HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP201500023 Action Letter 2015-07-16YlAGIl`11A
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
Memorandum
To: Sarah Baldwin, Senior Planner
From: Glenn Brooks, County Engineer
Date: 16 July 2015
Subject: 51 Street Station, Drive Through Uses (SP201500023)
The application information submitted for multiple drive- through use locations at the 5t" Street Station
commercial development has been reviewed. This is recommended for denial.
Drive - through uses are tied in with site layout and design. It is not possible to review the arrangement
without a site plan. Further explanation is provided below.
A zoning text amendment would be the way to establish proposed criteria or conditions for administrative
review and approval of drive - through, or drive -up, or queuing uses. I have written a thorough review of
the issues surrounding these, with many examples in the county. For background, I refer you to that article
at this web site; http:// albemarleengineer .blogsspot.com/2014 /02 /drive - through - aisles.html
To summarize what might be appropriate in a text amendment, I would first shift the focus to all similar
uses, so as not to single out banks and restaurants. A more appropriate term might be "Sites with Potential
Queuing ", which might include banks, fast -food restaurants, fuel pumps, car washes, pharmacies, bus
depos, school parent drop -off and pick -up points, large event venues, athletic fields, etc. The Zoning
Ordinance would best be left in general terms, with specific examples or design guidelines in the Design
Standards Manual.
Potential queueing and site design are inextricably linked. So, any detailed review and guidelines must
refer to site characteristics surrounding the queuing points. I have found 5 general issues to be more
important than others in this regard.
(1) Bypass from the queue: An escape from the queue can be important for slow queues. It is
typically provided in a separate lane, but can also be provided in a wider lane, or an adjacent
travelway. (The zoning ordinance currently allows a 16' width, in what would normally be a 12'
minimum travelway, but this is almost never used. Queued cars tend to spread out and use the
width. An adjacent travelway or lane works.) It would be appropriate to allow studies and
examination of uses for speed of the queue, which would affect wait time and potential bypass
(similar to queue length studies for stacking). It is not always good design to corral the queue with
curbing or other barriers, as it often prevents exiting for bypass. Striping or different pavement
types are better. The benefit of aligning the queue or separating it from parking or travelways must
be weighed against the bypass provision. Of a different type are event venues, where a ticket
booth or attendant might be used, with queuing at one or more locations. Locating the check point
well within the site, perhaps at a moveable point, is usually best. Providing a turnaround or bypass
exit for vehicles not passing the checkpoint may also be important.
(2) Good site circulation: Good circulation is an important topic all its own. Some general points are
that circulation remain internal to the site, meaning it does not affect common travelways, or
public or private roads. It does not unduly interfere with parking or loading space access, and it
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Engineering Review comments
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does not impact entering and exiting traffic. Of these, the most important is not to clog an
entrance, especially not to cause any potential queuing on a public road, or interfere with access to
other sites. Good circulation is well marked and easy to follow, which means it does not present
unexpected choices for the driver. It does not force flow in a direction drivers are unlikely to
follow, like taking the long way around, or driving on the left side, or relying on awkward one -way
movements. It does not make pedestrian travel difficult, by placing it at a busy entrance, or
through a queue. Good circulation allows room to maneuver without excessive backing, and
avoids turnarounds, preferring looped movements. It has good sight lines, so drivers can see
potential conflicts. Lastly, a poor circulation pattern on the ground cannot be fixed with signage
and paint. Signs and paint are rarely maintained well, and serve only as reinforcing guides, often
ignored, and serving now and then as temporary patches for poor design.
(3) Adequate queue length: Providing adequate space for the stacking of vehicles can be important for
high volume uses. This provides capacity on -site. Capacity and volume go hand in hand. So a
careful study of similar uses can dictate appropriate stacking provisions. The zoning ordinance
provides a 5 space rule, but this is argued frequently in its application, especially for multi -lane
uses, and for uses which have multiple services points (an order point and a pickup point, for
example.) Much more queue length may be needed for temporary or special events. All in all,
under current regulations, it may be that too much emphasis is placed on this, and not enough on
the circulation.
(4) Good entrances and exits: This is part of circulation, as are all the points, but singled out for its
importance. In general, one entrance for a site on a public road keeps circulation internal.
Multiple entrances tend to place site circulation on the road, with cars entering and exiting to
access different sides of the same site. Of course, this depends on the site, and on expected
volumes. Fitting the entrance and exit to the drive - through or other queue internally to the site is
likewise best, but there is not always room. Having a separate entrance to the site for a queueing
point is typically not a good idea, as confused entry is hard to avoid, especially without bypass
and/or turnaround provisions, and overflow is on the road. Having an independent exit for a
queue can work, provided there are no other conflicts on the road or travelway.
(5) Pedestrian safety and accommodations: Keeping pedestrians movements away from the queue is
best. This typically means the queue should not wrap in front of building entrances, parking bays,
or sidewalks. A pedestrian walk -up area should also be separate if possible, such as for a bank
ATM, or pedestrian entrance to the use. When pedestrian movements cannot be separated,
signage, markings, and raised pavement for crosswalks could be used, but this often fails if cars
queue onto it, and pedestrians use the shortest route through the queue regardless. It may also give
pedestrians a false sense of security, when drivers expect a dedicated queuing lane. For these
reasons, crosswalk solutions are best avoided.
Other issues that are considerations, but might be separated, are aesthetic, such as for the Architectural
Review Board in the Entrance Corridor, or incidental, such as grades and landscaping, signs and loud
speakers.
An important procedural issue that might be improved with administrative review, rather than special use
permit review, is a possible change in use. Mentioned above are studies for queuing speed and length,
affecting required bypass and stacking space. These studies are dependent on the use. If a high volume
use replaces a low volume use, site capacity may be exceeded. More often what happens is a low volume
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Engineering Review comments
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use replaces a high volume use, and site space is taken by unneeded stacking or lanes. A special use
permit review carries with a property, regardless of the use. It is difficult to alter. Without the special use
permit, and with an administrative review, the site plan and queuing layout could be amended in a much
easier process.
I hope this is helpful in outlining the issues. The conditions proposed by the applicant are not adequate to
address these issues, and I do not recommend this be done with an individual special use permit. A typical
zoning text amendment might talk about the objectives and uses to which a further review is appropriate,
and then list the issues intended to be addressed, as above, with possible additional issues as identified by
the agent or county engineer, and reference to the Design Standards Manual.
tile: EO_ sp2015- 23_GEB_5thStrDriveThroughs.doc