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Home My WebLink AboutARB201700137 Staff Report 2018-02-05ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB-2017-137: North Pointe Middle Entrance Stormwater Management Facility Landscaping Review Type Preliminary review of a Site Development Plan Parcel Identification 03200000002000 Location On the east side of Rt. 29, across from Northside Drive Zoned Planned Development Mixed Commercial (PDMC)/Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner/Applicant CWH Properties Limited Partnership/Great Eastern Management Co. (David Mitchell) Magisterial District Rivanna Proposal To provide landscaping at stormwater management facility #2. Context The surrounding area includes a mix of wooded and cleared land, single-family residences and small commercial buildings. Visibility The surface of the stormwater pond is well below the elevation of the Entrance Corridor. The pond surface is not expected to be visible to southbound traffic on the EC. Some views may be available to northbound traffic. The grading and the general land form associated with the facility, and the maintenance access will be visible from the EC and will have an impact. When the commercial development planned for the area between the middle entrance and stormwater facility 2 is constructed, the view from the north will be reduced. ARB Meeting Date February 12, 2018 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY In 2004, the ARB completed an advisory review of the North Pointe rezoning proposal. The rezoning was approved in 2006 and amended in 2013. Approved proffers include the following. (The stormwater facility associated with this application is #2.) 11. ENTRANCE CORRIDOR 2.1 Creation of a 40-Foot Buffer along the Entrance Corridor. Within six (6) months after the acceptance by the Virginia Department of Transportation ("VDOT") of the Road Improvements as defined in Section 5.3 that are along the northbound lanes of U.S. Route 29, Owner shall plant and thereafter maintain at all times a landscaped buffer, including hedgerows, along the Entrance Corridor frontage parcels owned by Owner. The buffer will consist of a minimum 40-foot wide continuous visual landscape area that shall be subject to Albemarle County Architectural Review Board ("ARB") review and approval (the `Buffer"). The Buffer may be located partly on the Owner's property and partly on VDOT property. In the event VDOT at any time in the future reduces any portion of the Buffer located on VDOT property, the Owner shall compensate for such reduction by extending the Buffer on Owner's property in order to maintain a minimum 40-foot Buffer, even if such compensation shall require the removal of parking adjacent to such Buffer. 2.2 Appearance of Storm Water Management ("SWM") Facilities. The SWM facilities visible from the Entrance Corridor identified on the Application Plan (stormwater management facilities 1, 2, and 10) shall be shown on a plan and be subject to ARB review and approval. SWM 1 shall be designed such that its shape, placement, and land form (grading) transition between the adjacent conservation area and the adjacent hard edge of the parking lot and buildings. The plan for SWM 1 shall be submitted to the ARB with the first ARB submission for Building 14 or 19 identified on Sheet B to the Application Plan ("Sheet B"), or any such building that is proposed to be located where Building 14 is located on Sheet B pursuant to the terms of Section 3.2. SWM 2 shall have a more structured appearance than SWM 10 (see below) and shall be designed such that its shape, placement, and land form (grading) transition between the adjacent conservation area and the adjacent hard edge of the parking lot and buildings. The plan for SWIM 2 shall be submitted to the ARB with the first ARB submission for any of Buildings 26 through 31. SWM 10 shall be designed such that its shape, placement, and land form (grading) are integral with the adjacent conservation area. The plan for SWM 10 shall be submitted to the ARB at the time road plans are submitted to the County and VDOT for Northwest Passage. The location and shape of the stormwater facility has changed since the original application plan was reviewed by the ARB. The original application plan showed the pond adjacent to the south side of the middle entrance road and adjacent to a parking lot.) The revised application plan divides the stormwater facility into two and shows a different building and parking layout. On August 7, 2017, the ARB reviewed a proposal for signage and landscaping at the North Pointe middle entrance (ARB-2017-69). The Board approved the request with conditions. The proposal received a Certificate of Appropriateness on October 31, 2017. That approval included landscaping extending approximately 200' north and 800' south of the middle entrance. That entrance aligns with Northside Drive. .. MEDIUM SHADE TREES \ LARGE SHADE IR�L$ {� ax I RONP ___ _ _ _� -_ — __ -- -- _ AWN PANEL - II Landscape plan approved with ARB-2017-69 for the North Pointe middle entrance. ANALYSIS REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION 3-5, Structure design There are no buildings in this None. 9-16 proposal. Accessory structures and equipment 17 Accessory structures and equipment should be integrated into the No equipment is included in this None. overall plan of development and shall, to the extent possible, be proposal. compatible with the building designs used on the site. 21 The following note should be added to the site plan and the architectural plan: "Visibility of all mechanical equipment from the Entrance Corridor shall be eliminated." 18 The following should be located to eliminate visibility from the A 16'-wide access easement is Relocate the permanent Entrance Corridor street. If, after appropriate siting, these features proposed to the stormwater facility. maintenance access will still have a negative visual impact on the Entrance Corridor Temporary access is from Rt. 29. further away from the EC street, screening should be provided to eliminate visibility. a. When the commercial development to minimize visual Loading areas, b. Service areas, c. Refuse areas, d. Storage areas, is constructed, access will be from impacts on the street. 