. The total size of the lots that are proposed to be developed is 148.5 acres. The use is indicated as light industrial. According to ITE land use code 110 or 130, the number of trips generated by this site could be in the range of 7,700 to 9,400 trips. This would require Chapter 527 study for comprehensive plan amendments under the current regulations. The Route 250 West Task Force has also reviewed this proposal and its comments are provided as Attachment D. Water and Sewer The subject properties are not in the Albemarle County Service Authority Jurisdictional Area (ACSAJA) for water and sewer service and Parcels 112 & 111 B on Tax Map 55 are in the ACSAJA for water only. Amendments to the ACSAJA boundary would also need to be considered with study of a CPA. The ACSA has provided the following initial comments: • The development of the Yancey Mills Business Park, at any level, contributing additional waste water flow to the drainage basin of the Crozet Interceptor, would exceed the capacity of the Crozet Interceptor. Therefore, the developer of the Yancey Mills Business Park would be required to enter into an agreement with the ACSA and RWSA to participate in the upgrading of capacity in the Crozet Interceptor. • The nearest gravity sanitary sewer is 3,000' distant on the north side of U.S. Rt. 250 West. A pump station will be necessary to provide sanitary sewer service to the entire property and transport the waste water by force main to the above mentioned gravity sewer. • A closer examination of the existing sanitary sewer slope is required. The Yancey Mills Business Park at potential maximum development under the concept plan indicated in the application would exceed the capacity of the existing 8" sanitary sewer from the north side of Rt. 250 behind Henley Middle School to the Slabtown Branch of the Crozet Interceptor, assuming a minimum slope of 0.50% along this route. • RWSA capacity certification will be required for the projected flows. • There is a 6" water line on the north side of Hillsboro Lane approximately 220' distant and ACSA indicates there are no water capacity issues. • Expected fire flow in the area is approximately 1,700 gpm at 20 psi residual pressure. Scenic and Historic Resources The Design Planner has provided comments regarding Entrance Corridor and Historic Preservation impacts: Due to the proximity of Entrance Corridors and a potential historic district (Greenwood Rural Historic District), negative visual impacts from the proposed Business Park should be avoided. Methods for protecting the viewsheds should be addressed in the proposal and might include: identifying appropriate locations for development areas, reserving (and describing) buffer areas adjacent to the Entrance Corridors, limiting building heights, or a combination of these methods and others proposed by the applicant. The records of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources include no surveys for properties included within the project area. The submittal indicates that there are no historic resources present, but a more formal documentation of the properties included within the project area would allow for a more thorough assessment of impacts. Submittal of a reconnaissance level survey of historic and cultural resources for review with the CPA would be appropriate. CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park 10 Planning Commission November 11, 2008 STAFF COMMENT: Staff has made an initial response to the criteria considered for CPAs, which the applicant also addressed in their application for the CPA. (Attachment F) CRITERIA FOR THE REVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS A. The Comprehensive Plan provides a long-range guide for direction and context of the decision-making process for public and private land uses. The Comprehensive Plan is general in nature rather than attempting to identify specific geographic locations. The Land Use Map of the Comprehensive Plan suggests the relationship of recommended uses to general areas. Proposed amendments to the Land Use Map should be reviewed for compliance with the general plan rather than area -specific or parcel -specific requests for a change in the recommended use. The purpose of the Land Use Map is to provide and plan for a balance of land uses, equipped with adequate utilities and facilities, in a comprehensive, harmonious manner. Any proposed change in the Land Use Map will be evaluated for protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the general public rather than the proprietary interests of an individual. This request for a comprehensive plan amendment (CPA) has been made by an applicant (Yancey family) who wishes to create an industrial and business park on property owned by the applicant. The CPA was initiated after discussions with the applicant regarding the potential of rezoning the property to commercial. The applicant was advised of the inconsistencies of that request with the Comprehensive Plan. The applicant has indicated that the welfare of the general public is served with this project because it is supported by the County's economic development policy. After completing its initial review, including assessment of the proposed boundaries for the CPA, staff finds that there are no broader benefits to the health, safety, and welfare of the general public with processing this request as a separate CPA request. B. The merit of Comprehensive Plan amendment requests shall be largely determined by the fulfillment of support to the "Goals and Objectives" specified in the Comprehensive Plan. The request is to amend the Development Area Boundaries to include the applicant's property and amend the land use designation of the property from Rural Area to Industrial Service. This would allow for a potential rezoning to PDIP for the business park proposal submitted by the applicant. This amendment would be counter to current Goals and Objectives