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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCP201800001 Staff Report 2018-04-30ALBEMARLE COUNTY PLANNING STAFF REPORT SUMMARY Project Name: CCP201800001 "Albemarle Tech Staff: Tim Padalino, AICP, Senior Planner -Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission Public Hearing: Board of Supervisors Hearing: May 8, 2018 TBD Owner(s): Seminole Trail Properties LLC Applicant(s): Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) TMP: 061W0-03-00--01800 Comprehensive Plan Consistency for: Proposal Acreage: 25.4 acres by ACPS to establish a "Center for Creativity and Invention" within an existing facility, to be comprised of professional development training space, a student center, and administrative offices. Location: 1180 Seminole Trail I Zoning/by-right use: LI Light Industrial Magisterial District: Jack Jouett I Proffers/Conditions: No School District: Albemarle High School, Jouett Middle School, Woodbrook Elementary School DA (Development Area): Places29 - Hydraulic Requested # of Dwelling Units/Lots: N/A Proposal: Convert -40,000 SF of an existing Comp. Plan Designation: "Office / R & D / Flex / -1,000,000 GSF facility for a new ACPS Light Industrial" (majority of site), which includes "Center for Creativity and Invention." "Institutional" uses as a secondary use in this Proposed use would include professional designation. Also "Urban Density Residential" (rear development training space, a high school portion of site). In Neighborhood 1 - Places29. student center, and administrative offices for ACPS "Learning Engineering, Access and Design" (LEAD) Department staff. Character of Property: "Seminole Place" is an Use of Surrounding Properties: Various existing-1,000,000 GSF structure containing commercial, retail, office, and residential uses numerous commercial and light industrial including Costco, a Shell gas station, and Linden enterprises, with accessory structures, a water Lane Apartments. storage tank, and a large paved parking lot. Former "Comdial" site. Factors Favorable: (see page 7 for complete summary) I Factors Unfavorable: (see page 7 for complete summary) 1. Centrally located in Development Area 2. New ACPS facility with minimal time / cost 3. Enable ACPS to establish the initial pilot project in the "High School 2022" initiative 4. Proposal is consistent with Comp Plan and would support Plan Goals and Objectives 1. Minor increases in vehicle daily trips to and from the existing Seminole Place facility Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Commission find the location, character, and extent of the proposed public facility and public use thereof to be in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan. CCP-2018-00001 ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission: May 8, 2018 Page 1 STAFF CONTACT: PLANNING COMMISSION: Tim Padalino, AICP, Senior Planner May 8, 2018 CCP-2018-00001: ACPS "ALBEMARLE TECH - CENTER FOR CREATIVITY AND INVENTION" Review for compliance with the Comprehensive Plan (per Va. Code § 15.2-2232) BACKGROUND Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) has adopted the "High School 2022" initiative(*), which will substantially change the high school curriculum starting with 91h graders in the 2018-2019 academic year. Through this "High School 2022" initiative, ACPS intends "to provide more authentic, real -world learning opportunities to students while expanding our community partnerships; optimizing the use of our current physical facilities; and preparing our students to be productive, sought-after members of both the higher education community and the workforce upon leaving our schools." As the initial pilot project in support of this High School 2022 initiative ACPS has proposed the establishment of "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention." ACPS has described this as the first installment of their "student center" concept - an approach that provides an alternative to the (potential) need of establishing a fourth comprehensive high school in Albemarle County - which will provide specialized facilities in locations throughout the County for the dual purposes of academics -based educational programming and experience -based workforce development programming. Specifically, ACPS is potentially entering a 7-year lease to convert approximately 40,000 SF of the existing approximately 1,000,000 SF Seminole Place facility for the establishment of a new high school student center known as "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention." This proposed new ACPS facility would include professional development training space for ACPS and County staff; a satellite student center to support the ACPS "High School 2022" initiative; and full-time administrative offices for the ACPS "Learning Engineering, Access and Design" (LEAD) Department. ACPS has noted that this approach and this subject property have been chosen for the following reasons: ■ no new facility or no new development would be required; ■ it would be a central location in the County; ■ it would include co -location with other businesses that provide on -site internship opportunities for Albemarle Tech students; and ■ it would provide a centrally -located "home" for ACPS technology staff that serve ACPS facilities all over the County. Please reference the applicant's Project Narrative for more information. (Attachment C) *Information