The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutSP200900003 Legacy Document 2009-03-04 (3)STAFF PERSON: Ronald L. Higgins, AICP PUBLIC HEARING: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 STAFF REPORT: SP- 2009 - 003 - -The Villas at Southern Ridge Off -Site Sign PETITION: Country Green, LLC (property owner) and The Villas at Southern Ridge (applicant) petition the Board of Zoning Appeals to issue a special use permit for an off -site advertising sign in accordance with Section 4.15.5(a)(1) of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance. APPLICANT'S PROPOSAL: The applicant proposes to erect a freestanding monument sign on tax map 76, parcel 46H to serve The Villas at Southern Ridge Condominium development . (Villas) located on parcels 46D(old) and 46E (formerly the Country Green Apartments and later the Meadows Apartments) as well as the Jerusalem Church, Inc., located on the west side of parcel 46H on Country Green Lane. This sign will replace the Jerusalem Church on -site sign that is presently in the location proposed for the new sign. The new sign is being redesigned to include signs faces for both uses at an aggregate area of 32 square feet or less even though-the applicant's description indicates 32.5 square feet. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY: The parcel has frontage on Fifth Street Extended.(CR 631), Old Lynchburg Road (CR 780), Country Green Road (CR 875).and an. . abandoned portion. of Old Stagecoach Road that is now a dead end known as Country Green . Lane. When the Jerusalem church building at 630 Country Green Lane was constructed it had. direct access from Stagecoach Road. When The Villas (originallythe Country Green Apartments) were built in 1974, that development had direct access to two main thoroughfares,, Sunset Avenue and Old Lynchburg Road. Since that time Sunset Avenue has been closed to through traffic and the improvements to Fifth Street Extended bypassed the portion of Old Lynchburg Road where the main entrance to the Villas was located. The proposed sign identifies• the most direct route to the Villas at Southern Ridge. CHARACTER OF THE AREA: This site is located in an area of both residential and commercial development. It has experienced growth with the development of Sterling University Housing, a 144 bedroom development; Eagles Landing, a 280 unit multi - family project, and; Jefferson Ridge, a 234 unit multi- family project. The Mountainwood property was redeveloped as a mixed -use commercial/ residential project and is now undergoing another transformation back to offices and facilities for Region Ten. The former Wachovia Bank complex was renovated to accommodate the new County Offices. The Redfields subdivision is also located in this area with an entrance on Sunset Avenue. REASON FOR REVIEW: Section 4.15.5 provides that off -site advertising signs are permitted by special use permit in any underlying district. The authority to administer signs by special use permit is granted to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Among other considerations, the Board must "find that the issuance of a special use permit is necessary because an on -site sign would be ineffective to communicate its message off -site because of topography or vegetation." SP -2009 -003 Page 2 March 3, 2009 PLANNING AND ZONING HISTORY: ZMA -95 -15 rezoned one acre of land, from R -2 to C -1, that was added to Parcel 46H after the realignment of Fifth Street Extended. Development of the Villas, then known as Country Green Apartments, was originally completed in 1974. Sunset Avenue was closed in 1988. Fifth Street Extended was rerouted and improved in 1996. The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a Special Use Permit for an off -site sign at the same location in July of 2003. This approval was for what was to be the Meadows Apartments, the same development in the current application (The Villas), and Easter Associates, Inc, located in the building on -site which is now Jerusalem Church. This special use permit was not vested due to the sale of the properties and changes of use before the sign could be utilized. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan defines this area as Urban Density in Urban Neighborhood ( #5). Fifth Street Extended is an Entrance Corridor. STAFF COMMENT: The Zoning Ordinance, Section 4.15.5, is written to discourage off -site signs and generally to limit signage to the minimum necessary to provide for the primary goals of signage. Off - site.. signs have been considered appropriate when topography or some other factor prevents an on -site sign from being visible. As a result of the realignment of Route 631, the main entrance to the Villas at Southern Ridge is not visible from Fifth Street Extended, the primary means of access to the development. This new traffic pattern created confusion.fondrivers attempting to locate the complex in 2003 and