2 e. Mechanical equipment, f. Above -ground utilities, and g. Chain the on -site travelway (that follows link fence, barbed wire, razor wire, and similar security fencing the ACSA force main) and the Provide additional devices. portion of the path between the travelway and Rt. 29 will be planting along the south and west sides of the 19 Screening devices should be compatible with the design of the buildings and surrounding natural vegetation and may consist of removed. Four groups of trees are access easement to better a. Walls, b. Plantings, and c. Fencing. proposed along the access way (two integrate the path into the of which are part of the previous surroundings. application), but the path will be visible from the EC. Additional planting could help reduce visual impacts, but relocating the maintenance access away from the EC would provide for a more appropriate appearance from the corridor. 1 The goal of the regulation of the design of development within the Given the difference in elevation Increase the density of designated Entrance Corridors is to insure that new development between the street and the pond, the trees on the north/west within the corridors reflects the traditional architecture of the area. pond surface is expected to only side of the stormwater Therefore, it is the purpose of ARB review and of these have some visibility for northbound facility. Mix evergreens Guidelines, that proposed development within the designated viewers on the EC. The regular and deciduous trees, and Entrance Corridors reflect elements of design characteristic of the grading and the maintenance access large and small trees. significant historical landmarks, buildings, and structures of the will have visual impacts that could Increase landscaping on Charlottesville and Albemarle area, and to promote orderly and be reduced with additional the west and south sides attractive development within these corridors. Applicants should landscaping to help integrate the of the maintenance note that replication of historic structures is neither required nor facility into the surroundings. access. desired. Proffer 2.2 calls for integration of the On the conservation side 2 Visitors to the significant historical sites in the Charlottesville and Albemarle area experience these sites as ensembles of buildings, facility into the surroundings by of the facility, add trees land, and vegetation. In order to accomplish the integration of using a design whose shape, and revise the layout of buildings, land, and vegetation characteristic of these sites, the placement, and land form (grading) shrubs to emphasize the Guidelines require attention to four primary factors: compatibility transition between the adjacent natural character of with significant historic sites in the area; the character of the conservation area and the adjacent surroundings. Entrance Corridor; site development and layout; and landscaping. hard edge of the parking lot and buildings. The location of the pond 7 The requirements of the Guidelines regarding landscaping are intended to reflect the landscaping characteristic of many of the places the curved east end against area's significant historic sites which is characterized by large the conservation area and the long shade trees and lawns. Landscaping should promote visual order and regular steep slope on the west within the Entrance Corridor and help to integrate buildings into side at the base of the building and the existing environment of the corridor. parking area. As such the facility transitions between to the two areas. 20 Surface runoff structures and detention ponds should be designed to fit into the natural topography to avoid the need for screening. When However, a more naturalistic pattern visible from the Entrance Corridor street, these features must be for the landscaping on the fully integrated into the landscape. They should not have the conservation side would emphasize appearance of engineered features. the character of that resource. 44 Natural drainage patterns (or to the extent required, new drainage patterns) should be incorporated into the finished site to the extent possible. 22- Lighting There is no lighting in this proposal. None. 31 33- Landscaping There are no interior streets, None. 36, pedestrian ways, parking areas, or 39 buildings included in this proposal. 32 Landscaping along the frontage of Entrance Corridor streets Proffer 2.1 requires a 40' landscaped Revise the plans to show should include the following: buffer along the Entrance Corridor the existing frontage a. Large shade trees should be planted parallel to the Entrance frontage, the full length of the condition the full length Corridor Street. Such trees should be at least 3% inches caliper project. To meet the proffer, the of the frontage and to (measured 6 inches above the ground) and should be of a plant plans for this project must show an show the 40' landscape species common to the area. Such trees should be located at least ARB-approved landscape treatment buffer. Identify on the every 35 feet on center. for the 40' buffer for the full length plan the places where b. Flowering ornamental trees of a species common to the area of the project. The applicant has existing wooded area is should be interspersed among the trees required by the preceding submitted a supplemental plan that not sufficient to paragraph. The ornamental trees need not alternate one for one with shows that there will be buffer, and a accomplish the buffer, the large shade trees. They may be planted among the large shade note on the plan indicates that the and show on the plan the trees in a less regular spacing pattern. area shall remain wooded until future planting that will be c. In situations where appropriate, a three or four board fence or development when clearing, grading added to create the 40' low stone wall, typical of the area, should align the frontage of the and landscaping according to county buffer in those areas. Entrance Corridor street. requirements will be accomplished. d. An area of sufficient width to accommodate the foregoing The existing condition of the plantings and fencing should be reserved parallel to the Entrance frontage varies from densely wooded Corridor street, and exclusive of road right-of-way and utility to sparsely wooded to cleared. In easements. some places there are berms; in others the topography drops away from the street. The scale of the plan is such that detail of the existing condition cannot be seen. The plan needs to clearly show a 40' depth of existing wooded area to remain and in those places where that condition does not already exist, the plan must show proposed planting in the 40' buffer. 