about High School 2022 was compiled from the publicly -available information on the following ACPS website: https://www2.kl2albemarle.org/acps/division/hs2022/Pages/Overview.aspx PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW A Compliance with the Comprehensive Plan Review ("CCP Review" or "2232 Review," in reference to the Code of Virginia statute which necessitates this type of local review process), considers whether the general location, character, and extent of a proposed public facility are in substantial accord with the adopted Comprehensive Plan. It 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 proposed public use, and is not an action or recommendation on whether the facility should be funded and/or constructed. CCP-2018-00001 ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission: May 8, 2018 Page 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE AND AREA The 25.4-acre property is located on the west side of Seminole Trail / US 29, approximately 200' south of Greenbrier Drive. The property has approximately 800' of frontage along US 29, and has vehicular access to Greenbrier Drive (to the northeast) and to Commonwealth Drive (to the northwest). The subject property is known as Seminole Place, which includes an approximately 1,000,000 GSF structure containing numerous commercial and light industrial enterprises, as well as accessory structures, a water storage tank, and a large paved parking lot. This former "Comdial" site is currently home to numerous tenants, including Agrospheres, Customink, Downtown Athletic Store, Innova, Lewis & Clark Pharma, MIKRO Systems, MRI Global, Reason Beer, Two Men and a Truck, VAMAC Inc., warehouse space for NGIC, and a distribution center for Pepperidge Farms. Adjacent properties primarily consist of various commercial, retail, and office uses, including Costco to the southwest, a Shell gas station and Guadalajara restaurant to the northeast, and offices for Williams Gas Pipeline Transco to the northeast. Additionally, residential (apartment) uses exist in Linden Lane Apartments to the northwest on Commonwealth Drive. (Attachments A and B) SPECIFICS OF THE PROPOSAL The proposed Albemarle Tech facility would be comprised of the following components: ■ Administrative offices forACPS Learning Engineering, Access and Design Department staff. These offices would provide year-round offices for approximately thirty (30) ACPS-LEAD staff. Daily operations would be conducted year-round during typical workday hours. ■ Professional Development Training Space: These professional learning facilities would accommodate approximately 150 people (maximum) during occasional large events. More frequent small- and medium-sized training activities would occur on a weekly (not daily) basis. The training space would primarily be used during the school year, with limited student activity during the summer months. Training space users would consist of teachers and administrative staff visiting the proposed facility from various ACPS locations and from County Office Buildings. ■ High School Student Center: ACPS estimates that the High School Student Center would serve an estimated twenty (20) to forty (40) student participants during the first year, and would grow to have an eventual participation level of 150 people (maximum) in the future. ACPS has noted that they are planning for only a small number of instances per week when all 150 students would be present at the High School Student Center at any one time. The High School Student Center would involve daily operations during the school year (with limited student activity during the summer months). Students would maintain a "home high school" and visit the Albemarle Tech facility throughout the day at variable times, and for variable lengths of time. Most students are expected to access Albemarle Tech using personal vehicles, but ACPS is also planning for a "few vans and/or school buses" to bring students to Albemarle Tech each day, at different times. ACPS has emphasized that this student center model differs substantially from traditional high school, which has concentrated transportation services and impacts each morning and each afternoon. These variable and flexible schedules, as well as the different methods of student transportation, are expected to help disperse daily vehicle trips and reduce the facility's impacts to overall traffic volume and traffic patterns. The proposed use would include renovation of approximately 40,000 SF within the existing Seminole Place facility, which is approximately 1,000,000 GSF. (Attachment D - Proposed Floor Plan) CCP-2018-00001 ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission: May 8, 2018 Page 3 Staff anticipate that the main impacts to infrastructure and surrounding private properties would be related to changes in traffic volume and traffic patterns. The majority of vehicles would access the site using the existing entrance on Greenbrier Drive. This private access drive (Comdial Drive) is the primary entrance to Seminole Place; ACPS has indicated that they would instruct students and visitors to utilize this entrance. It is assumed that some vehicles would also access or exit the site using the existing entrance on Commonwealth Drive, although this would be a comparatively small number of vehicle trips utilizing this secondary point of ingress/egress. The increased traffic levels are anticipated to primarily