of the Comprehensive Plan: o The Growth Management Policy discourages urban growth outside the designated Development Area, and particularly within the water supply watershed to protect natural, scenic, and historic resources and to provide for more efficient delivery of services. CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 o Designation of industrial lands outside of the designated Development Areas and outside of relevant master planning processes is inconsistent with the Planning Commission's recommended amendment to the County Economic Development Policy regarding the provision of adequate industrial lands. The proposal would continue a creep of urban scale development into the rural areas. o As stated in the narrative of the Crozet Master Plan (CMP), a major goal of the CMP is to limit further commercial development on the Route 250 Corridor, and supports commercial development in Downtown and the other neighborhood centers identified on the master plan map. (Attachment C) This was a major issue considered by the entire Crozet Community during development of the master plan. Sections of the master plan narrative would also need to be considered with any map changes C. A primary purpose of the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Map is to facilitate the coordination of improvements to the transportation network and the expansion of public utilities in an economical, efficient and judicious manner. Comprehensive Plan amendments which direct growth away from designated growth areas shall be discouraged unless adequate iustification is provided. Amendments to the boundaries of growth areas maybe considered appropriate if the request is comprehensive, proposes to follow a logical topographic or man-made feature and is supported by adequate iustification. No Comprehensive Plan amendment shall be considered in areas where roads are non -tolerable or utilities are inadequate unless the improvement of those facilities is included in the Comprehensive Plan amendment proposal. The applicant has included seven properties within the CPA request and these parcels are shown on the exhibits in Attachment F. Staff notes that there are several gaps within the boundaries of the parcels proposed to be included. The gaps exist because the applicant does not own all the properties along Route 250 and Yancey Mill Lane. While the proposed CPA boundaries follow ownership/control of this applicant, the boundaries do not appear to follow natural or logical geographic boundaries that would typically be used in establishing CPA boundaries. The applicant has not specifically addressed and provided justification for where the particular boundaries should be drawn, other than including all those under common ownership by the Yancey family. More detailed study of the property to determine appropriate boundaries would be needed, to provide justification of the boundaries and ensure all resources are protected and impacts mitigated. D. Proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments shall be evaluated for general compliance with adopted County plans, policies, studies and ordinances and to determine if corresponding changes are necessary. As described above, there numerous policy sections of Comprehensive Plan that apply to this property and could be potentially modified if this request is further studied. Several amendment options should be considered in a study process to accommodate industrial type uses on this property, this would include study of potential amendments to the Rural Areas or Interstate Interchange policies only. Study of this request would also need to consider Development Area boundary changes. Any consideration of this CPA will require more information from the applicant and assessment of impacts and implications to all the relevant policy goals and objectives discussed in this report. CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park 12 Planning Commission November 11, 2008 E. Except as otherwise provided, the following conditions may be considered in the evaluation of a request to amend the Comprehensive Plan. 1. Change in circumstance had occurred; or No change in circumstance has occurred since adoption of the Crozet Master Plan that supports processing this CPA request. 2. Updated information is available; or The economic development policy update and supporting data suggests that there is a County- wide shortage of light industrial designated on the Land Use Plan or zoned industrial. However, that policy is not yet adopted. The proposal endorsed by the Planning Commission and that will be considered at an upcoming public hearing encourages any additional designated industrial land to be located in the designated Development Area. 3. Subsequent portions of the Comprehensive Plan have been adopted or developed; or Implementation of the Crozet Master Plan (CMP) is underway and ongoing through several measures, including rezoning of properties shown for development on the Master Plan and provision of infrastructure shown in the plan. County infrastructure and other projects underway to support Downtown Crozet include sidewalk and streetscape enhancements and a new library. The CMP places a strong emphasis on supporting Downtown Crozet as the primary center of the community. Prior to adoption of the plan, the County carefully considered where any additional commercial areas outside Downtown should be located. The Route 250 area, including the area proposed for a business park, was not recommended for further commercial development. 4. A portion of the Plan is incorrect or not feasible; or No portions of the Crozet Master Plan have been found to be incorrect or not feasible. At this time, it would be most appropriate to review all requests for amendments to the master plan with the scheduled update of the plan in 2009. This will allow the implications of all proposed changes to be considered comprehensively. 