still'presents problems when trying to. find the Villas. The Section 4.15.1 provides four goals that signs-are to meet: (1) To promote the general health, safety and welfare, including the creation of an attractive and harmonious environment; (2) Protect the public investment in the creation, maintenance, safety and appearance of'its streets, highways and other areas open to the public; (3) .Improve pedestrian and vehicular safety by avoiding saturation and confusion in the field of vision that could otherwise result if such signs were not regulated as provided herein; and (4) Protect and enhance the county's attractiveness to tourists and other visitors as sources of economic development. It is staff opinion that the location of a sign for the Villas on Fifth Street Extended at the intersection with Old Lynchburg is consistent with the intent of the sign ordinance. It will serve public safety by assisting motorists searching for the Villas to identify the turnoff that provides the most direct route to the complex. Now, while traveling on Fifth Street Extended there is no indication of the location of the Villas or the access to the complex. The identification of this route, utilizing Old Lynchburg Road, will tend to decrease the traffic on Sunset Avenue Extended that serves Redfields, Jefferson Ridge and Eagles Landing. Pursuant to Section 31.2.4.1 of the Ordinance, the Board also must find that the use will not be of substantial detriment to adjacent property, that the character of the district will not be changed thereby and that such use will be in hannony with the purpose and intent of this ordinance, with the uses permitted by right in the district, and with the public health, safety and general welfare. I:IDEPT1Community DevelopmentlZoning & Current Development DivisionlBZA1BZA 20091March 3 2009 bza meetinglSP -09 -03 Villas at Southern Ridge Off -Site Sign staff report.doc SP- 2009 -003 Page 3 March 3, 2009 Staff opinion is that this request meets all of the above. This sign is subject to the approval of the Architectural Review Board. S MNILARY AND RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of this special use permit with the following conditions: 1. The area of the proposed freestanding sign, advertising both the on -site use (Jerusalem Church) and the Villas at Southern Ridge shall be limited to an aggregate total of 32 square feet. 2. The sign shall receive approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness from the ARB or staff, including, among other things, landscaping at the sign base, a minimum setback of 5' and lighting, in any is to be used. LIDEP71Community DevelopmentlZoning & Current Development Divisionl8ZA0ZA 20091March 3 2009 bza meetinglSP -09 -03 Villas at Southern Ridge Off -Site Sign staff report. doc `,I to a Jerusalem Church, Inc. Sign: 72 "w x 50 "h x 1/2" MDO, 5ingle -50ed w/ (2) Color Cut Vinyl. The Villas at Southern Ridge Sign: 72 "w x 50 "h x 1/2" MDO, 5ingle -5ided w/ a 12 5/f High Performance Digital Print. *Both 5ign5 will be mounted to the Same (2) 4 "x4 "x 12' Painted Poot5. Opt. Decorative Post cape. S N S 0 ;6 72 "w Jerusalem Church Inc. A Baptist Ministry Rev. Doyle J. Thomas, Jr., Pastor Sunday Worship 9:00 AM TURN HERE),,. Tuesday Bible Study 7:00 PM First Left THEN wlkvw.jeru sale in chu rchva. org Left Again T1ACVi11d'5 .It Southern Ridge Condominium Community www.VillasAtSouthernRidge.com J S JOr Jerusalem Church, Inc. ,lob Information Client: Jerusalem Church, Inc. Location: 630 Country Green Lr Charlottesville, VA Phone: Fax: Date: 10. 14.08 Sion soecRloatiom: (2) 72 °w x 30`h x 1/2" MDO Single Sided. Mounted on (2) 4'x4" Posts, Opt. Decorative Post Caps. ® Preliminary Drawing ❑ Final Drawing SIGN PLACEMENT MAY CHANGE we carant guararnee exec( wlor mamtan. AN— clod 6 ceneep— or prated — are not to be Lind—food as being axed we or amd wale. Drawing scale: Proportional Drawing location: P:\2008\Beth\ Atiarusalem Baptist Church\ Revision #: 10.14.08.rev01 2165 Seminole Trail Charlottesville, VA 22901 Layout by: Beth Robinson phone: (800)482 -6603 x 112 fox: (434)974-6898 beth @htsva.com Approved Approved with revisions Resubmit n Client Signature Date Copyright Warning This is an original unpublished desigr created by Hightech Signs. It is submitted for your personal consideration, it is not to be shown to anyone outside your organization nor is it to be reproduced or exhibited in any fashion whatsoever. It remains the property of Hightech Signs until legally purchased. PAGE 1 OF 2 I 1 17" I .. I . r 't —, ." I - ' - ��a � ±8 F, �• Y r, �w'r't•.�,? ��. .. t •1 7• � � ~ � `f��' E;" '�-� s � ~ �.� '� • .�� \..a - A .� r sine ' r. �e��i 44, r 41 4 to it. A 41 Wk 4v A_ Adx lip- 44 - r.1t PI ev� Or A A10A Wt 00, 4, ' It. r. or R�'�- i. '�l. ��j��.�'.,,� ,..% y . � � 'y t'°�' TM 76, P 46D �'2 TM 76, P 46E At. - 47 Ap" AE qf- 7 P 46H ell .1A ? 077, #4k JF 40 10 401 44 leg OF A or av V. • NOU •