include personal vehicle trips by ACPS staff, County staff, and ACPS students. A much smaller number of vehicle trips will be made by small school buses or vans that bring students to Albemarle Tech from their home high school; these transports are expected to occur infrequently, as opposed to the concentrated school bus traffic patterns associated with home high schools. New traffic patterns associated with students' use of the High School Student Center are expected to be variable throughout a given day, and from day-to-day and week -to -week, and will also be subject to seasonal fluctuation in correlation with the school calendar year. New traffic patterns associated with staff use of the Professional Development Training Space and administrative offices for the ACPS-LEAD Department are expected to remain relatively constant throughout the year. It is anticipated that these approximately 30 LEAD staff members, and additional Training Space participants, would primarily use personal vehicles and would generally arrive and leave during peak hours. The following summary of transportation activities and impacts has been compiled by ACPS. Function Approximate Number of People Administrative Offices for LEAD & • 30 Child Nutrition Professional • Max Group = 150 Development • Large Group = 50 Training Space . Approx. Group = 30 Student Center • First Year = 20 - 40 • Max = 150 Frequency of Traffic Impacts Access Daily Typical work day with visits to school locations as needed • 1/month Teachers and administrative staff • 2/month visiting facility from various • 2-3/week school locations and County Office Building Students visiting facility throughout the day for variable lengths of time depending on Daily studies and traveling to internship sites; most transportation will be by student vehicles but may include small buses for transporting students Source: Lindsay Snoddy/ACPS Staff's opinion is that the traffic volumes and patterns generated by this use would not necessarily be different than what could be generated by other by -right uses that could be located in this space. The site has convenient access to a major thoroughfare (US 29) and an inter -connected road network. CCP-2018-00001 ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission: May 8, 2018 Page 4 COMMUNITY MEETING A Community Meeting was conducted with the Places29-Hydrauic CAC on Monday, April 16, 2018. CDD staff provided an introduction to the CCP review process, and explained that such a review by the Planning Commission is required (per Code of Virginia §15.2-2232) in order to evaluate whether any public use or facility that is not specifically contained in the Comprehensive Plan would be in "substantial accord" with the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Ira Socol and Ms. Lindsay Snoddy, representing ACPS, then presented an overview of the proposed Albemarle Tech project to members of the CAC. CAC members expressed interest and support for this proposal at this location. One member of the public expressed concerns about the use of the existing entrance at Commonwealth Drive, near the existing residential apartment buildings. Ms. Snoddy articulated that ACPS would direct students and visitors to use the existing entrance on Greenbrier Drive as the primary school entrance, and that informational materials such as maps and website directions would direct people to use the Greenbrier Drive entrance. A representative of Seminole Place also confirmed that the existing gate at the Commonwealth Drive entrance would continue to be closed and locked at the end of the business day, and would remain closed and locked over the weekend. CONFORMITY WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Staff provide the following information for Planning Commission consideration, regarding the compliance of this proposal by ACPS relative to the policies and plans contained in the County's Comprehensive Plan's. Albemarle County Growth Management Policy: Promote the efficient use of County resources through a combination of: A. Protecting the elements that define the Rural Area:... and B. Promoting the Development Areas as the place where a variety of land uses, facilities, and services exist and are planned to support the County's future growth, with emphasis placed on density and high quality design in new and infill development. Staff comment: This proposal would advance the County's Growth Management Policy by establishing a new ACPS facility and service within the Development Area, and by doing so as an infill development (through the renovation and reuse of an existing structure). ■ Growth Management Goal: "Albemarle County's Development Areas will be attractive, vibrant areas for residents and businesses, supported by services, facilities, and infrastructure. Growth will be directed to the Development Areas..." Staff comment: This proposal would advance the County's Growth Goals by establishing a new ACPS facility and service within the Development Area in a way that enhances the vibrancy of that area by bringing together high school youth and ACPS staff and by promoting career development and workforce readiness through interactions and internships with existing businesses. ■ Economic Development Strategy 7-a: "Increase support for initiatives that foster career planning, decision making, and workplace readiness skills for the K-12 population, as well as continuing education and