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Home My WebLink AboutSUB201300172 Staff Report 2014-07-15 COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE STAFF REPORT SUMMARY Project Name: CCP 201400003 Staff: David Benish, Chief of Planning Ivy Creek Natural Area(ICNA), Land Donation Planning Commission Public Hearing: Board of Supervisors Public Hearing: July 15, 2014 N/A Owner/s: Elizabeth Langhorne Revocable Trust Applicant: City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County(Co owners of ICNA) Tax Map Parcels: 44-120 Acreage: 4.015 acres Location: The west side of Lambs Road (Rt.657) approximately 1500 feet from the intersection of Rt. 250 and Broomley Road. Zoning District: RA, Rural Areas Magisterial District: Jack Jouett Proposal: Compliance with the Comprehensive Comprehensive Plan Designation: Plan review for a donation of 4.015 acres to be Rural Area added to the ICNA parcel(TMP 45-8). Character of Property: Use of Surrounding Properties: Residential lots Undeveloped and mostly wooded, with rolling with single family detached and attached units. terrain. Factors Favorable: Factors Unfavorable: 1. Adding this property to the ICNA is 1. None consistent with goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. 2. There should be no impact to adjacent parcels. There are no improvements, such as trails or public access, proposed for the site. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Commission find that this 4+acre addition to the ICNA is in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan. lle- : , Ave/1 )\,,,, ,/ /$ 3o'Y (6), otAstAA i e , CCP 2014-001 Ivy geek Natural Area Land Donation Planning,Commission 7715/14 Staff Report Rape I STAFF PERSON: David Benish PLANNING COMMISSION: July 15, 2014 CCP 201400001 Ivy Creek Natural Area, Land Donation Review for Compliance with the Comprehensive Plan (Va. Code 15.2- 2232) BACKGROUND This is a proposal to add 4.015 acres to the Ivy Creek Natural (ICNA) (Attachment A). The area would remain as passive open space. There is no proposal to add improvements, such as trails or public access on this site. The parcel in question is currently 5.237 acres (TMP 44 -120). A 4.015 acre portion of this parcel would be added to the ICNA (TMP 45 -8). The remaining 1.222 acre portion of the parcel in question will be added to an adjacent parcel (TMP 44 -36B) to bring that parcel up to 2.037 acres. Attachment B is an aerial view of the site and the immediate surrounding area. Attachment C is a plat showing the proposed boundary line adjustments. PURPOSE OF REVIEW A Compliance with the Comprehensive Plan Review (or "2232 Review ") considers whether the general location, character and extent of a proposed public facility are in substantial accord with the adopted Comprehensive Plan. The proposed public facility is reviewed by the Planning Commission and the Commission's findings are forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for their information. No additional action is required of the Board. The Commission's action is only related to the appropriateness of the site for the public use, in this case a natural area /preserve. CHARACTER OF THE SITE / AREA The 4.015 acres to be added to the ICNA is vacant and is mostly wooded, with a rolling topography. The site is bounded on the north by a 3.5 acre parcel with a single family detached house, on the south by a 6.7 acre parcel containing a single family house and 20 single family attached homes (20 units total in 10 buildings). A 0.815 acre parcel with a single family detached house is located east of the donated area (TMP 44- 36B,), which would be enlarged to 2.037 acres with the proposed boundary line adjustment. The ICNA parcel abuts the east side of the site The property is designated as Rural Area in the Comprehensive Plan in part because of its location in the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir Watershed. It has been designated as Rural Area since adoption of the 1982 -2002 Comprehensive Plan. SPECIFICS OF THE PROPOSAL The Ivy Creek Natural Area website describes ICNA as a 215 acre preserve bordering the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir consisting of mix of upland woods, pines stands, open fields, streams and shoreline. ICNA is jointly CCP 2014 -001 Ivy Creek Natural Area Land Donation Planning Commission 7/15/14 Staff Report Page 2 owned by Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, and managed by the Ivy Creek Foundation. The land has been set aside in perpetuity for free public use as an unspoiled natural area. This proposal is to add 4+ acres to ICNA. The area will retain its current wooded, undeveloped character. No trails or public entrance /access are proposed from the site. Any future development would be limited to primitive trails. STAFF COMMENT The purpose of this review is to determine if the proposed addition to ICNA is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. This proposal has been reviewed based on Comprehensive Plan policy, including the Growth Management Policy, and recommendations of the Rural Area Plan section. Growth Management Policy The Growth Management Policy found in the Land Use Plan component of the Comprehensive Plan states the following: GOAL: Protect and efficiently utilize County resources by: A. Protecting the elements that define the Rural Area: 1) Agricultural resources 2) Forestry resources 3) Land preservation 4) Land conservation 5) Water supply resources 6) Natural resources 7) Scenic resources 8) Historical, archaeological, and cultural resources Staff Comment: This property is located within the designated Rural Areas and is within the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir water supply watershed. Adding this property to the ICNA supports the goal to protect elements of the Rural Area including land preservation and water supply resources. Rural Area Plan The Rural Area Plan section of the Comprehensive Plan provides the following Guiding Principles: The following principles are intended to guide comprehensive planning of the Rural Areas and to set general guidelines for future policy decisions. They reflect the County's growth management policy and its vision for the Rural Areas. Albemarle County will: 1. Recognize in policy development that all of the following defining principles are important components of the Rural Areas: i) Agriculture - - Protect Albemarle County's agricultural lands as a resource base or its agricultural industries and for related benefits they contribute towards the County's rural character, scenic quality, natural environment, and fiscal health. ii) Forestry resources - Protect Albemarle County's forests as a resource base for its forestry industries and watershed protection. iii) Land Preservation — Permanently preserve and protect Albemarle County's rural land as an essential and finite resource through public ownership or through conservation easements. iv) Land Conservation — Protect Albemarle County's rural land through planned management of open spaces to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect. v) Water supply resources - Protect the quality and supply of surface water and groundwater resources. CCP 2014 -001 Ivy Creek Natural Area Land Donation Planning Commission 7/15/14 Staff Report Page 3 vi) Natural resources - Preserve and manage the Rural Areas' natural resources in order to protect the environment and conserve resources for future use. vii) Scenic resources - Preserve the County's rural scenic resources as being essential to the County's character, economic vitality, and quality of life. viii) Historical, archeological and cultural resources - Protect the Rural Areas' historic, archeological and cultural resources. Staff Comment: This property is located within the designated Rural Areas and is within the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir water supply watershed. Adding this property to the ICNA is consistent with the Guiding Principles for the Rural Area, including components ii, iii, iv, v, and vi highlighted above. Open Space Plan The Open Space Plan is part of the Comprehensive Plan and identifies areas of critical resources and open space recommended for protection. The Open Space Plan identifies this area as being within the water supply watershed. Other Comments The property is intended to remain in passive use as a natural area. There is no proposal to extend trails in this area or provide any public access from this site. The purpose of the ICNA is to provide a natural area /preserve that contains limited impacts from development or significant human activity. Any future use would be limited to primitive trails within this area. As a result, there should be no substantial impacts to adjacent properties from the proposed use as a natural area. SUMMARY Factors Favorable: 1. Adding this property to the ICNA is consistent with goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. 2. There should be no impact to adjacent parcels. There are no improvements, such as trails or public access, proposed for the site. Factors Unfavorable: 1. None. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Commission find this site for the addition of the subject property to the ICNA in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan. ATTACHMENTS: A. Location Map B. Aerial View C. Subdivision Plat CCP 2014 -001 Ivy Creek Natural Area Land Donation Planning Commission 7/15/14 Staff Report Page 4