5. The preparation of the Plan as required by Article 15. 1-447 of the Code of Virginia was incomplete or incorrect information was employed. The Crozet Master Plan and other sections of the Comprehensive Plan have been prepared according to the requirements of the Code of Virginia and no incorrect or incomplete information was employed. SUMMARY: Staff believes that if this CPA is studied, it should be in conjunction with the Crozet Master Plan. Several amendment options should be considered in that study process to accommodate industrial type uses on this property, such as amendments to the Rural Areas or Interstate Interchange policies only, without expansion of the Crozet Development Area. Any consideration of this CPA will require more information from the applicant and assessment of CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 impacts and implications to all the relevant policy goals and objectives discussed in this report. Staff has identified the following factors favorable to this request: o The proposal involves a site that includes existing HI Zoning, is adjacent to major highway access (including and interstate interchange), and utilities. o The proposal would provide for light industrial space and employment opportunities fulfilling some objectives of the Economic Development Policy. o The proposal would provide some opportunities for employment in the larger Crozet area and potentially address some of the jobs -housing balance called for in the Crozet Master Plan. It could complement the expectations for Crozet's Downtown area by providing heavy industrial and other larger scale industrial uses if limited to those types of uses. o The site is located adjacent a heavy industrial site and along a corridor developed with commercial and industrial uses under old zoning. Staff has identified factors unfavorable to this request: o The proposal is inconsistent with the Growth Management Policy and Rural Areas policies, and would impact important resources identified in the Natural Resources and Cultural Assets Plan for protection. o The proposal is located within the water supply watershed for the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir. Urban development is strongly discouraged from locating in water supply watersheds to avoid water quality issues from the proliferation of development in those areas. o There is no sewer capacity to serve the proposed development. o Additional commercial activity on Route 250 is not supported by the Comprehensive Plan and Crozet Master Plan, which calls for limited development along the fringe areas of Crozet and along Route 250 West. o Designation of industrial lands outside of the designated Development Areas and outside of relevant master planning processes is inconsistent with the Planning Commission's recommended amendment to the County Economic Development Policy regarding the provision of adequate industrial lands. o The assessment of the amount and location of land needed for designation for industrial use should be evaluated on a county -wide level to determine the most appropriate places to locate new lands designated for industrial use. o The proposal could compete with the Crozet downtown area for businesses unless the proposal is restricted to only uses not expected to locate in the downtown area. This issue could be revisited with the upcoming five year review of the Crozet Master Plan. o In general, Comprehensive Plan amendments should be evaluated in the larger context of the entire Crozet Development Area and Rural Areas and in conjunction with relevant planning processes. The five year update of the Crozet Master Plan will begin within one year. CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008 Staff's opinion is that, on balance, the proposal is not consistent with most of the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. Although, the general area does have several qualities/characteristics that would make it appropriate to consider for industrial type uses, there are too many goals of the Comprehensive Plan which are in conflict with the proposal. These include the proposal's potential impact to the water supply watershed and other natural and scenic resources, the sewer capacity issues in the area, and its inconsistency with the Crozet Master Plan. Staff concludes that this area should not be further studied at this time for designation for Development Area designation and/or Industrial Service use. RECOMMENDATION: Based on the scope and scale of the proposal as submitted, staff does not recommend further study. If the Commission decides to further study this CPA request, staff recommends that the proposal be reviewed as part of the 5 -year review of the Crozet Master Plan in 2009. The CPA would be a major focus area for the CMP and follow the process already outlined for the master plan update. Staff recommends that the emphasis of further study be on uses that are compatible with the surrounding Rural Areas, are of an appropriate scale, and are not detrimental to important resources. Should the Commission want to consider this request on a separate track and quicker than the timeframe for the Crozet Master Plan update, the Commission should provide direction to staff regarding the study of this request. Staff would then bring a resolution of intent to the Commission at the next possible meeting to initiate the study process. ATTACHMENTS: A. Heavy Industrial (HI) Zoning District regulations B. Rural Areas (RA) Zoning District regulations C. Crozet Master Plan Place -Type and Built Infrastructure Map D. Route 250 Task Force comment memo dated October 28, 2008 E. Letter from applicant, dated October 27, 2008 from Will Yancey in response to initial County review comments F. CPA 2008-00002 The Yancey Mills Business Park application booklet, dated September 2, 2008 CPA 2008-002 The Yancey Mills Business Park Planning Commission November 11, 2008