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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201800058 Staff Report 2018-05-291 ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB-2018-58: Verizon Fry’s Spring Tier 2 PWSF Review Type Personal Wireless Services Facility Parcel Identification 076M1000000200 Location 100 265 Merchant Walk Avenue, at the tree line behind Dick’s Sporting Goods and Wegman’s grocery store, adjacent to I-64. (See photos 1 and 2.) Zoned Planned Development Shopping Center (PDSC)/Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner/Applicant 5th Street Station Ventures LLC/Stephen Waller Magisterial District Scottsville Proposal To install a telecommunications facility consisting of a 103’ tall monopole and associated equipment. Context The surrounding context is that of the 5th Street Station Shopping Center and the Interstate. Visibility See “Analysis” for information on visibility. ARB Meeting Date June 4, 2018 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski SITE and PROJECT HISTORY  The ARB conducted several reviews for the 5th Street Station development, focusing on the buildings adjacent to the I64 Entrance Corridor, including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Wegman’s grocery store.  A balloon test was conducted for the current PWSF proposal on May 10, 2018. 2 DETAILS OF PROPOSED PROJECT The proposal includes the following:  Installation of a 103’-tall galvanized steel monopole in a 400 sf lease area, located 6.5’ from the I-64 right-of-way, at the edge of the wooded area behind the shopping center.  Installation of ground equipment including radio transmitting and battery back-up cabinets, a generator, a propane tank, an H-frame and an ice bridge, all on concrete pads, in a 750 sf lease area located 43.5’ from the I-64 right-of-way.  Installation of a 6’-tall wooden stockade screening fence around the lease area.  Creation of a 20’-wide access and utility easement connecting the two lease areas.  Installation of 6 antennas using a mounting collar and frames within a single array. Installation of 6 remote radio heads and 2 fiber optic surge protection boxes below the antenna array. o Antennas size is: 95.7" high x 13.8” wide. o Antennas are shown mounted with the backs of the antennas at 18" from the face of the pole.  The reference tree is identified as a 15” diameter Poplar at 98’ tall. It, and all other trees available for screening, are located off-site in the VDOT right-of-way.  Monopole, antennas, base station equipment, and fence are to be painted painted Java Brown SW 6090.  A Special Exception is requested as outlined in the following table. Standard Requirement Special Exception Requested Applicant’s Reasoning Staff Comment 5.1.40.b(2)(c) Projection shall be no greater than 12” from facility to closest point of back of antenna and no greater than 18” to furthest point of back of antenna. Request to allow both the top and bottom of the antenna to be separated 18” from the face of the pole. The proposed antennas use electronic tilting instead of mechanical tilting, which accomplishes the tilting inside the antenna. Consequently, this feature requires that the same distance be maintained from the pole to both the top and bottom of the antenna. Given the limited/lack of visibility of the facility, staff agrees that the consistent mounting distance will not increase negative visual impacts. 3 ANALYSIS REGARDING THE GROUND EQUIPMENT A Certificate of Appropriateness from the ARB is required for the base equipment portion of a proposed telecommunications facility in the Entrance Corridors. The ARB may impose conditions on the Certificate of Appropriateness, based on the EC Guidelines, and consistent with Section 5.1.40 of the Zoning Ordinance. Ref Guideline Issues Recommendations Accessory structures and equipment 17 The following should be screened to eliminate visibility from the Entrance Corridor street: e) Mechanical equipment The ground equipment is not expected to be visible from the I-64 Entrance Corridor because the equipment is to be located at the low end of a berm that provides screening from I-64. (See photo 1.) Also, the equipment would be surrounded by a solid fence. Because the ground equipment is not expected to be visible from the Entrance Corridor, staff recommends approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness for the ground equipment. ANALYSIS REGARDING VISIBILITY OF THE FACILITY The ARB may act in an advisory capacity to the Agent as to whether the facility is being sited to minimize its visibility. Ref Guideline Issues Recommendations 33 The relationship of buildings and other