Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP201400015 Correspondence 2015-02-18 Heartrock Nature's Playground 6600 Blackwells Hollow Road Crozet, VA Phone 434-245-0749 Email: Carolyn @birdwood.com February 17, 2015 Scott Clark County of Albemarle Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road, North Wing Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-4596 Response to Review Comments Re: SP201400015 Heartrock Day Camp Dear Mr. Clark, We very much appreciate the time and thought that went into the review comments for the special use permit for Heartrock. I will address the questions raised point by point. 1) Will the site be staffed whenever it is open, or only for programs and for classes? Our intention is to have the playscape sections of Heartrock open to the public only when a staff person or a trained volunteer host is present. On rental days, we may not always require the staff person to be there (depending on the nature of the group) given the guests will have signed a liability waiver, read the safety signage, and heard an introduction to the playscape from a short video on the website. County playgrounds do not have staff attendants, so we do not see this as inconsistent with standard practice. The playscape is closed to the public on rental days so parking overflow is not an issue. .r We had thought to leave the trails and labyrinth open during weekday mornings without a staff person present, but your question caused us to reflect on this further. We are now thinking that we would like to make the trails and the labyrinth open by invitation/reservation only. This would make it possible for us to be sure that our parking limits are enforced. There will be times when people are on the property without a staff person present, but we will have given them permission to be there. We will not grant permission for people to be there beyond what the parking lot can accommodate. We will have an entrance gate that we will be able to program with a code. 2) Are we willing to commit to first aid-training for staff on site? Yes, we will train staff in basic first aid and protocols for responding to emergency situations of all kinds. Carolyn Schuyler passed the exam to become a certified playground safety inspector with the National Recreation and Park Association in November, 2014. In this class she learned about reducing risk. We will have regular maintenance and safety procedures to follow as a means to reduce the risk of accident. 2) Please explain how you will avoid overlap of separate uses? We will not have visiting groups on the Saturday public use day, unless It is a group arriving in one or two vehicles. We will let people that are 'coming for camping know that only one car is allowed onto the property per campsite. We will never have more than six cars present for camping, which would leave 24 spots for people visiting the playscape. A staff person will be present on a playscape public day and will turn away additional cars with the use of signage. Special groups and classes will be coming out when Heartrock is closed to the public. They will be coming in numbers that comply with parking restrictions. We will have a calendar on our website that allows us to manage activities and the parking limits. 3) What is the ASTM standard for fencing? Now q4lese I have attached the ASTM F2049 standards to this document for your review. As mentioned in our initial application, we hired an experienced playscape architect to review the standard. She recommended putting sturdy wiring over the existing fence and to have plantings around the fence to deter children from accessing the fence. She mentioned that with the meshing over the fence, it would meet the standard. Upon rereading the requirements ourselves, we see that it is necessary to put a guardrail outside of the plank fence along the road. Our landscape architect met with VDOT. We understand that if the guard rail is in the VDOT right of way, VDOT will need to review the location and guard rail design and issue a permit prior to installation. The maintenance of the guard rail would be our responsibility. When the playscape is built, we will be hiring an independent, highly experienced certified playground safety inspector to do an audit. We plan to follow the procedures that are used for traditional playgrounds as much as they apply to our space. 3) How will water and sanitary facilities be supplied for the camping use? We will be developing a bathroom in the barn. Campers will be given access to a code to unlock the bathroom. The bathroom will have two toilets. There will be a water outlet/slop sink outside the barn for rinsing off muddy feet, collecting cooking water, etc. The camping at Heartrock is meant to be primitive. While parking is close by, people will need to carry their equipment to the site. There will be no showers provided. We intend for the campsite usage to be for one-night stays.. 4) Will there be any outdoor PA systems? No. We have no purpose for a PA system. 5) Please clarify use of site for events. We are clear that large events require an additional special permit. For us, "events" means small groups of people arriving in less than 30 cars participating in a class or a one-shot activity connected to our mission. The overflow parking area is what allows us to accommodate 30 cars. 6) Please mark pedestrian paths over streams with no vehicular access. Plan has been changed. 7) Please address concern that stream access will involve people going into adjacent park. The stream access involves a bench next to the stream and a small clearing so people can access the water. There will be no path to the park next door. The stream edge bordering the park is steep , providing a natural barrier. We have no intent to link up to the park. There will not always be a staff person on site to monitor this, but there is no need for that monitoring given the natural barriers. 8) Please comply with Section 5.1.05 applying to day camps I met with Josh Kirtley at the Environmental Health Division of the Health Department. He said that a 750 gallon septic tank will be adequate for our use level. We are working with Jeff Loth at Afton Soil Consulting to get the permit for the drain field and septic system. He worked with the previous owner and was able to propose a site based on his previous visit and a second visit with our landscape architect. This proposed site has been noted on the site plans. Josh Kirtly also let us know that we will need to comply with requirements to get a campground permit. We have been in touch with Susan Fortenberry and Gary Rice, the experts on campground approval. Mr. Rice suggested we come back to meet with him and Josh Kirtley when we are in the next phase of site plan development. Our design meets the requirement of bathrooms within 500 feet of the campground and a slop sink (located on the west side of the barn, as shown on the site plan). We intend to be a primitive campground, making showers unnecessary. 9) Please address concern about parking when events run concurrently. The only uses that will run concurrently where parking is potentially an issue is when people are camping while the trails and playscape are open to the public. The camping will take 6 spots maximum leaving 24 for the trails and playscape. Staff will be there to set limits so that the cap stays at 30 cars. Concurrent events on days when the playscape is closed will involve groups that have registered in advance. We will know who is coming and be able to manage the parking as a result. 10) What is the barn court? The barn court is like a side porch. It provides space for outdoor activities. It is a gravel area. 11) Confirm 20-foot wide clearance for rescue vehicles. Our landscape architect met with Robbie Gilmer of ACF&R. He approved our approach using the hammerhead turnaround, which is the necessary 70' x 20 with 28' radii, as shown on the site plan. 12) Site plan details • Dimensions of parking areas, spaces, and aisles have been noted on the 60-scale plan and in the "Notes" at the bottom of the plan. • Conceptual grading for the entrance drive and parking areas has been included. • The "Limit of Disturbance" has been noted on the 200-scale site plan. This is roughly 5 Y2 acres. The majority of this disturbed land was disturbed by the previous owner (little native vegetation remains). We realize that we will be required to submit an Erosion and Sediment Control plan for the next phase of approvals. We will be removing Y.r roughly 43,000 sf of existing gravel surface in addition to a building slab (noted on Existing Conditions Plan) and adding approximately 29,000 sf of gravel surface. • Stream crossings have been noted as pedestrian crossing. • Critical slopes have been added to the plans. All development will avoid areas of critical slopes. We have shown narrow walking trails in these areas but these will have minimal impact. If this will require a steep slopes waiver, we will relocate these trails. • Proposed fire truck turnaround has been reviewed and approved by the ACF&R. Dimensions are noted on the 60- scale plan in the "Notes" at the bottom of the plan. • Main portion of the trail system would be designed at 6' width so that it's gator-accessible for emergencies (as requested by ACF&R). • There is not an existing well or septic system. We have noted the proposed locations on the 60-scale plan. We have engaged Afton Soil and Foster Well to further evaluate these sites and submit for permits from the VDH. • We have provided an entrance per VDOT specifications. We will have a 30' wide transition with 25' radii. The entrance will be 12' x 25' with an asphalt surface to a gate location. The road will then transition to a gravel road. We will grade to drain. • We do not intend to disturb the area within the 100' stream setback. • We have provided an Existing Conditions plan showing structures, land use, and contours.