training programs to prepare the local workforce for the demands of current and future employers." Staff comment: This proposal would advance this Economic Development strategy by placing high school students in close proximity to a wide variety of potential "sheltered" internship opportunities (on - CCP-2018-00001 ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission: May 8, 2018 Page 5 site), and more generally in the vicinity of a large number of potential internship opportunities. ACPS has indicated that Albemarle Tech is designed to provide a customized combination of college prep and workforce readiness, in part by establishing internship opportunities on -site and beyond. ■ Development Areas Objective 2 - Neighborhood Model I Redevelopment I Strategy 2o: "Promote redevelopment as a way to improve and take advantage of existing investment in the Development Areas." Staff comment: By gaining new utility out of an existing building on a developed site which currently served by infrastructure, and by avoiding the need to expand into the Rural Area or into a greenfield site in the Development Area, this proposal would advance the principle of reusing existing buildings and sites that are served by public utilities which is embedded within this Redevelopment objective and strategy. This proposal represents a redevelopment opportunity to contribute to the ongoing transformation of an older industrial site into a vibrant mixed use area. ■ Development Areas Objective 6: "Promote infill and redevelopment that is compatible with surrounding neighborhoods and uses." Staff comment: This proposal would advance this Development Area Objective by providing a new ACPS facility and service within an existing structure on a large parcel. The public school use is not incompatible with surrounding neighborhoods or uses, and is consistent with the "Office / R & D / Flex / Light Industrial" future land use designation as recommended in the Places29 Master Plan. That designation identifies "Institutional" uses as an appropriate secondary land use; and the scale of this proposed public facility meets this criteria for this site. ■ Development Areas Objective 6 - Strategy 6a: "Encourage developers to meet with neighborhoods to find ways to minimize any negative impacts of infill and redevelopment. Use neighborhood meetings to help find solutions to potential compatibility issues." Staff comment: As described in this staff report, ACPS attended the Places29-Hydraulic CAC meeting on April 16, presented to the CAC and members of the public, and addressed questions and concerns about potential traffic impacts (generally) and about the use of the existing entrance on Commonwealth Drive (specifically). ACPS articulated their commitment to the use of the existing Greenbrier Drive entrance for access to and from the site. ■ Community Facilities Goal: "Albemarle County's facilities and services will be of high -quality and delivered in an environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner." Staff comment: This proposal includes leasing space within an existing facility that would be renovated to meet the specific spatial and programmatic needs of ACPS, which would enable ACPS to provide a new public facility and service with minimal amounts of time and money. For these reasons, this proposal by ACPS also supports and advances the following Community Facilities policies: ■ Objective 1: Continue to provide public facilities and services in a fiscally responsible and equitable manner. o The location of new public facilities should be within the County's Development Areas per County land use policies. o Development Areas serve as service center locations for the Rural Area. ■ Objective 3: Provide physical facilities that enable the School Division to provide a high quality educational system for students in Albemarle County. o Strategy 3a: Locate new schools in the Development Areas. o Strategy 3h: Encourage innovative alternatives to address new school facility needs, including potential cooperation with the City of Charlottesville. CCP-2018-00001 ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission: May 8, 2018 Page 6 ■ Community Facilities Objective 5: "Continue to provide facilities for both local government and schools administrative services in a central location that is convenient for County residents." Staff comment: This proposal includes the establishment of a centralized, full-time location for staff members ofACPS-LEAD in a location that provides relative accessibility to and from all ACPS facilities in the County. SUMMARY: Staff has identified factors which are favorable and unfavorable to this proposal: Factors favorable to this request include: 1. The proposed use would be centrally located in Albemarle County within the Development Area (Places 29 - Hydraulic). 2. The proposed use would utilize (renovated) space within an existing facility, thereby providing a new ACPS location with minimal investment in the construction of new improvements. 3. The proposed use would enable ACPS to establish the first "student center" as the initial pilot project in the innovative "High School 2022" initiative. 