structures to the Entrance Corridor street and to other development within the corridor should be as follows: f. The placement of structures on the site should respect existing views and vistas on and around the site. A balloon test was conducted on May 10, 2018 to determine visibility of the proposed facility. I-64 was traveled in the vicinity of the site, between the 5th Street and Rt. 20 interchanges. The balloon was not visible from I-64, so the top of the pole is not expected to be seen from the EC. Standing on the berm on the shopping center side of the I-64 property line, the Interstate and cars traveling on the Interstate are clearly visible. (See photo 2.) The density of trees in the right-of-way is such that a viewer on the Interstate looking for the pole might be able to distinguish it from the surrounding tree trunks. However, the size and color of the pole are such that it is expected to blend well enough with the surrounding trees that casual viewers would not see it and visibility from the EC will be sufficiently limited. Note that the loss of leaves in the fall and winter may significantly increase visibility. Note also that all of the trees that provide screening are in the VDOT right-of-way. There is no easement on the wooded area. Although it seems unlikely that VDOT will remove the trees, there is no formal guarantee that the screening will remain. Without the trees, the facility would not be sited to minimize visibility. Staff recommends that the facility will be sited to minimize its visibility, if the following assurances can be given: 1) that VDOT will not cut the trees in the right-of-way along the full frontage of the property, 2) that VDOT will allow the applicant to replant individual trees that die, and that the applicant will do so, and 3) that the monopole will be removed if loss of trees results in visibility of the facility that is not minimized. 4 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following points of discussion: 1. Visibility of the pole from the EC 2. Screening consisting only of off-site trees without an easement 3. Potential for increased visibility in the fall and winter Staff recommends that the ARB take the following actions: Regarding the Special Exception: Staff recommends that the ARB forward the following recommendation to the Agent: Based on the anticipated visibility from the EC, the ARB has no objection to the 18” mounting distance. Regarding the Certificate of Appropriateness for the ground equipment and base station: Because the ground equipment is not expected to be visible from the Entrance Corridor, staff recommends approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness, as proposed, for the ground equipment and base station. Regarding visibility of the monopole: Staff recommends that the ARB forward the following recommendations to the Agent: The facility will be sited to minimize its visibility, if the following assurances can be given: 1) that VDOT will not cut the trees in the right-of-way along the full frontage of the property, 2) that VDOT will allow the applicant to replant individual trees that die, and that the applicant will do so, and 3) that the monopole will be removed if loss of trees results in visibility of the facility that is not minimized. TABLE A This report is based on the following submittal items: Sheet # Drawing Name Date Sheet # Drawing Name Date G-1 Cover Sheet 3/30/18 C-6 Ice Bridge Details 3/30/18 G-2 General Notes and Concrete equipment details 3/30/18 C-7 LP Piping Diagram 3/30/18 C-1 Site Plan 3/30/18 C-8 Equipment Layout and Notes 3/30/18 C-1A Tree Inventory 3/30/18 C-9 Concrete Pad Details 3/30/18 C-1B Area Map 3/30/18 E-1 Electrical Site Plan 3/30/18 C-2 Enlarged Site Plan 3/30/18 E-2 Grounding Plan 3/30/18 C-3 Elevation View 3/30/18 E-3 Grounding Site Plan 3/30/18 C-4 Grading Plan 3/30/18 E-4 Conduit Connection 3/30/18 C-4A Grading Details and Notes 3/30/18 Project description, paint chip, equipment specs, and photos C-5 Fence and Signage Details 3/30/18 5 Photo 1: View of the top of the berm behind the Dick’s and Wegman’s stores. The chain link fence marks the property line adjacent to I-64. The person in the photo is aligned with the proposed tower location, which is on the other side of the fence. 6 Photo 2: The ground equipment is proposed to be located in this grass area located between the paved area behind the stores and the low end of the berm that is located along the property line adjacent to the I-64 right-of-way. 7 Picture 3: When standing on the top of the berm that runs along the property line adjacent to the I-64 right-of-way, the Interstate is visible through the trees.