The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutSP200900005 Legacy Document 2009-04-14_STAFF PERSON: Ronald L.- Higgins, -AIGP PUBLIC HEARING: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 STAFF REPORT: SP- 2009 - 005 — Medical Facilities of America - Off -Site Sign for Charlottesville Health & Rehabilitation Center — 505 Rio Road, West PETITION: HCMF XV, LLC (property owner) has granted permission for Medical Facilities of America (applicant) to 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 45, Parcel 26A2 to serve the Charlottesville Health & Rehabilitation Center located on. Tax Map 45, Parcel 26 (formerly the Heritage Hall Nursing Home). This sign will replace the Heritage Hall on -site sign that is presently in the location proposed for the new sign. The new. sign is being designed to be a similar two -sided monument sign with approximately 18 sq. ft. of copy area on each side and an overall height of less than six feet. A 10' x 12' easement is proposed for the sign. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF T111E PROPERTY: The parcel is vacant and has frontage on Rio Road, West (State Route 6' 1). - Where is an access easement from Rio Road through the parcel to the Heritage Hall Nursirig Home parcel (TMP45 -26) which is approximately 700 feet back from Rio Road. Thy rear parcel has a 700 foot stem which fronts on Rio Road just west. oftlie Garden Spot business. However, the location at that point is a poor point of access due to physical limitations for proper line -of- sight. The Charlottesville Health & Rehabilitation Center will operate in the Heritage Hall complex at the same adelress, 505 Rio Road, West. The proposed sign identifies the most direct route to that facility. CHARACTER OF THE AREA: This site is located in an area of both residential and commercial development. All but one of the immediately adjacent properties are residential, including some single- family detached units along both sides of Rio Road to the west and across Rio on larger tracts. Further west is the Embarq phone facility. As mentioned earlier there is a retail nursery business (Garden Spot) to the immediate east with the heavier commercial uses of Berkmar Drive and Rio out to Route 29 farther east. Rio Road is a four lane urban road with a fifth turning lane along all of this frontage. 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 because of topography or vegetation." The sale of the property containing the facility to Medical Facilities of America without selling them the vacant property in front has given rise to the need for the off -site sign special permit - SP 2009= 005 _ ___ ___ __ __._ Page2 ____ -- -_____ ____ _ ___-- April -7- 2009 - - -- PLANNING AND ZONING HISTORY: The property is currently zoned R -6 Residential, which it has been since 1980. It is located in an Entrance Corridor Overlay District (EC) and the Airport Impact Area (AIA). The Nursing Home beyond this site was approved by Special Permit in March of 1985 to allow a 120 bed facility. The complex was built in 1986. The Heritage Hall Nursing Home owned the subject property and the large parcel in the rear which contains the facility, thus allowing their sign by -right as an on -site sign. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan defines this area as Urban Density in Urban Neighborhood ( 91). Rio Road 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 distance from Rio Road.and the poor geometric. characteristics of the developed parcel's frontage stem, the main entrance to the facilities, at 505 -Rio Road, West is not visible:from Rio Road, the primary means of access to the :..complex. 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 ar 'att� active "and harmonious environm , t; (2) Protect the public investment in the creation; maii-tenanbe, safety and appearance -of'its streets, -,-highways and other areas open to the public; `(3).irr�.rove:pedestrian and vehicular safety by avoiding saturation and. confiision in the field of visi6nfhat: could otherwise result if-such signs were not regulated as provided herein; and (4) Protect an'd•enhance the county's; attractiveness to tourists and other visitors as sources of economic rdevelopment. It is staff opinion that the location of a sign for the Charlottesville Health & Rehabilitation Center at the frontage on Rio Road is consistent with the intent of the sign ordinance. It will serve public safety by assisting motorists searching for the facility to identify the proper entrance that provides the most direct route to the complex. 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 harmony 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. Staff opinion is that this request meets all of the above findings. This sign is subject to the approval of the Architectural Review Board. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of this special use permit for an off -site sign on TMP 45 -26A2 to serve the use on TMP 45 -26. Attachments: GIS Map & Aerial Photo Map is for display purposes only • Aerial Imagery from Commonwealth of Virginia March 23, 2009 Legend (Nob: Some Items on map may not appear in legend) ❑ate. 45 -30C 45 =30J1 "6 45 -2.9A 45 -308/N 4i�t �ry 45 -27A en "' U') k� ❑ ��' 4j 45-278 -30J 45 � — ao.a, 45 -30B1 500 — Roaaa N 45 -30 rr `45 -27 9854 + a ❑ Ra,�ad ds,. 45 -34A s60' „ g, �ry`y t 5762 aa9, -gym In 45 -169 ❑ •w n 659 ■ •�so�,>sx 45 -25E 568 -ft ❑ 45 :25H 0 45 -2-SC1 ' 45 =1'68 45 -25B 460 45 =2A1 Q Pa.,•aR,o,. 515 45 -25D 440 463 e.me,eo a,ry S 45 -25C 455 45 -26B5 5-26A'2 G ees awry 4 4005' w 45 -26B4 '435` _ o 61M--12- A1+ 45 -2661 r 45 -2663 425 ao n h 45-26 625+ N o�p 1495 45 =2-B2 �� I 1 M - -14 1 A+ 61X1r�MM 1A w h 00 ' 61 �M -2A $36•it tto �' 61X1 to - -MM -3 g"y� 611X1-- HH- 11Aa -�� ,� 61^1 "U 61 61 l�611 1 -1 h`� ��yo ,61M s0� 661 t OF A e y e �i Gc Data U IIIII �, Geographic Data Services 6:1X1 - -HH -9 61�X�1--MM -5 M r � 679 t www.albemarle.org -- ik (434) 296 -5832 - " °'NFP 61 Xd - M M -6 61X1 - -HH -8 ,167 1449 + '61 M-- 1r2F1+ 51 6 1� HH'7 6 X-1 MM' y W�! 61X1 - =MM -8 i° 1 61 X�1 - -H H'6 26 61M - -06 -2 ui 1 55 61X1 ,H 5 r6l ---151 6A 45 -26 2637 FAA -- -4 1 ,��Sr2 61.X1: - GG -7.1 1 \61?X%�,ll 3 61` 1_ MMM "11 �61TXs1? "MM'12 f 61 M - -U6m 1 6u - -12 -1 E2 / . , 681+ �y 6' 61 M E3 =HH'2 61X1- 61X1 - -/� 505 5y � 61M- -OS ^ - -12 -1 =19 r ssz 460 61X1 - -GG=4 61X1 - -H H -1 61XMM =13, 2i 6,1X1 - -GG -3 345 %61X1- MM �` �r�° fi1M-- 0��1F0� iiiy 3 61 M - -09 -9 �223Feet �" N -1'4 61X1 -1 61 M - -05 -17.1 77 61 M - -12 -1 G Map is for display purposes only • Aerial Imagery from Commonwealth of Virginia March 23, 2009 00, 45-25C �� x � � 45 -2684 • k }, -� t. a ti 45 -26B3 a- 452 4 Map is for display purposes only • Aerial Imagery from Commonwealth of Virginia GIS -Web Geographic Data S ervi ces www.albemarle.org (434) 296 -5832 March 23, 2009 Legend (Note: Some items on map may not appear in legend) 45 -2dA Meo, „eam, �,e,s „�am, ❑ a,�a° tls,. ❑ R-a 659 � Roatle try ❑ GIS -Web Geographic Data S ervi ces www.albemarle.org (434) 296 -5832 March 23, 2009