4. The proposed use at this subject property does not appear to be contradictory with the Comprehensive Plan, and would support and advance goals, objectives, strategies, and other policies contained in the Plan. Factors unfavorable to this request include: 1. The proposed use would create minor increases in vehicle daily trips to and from the existing Seminole Place facility. In summary, Staff finds that the proposed "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" public facility and public use thereof, including the location, intensity, and frequency of activity, are in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends that the Commission find the location, character, and extent of the ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" facility and public use thereof, as proposed, to be in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan, for the reasons identified as favorable factors in this staff report. POSSIBLE MOTIONS: A. I move to find the location, character, and extent of the ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" public facility and public use thereof, as proposed, to be in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan. B. I move to find the location, character, and extent of the ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" public facility and public use thereof, as proposed, to not be in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan [state reason(s) for non-compliance with Comprehensive Plan]. ATTACHMENTS: A - Location Map B - Future Land Use Map C - Application: Project Narrative D - Application: Proposed Floor Plan / Albemarle Tech CCP-2018-00001 ACPS "Albemarle Tech - Center for Creativity and Invention" Planning Commission: May 8, 2018 Page 7 CCP201800001: Location Map 340 3520" 450 Legend 407 2403 325. O"" \ 3510. 441 (Note: Some items on map may not appear in legend) aa�re>r o ARROR, 2401 v \ _, 335 11 A G� 445 � 4ti0 3500 O� F ° wMM�nR ERsm o F ReREECUE S,a, oN ° ®Ro 2305 �gd 300 `.� try 490 370-A+' a 1^b°` RoRarc.k 2303 2301 pFY Gd� 2427 47345 \ 475 �� C�F�� F � � �h'"DR � - 386+ �RpR 2233 380+ 2229 2232 2.211 2230 22 2234 2224 ;� J@ - - 1 866 , 7 �` �. s t 375 1240 2129 + - 220 ��245,1� � -. 450 f 1180 a 1215� r =Q 29 1195 :1193'. 29 �P 391 °2 +qL 3b15 Charlottesville City - b 3918 `�O Using the Identity tool, inside the City twounch the City's GIS viewer. 300 ft Cville�- Ma � �in,Branch Post Office nt9e �.: Ry of ,z ou � GIS-Web Geographic Data Services 107U _ r �A www.albemarle.org ~hxc (434)296-5832 Map is for Display Purposes Only • Aerial Imagery from the Commonwealth of Virginia and Other Sources April 30, 2018 Map is for Display Purposes Only • Aerial Imagery from the Commonwealth of Virginia and Other Sources April 30, 2018 Comprehensive Plan Compliance Application Applicant: Albemarle County Public Schools Project Name: Albemarle Tech — Center for Creativity and Invention Location: 118o Seminole Trail; Charlottesville, VA 22901 Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) proposes to lease a space at 118o Seminole Trail to use as the Division's Learning Engineering, Access and Design (LEAD) Department administrative offices, professional development training space and a student center. The student center will be open to the Division's high school students to earn course credit on independent projects and focus on internships with businesses in the common development and surrounding area. The first year will focus on high school seniors and be open to other high school grades in subsequent years. The portion of the properly to be leased by ACPS at 118o Seminole Trail is approximately 40,000 SF — a small portion of the total 500,000 SF facility. Primary drivers for leasing the space at 118o Seminole Trail is the central location and accessibility of other businesses leasing space at the property for potential internships for Albemarle Tech students. The goal is to occupy the space by August 1, 2o18. Students and staff would primarily travel to the site via personal vehicles with limited transportation by small buses. Vehicles and buses would primarily be entering the site from Route 29 to Greenbrier Drive. Limited traffic, primarily professional development training attendees from Albemarle High School, Jouett Middle School and Greer Elementary School may travel from Hydraulic Road to the Commonwealth Drive entrance. Student activity during the summer months would be limited, while the administrative office functions and professional development spaces would continue to operate. The proposed location is aligned with the Comprehensive Plan by fulfilling an ACPS facility need in an existing building in a Development Area while using an innovative alternative to address a facility need. The location encourages a more thoughtful and strategic connection between our staff, teachers and students to the surrounding community through creative collaborations. Page 1 of 2 Table 1 describes the three main functions of the space in more detail. Table 1: ACPS Functions in 118o Seminole Trail Facility Function Approximate Frequency of Traffic Impacts Number of People Access Administrative Offices for 30 Daily Typical work day with visits to LEAD school locations as needed Professional Development Max 150 Weekly Teachers and administrative staff Training Space visiting facility from various school locations and County Office Building Student Center First Year = 20 - 40 Daily Students visiting facility Max =150 throughout the day for variable lengths of time depending on studies and traveling to internship sites; most transportation will be by student vehicles but may include small buses for transporting students Page 2 of 2