37 Plant species: a. Plant species required should be as approved by The proposed species are found on None. the Staff based upon but not limited to the Generic Landscape the various lists. Plan Recommended Species List and Native Plants for Virginia Landscapes (Appendix D). 38 Plant health: The following note should be added to the landscape The note does not appear on the Add the standard plant plan: "All site plantings of trees and shrubs shall be allowed to plan. health note to the plan. reach, and be maintained at, mature height; the topping of trees is prohibited. Shrubs and trees shall be pruned minimally and only to support the overall health of the plant." Site Development and layout - Development pattern, Grading 6 Site development should be sensitive to the existing natural Significant grading and tree removal Show existing and landscape and should contribute to the creation of an organized are proposed to establish the proposed tree lines on the development plan. This may be accomplished, to the extent stormwater facility as shown. plans. practical, by preserving the trees and rolling terrain typical of the area; planting new trees along streets and pedestrian ways and Grading on the EC side of the Round the contours at the choosing species that reflect native forest elements; insuring that maintenance path has an abrupt maintenance path for a any grading will blend into the surrounding topography thereby transition. Rounding the contours more natural appearance. creating a continuous landscape; preserving, to the extent would have a more natural practical, existing significant river and stream valleys which may appearance. Provide additional be located on the site and integrating these features into the design planting along the south of surrounding development; and limiting the building mass and A conservation and mitigation area is and west sides of the height to a scale that does not overpower the natural settings of the shown south and east of the facility. access easement to better site, or the Entrance Corridor. No retaining walls are proposed. integrate it into the surroundings. 40 Site grading should maintain the basic relationship of the site to surrounding conditions by limiting the use of retaining walls and by shaping the terrain through the use of smooth, rounded land forms Existing and proposed tree lines are that blend with the existing terrain. Steep cut or fill sections are not shown consistently on the plans. generally unacceptable. Proposed contours on the grading plan shall be rounded with a ten foot minimum radius where they meet the adjacent condition. Final grading should achieve a natural, rather than engineered, appearance. Retaining walls 6 feet in height and taller, when necessary, shall be terraced and planted to blend with the landscape. 41 No grading, trenching, or tunneling should occur within the drip line of any trees or other existing features designated for preservation in the final Certificate of Appropriateness. Adequate tree protection fencing should be shown on, and coordinated throughout, the grading, landscaping and erosion and sediment control plans. 42 Areas designated for preservation in the final Certificate of Appropriateness should be clearly delineated and protected on the site prior to any grading activity on the site. This protection should remain in place until completion of the development of the site. 43 Preservation areas should be protected from storage or movement of heavy equipment within this area. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The proposed shape, placement and land form (grading) of the stormwater facility and the transition from the conservation area to the hard edge of the parking lot and buildings; the degree to which this design meets the proffers 2. Expectations for the character of the 40' landscape buffer Staff offers the following comments on the preliminary plan: 1. Relocate the permanent maintenance access further away from the EC to minimize visual impacts on the street. 2. Provide additional planting along the south and west sides of the access easement to better integrate the path into the surroundings. 3. Increase the density of trees on the north/west side of the stormwater facility. Mix evergreens and deciduous trees, and large and small trees. 4. On the conservation side of the facility, add trees and revise the layout of shrubs to emphasize the natural character of surroundings. 5. Revise the plans to show the existing frontage condition the full length of the frontage and to show the 40' landscape buffer. Identify on the plan the places where existing wooded area is not sufficient to accomplish the buffer, and show on the plan the planting that will be added to create the 40' buffer in those areas. 6. Add the standard plant health note to the plan: "All site plantings of trees and shrubs shall be allowed to reach, and be maintained at, mature height; the topping of trees is prohibited. Shrubs and trees shall be pruned minimally and only to support the overall health of the plant." 7. Show existing and proposed tree lines on the plans. 8. Round the contours at the maintenance path for a more natural appearance. TABLE A: This report is based on the following submittal items. - Sheet # Drawing Name DrawingDate/Revision Date C-2B Existing Conditions & Demolition Plan 7/28/16 C-3B Grading 11/11/16 C-4B Site Plan and Utility Layout 11/11/16 L1.00 Landscape Plan 12/18/2017 - Pond Grading with Conceptual Layout - - Seminole Trail Improvements - L1.00 Supplemental Landscape Plan showing conceptual partial building and parking layout 1/31/2018