HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP201800011 Application 2018-07-16 Special Use Permit Narrative July 16, 2018
Regents School of Charlottesville
Relocation to Reservoir Road
PROJECT PROPOSAL
Introduction
The Regents School of Charlottesville (the "Applicant") is the contract purchaser for Tax Map Parcels
07600-00-00-01700 and 07500-00-00-06600 (the "Property"), which are currently owned by the
University of Virginia Foundation.
Tax Map Parcel Number Acreage Zoning Comprehensive Plan
07600-00-00-01700 16.06 R-1 Residential Neighborhood Density
Residential
07500-00-00-06600 3.3740 R-1 Residential Neighborhood Density
Residential
Total Acres: 19.434
The Applicant requests the approval of a special use permit for a private school with an enrollment of up
to four hundred and sixty-eight (468) students (the "School"), to be located on the Property, highlighted
in Figure 1 rbelow.
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Figure 1
Description of the Property
Currently, the Property is vacant and heavily wooded with access from Reservoir Road. It is
immediately adjacent to the Trinity Presbyterian Church. Several residential properties and University
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Montessori School are located across Reservoir Road. Right of way and on ramps to Interstate 64, a
designated Entrance Corridor in Albemarle County, are directly adjacent to the south of the Property.
Reservoir Road is located off of Fontaine Avenue Extended, which crosses under the U.S. Route 250-
bypass near the Fontaine Research Park. The Property is situated with convenient access for residents
of the City and the County. See Figure 2 for an aerial image of the Property and surrounding area.
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Figure 2
Description of Proposal - Public Need or Benefit
The Regents School is a non-profit classical secondary school established in 2010, originally with seven
(7) students located at the Jefferson Park Baptist Church (JPBC) in the City of Charlottesville. The
school quickly grew to sixty (60) students in the subsequent two years, and moved to its present location
along Ivy Road near Broomley Road. The School has been very successful, continually growing each
year, with a current enrollment of one hundred and fifty-eight (158) students, operating out of both the
Ivy Road and JPBC locations. The Applicant now desires to consolidate the two school locations into
one campus, utilizing this well-positioned Property to create a permanent home for their academic
programs.
The proposed School includes multiple academic buildings, for upper and lower grade levels, with at
least 13 classrooms in total and a combined enrollment of up to four hundred and sixty-eight (468)
students. In addition, the School proposes three additional buildings to be used as support spaces to
the academic program including a gymnasium, a theater and an administrative office building. Buildings
are primarily two stories tall, with some including a basement. The School also proposes several athletic
fields and playground areas. Although the area between the proposed buildings and Interstate 64 will
remain wooded and largely undisturbed, the Applicant anticipates that some of the proposed buildings
will be visible from the Entrance Corridor and will therefore require additional review during the Site Plan
process. See the attached Concept Plan and Cross Sectional Diagram for additional details.
The Applicant arrived at the maximum enrollment figure based on the School's continued success,
projected expansion in the coming years, and the desire to avoid the need to amend the requested
special use permit as such expansion occurs. The proposed academic buildings will accommodate at
least 13 classrooms. If a maximum of 36 students are in each classroom, the maximum total enrollment
figure would equal 468 (13 classrooms multiplied by 36 students). While the School expects classroom
sizes to be much smaller than 36 students for the immediate future, the maximum enrollment figure
requested by the Applicant allows for long-term growth and flexibility for the School at this location.
The proposed expansion by the Regents School helps to ensure that a variety of educational
opportunities are available to children in the area. As the School grows, it absorbs some of the area
capacity of students, thereby alleviating some of the stress on the surrounding public-school systems
which face capacity issues. Therefore, the proposed relocation and expansion of the School provides a
benefit to the public.
In addition, any public impacts will be minimal. The School has a proven track record of successfully
managing traffic flow within and outside the current School site on Ivy Road. Many students arrive via
the Regents School bus and most families have multiple students enrolled, such that there are fewer
vehicle trips each day than there are students. When the School requested an amendment to its special
use permit for its Ivy Road location in 2017, a Board member stated, "The School has been responsible
and responsive...[and] has demonstrated its commitment to meeting County expectations."
Regents School designed the proposed School with particular focus on internal traffic flow, ensuring
sufficient space for the School bus and parent drop off and pick up during the peak hours, eliminating
any need for queuing on Reservoir Road. The School's impact on public facilities, infrastructure and
environmental features is discussed in more detail below.
CONSISTENCY WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Property is designated as Neighborhood Density Residential in the Comprehensive Plan.
Secondary uses allowed within Neighborhood Density Residential areas include "places of worship,
public and private schools, early childhood education centers (day care centers and preschools), public
uses and public institutional uses." The School would be considered a permitted secondary use and the
Property is surrounded by similar secondary uses, including the University Montessori School and Trinity
Presbyterian Church.
As stated earlier, the area between the proposed buildings and Interstate 64 will remain wooded and
largely undisturbed, consistent with the Southern and Western Master Plan, which recommends
retaining the vegetation on properties adjacent to 1-64 (page 27). See the enclosed Cross Sectional
Diagram for more information.
IMPACTS ON PUBLIC FACILITIES AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
As stated earlier, the School's internal circulation for traffic consists of sufficient space for the School bus
and parent drop off and pick up during the peak hours, eliminating any need for queuing on Reservoir
Road.
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According to the 10th Edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers' Trip Generation Manuel, the
proposed School will generate the following trips on Reservoir Road:
Use ITE Code Independent Daily Trips AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Variable (IV)
Private 536 Students -468 1161 379 271
School K-12
Source: ITE Trip Gen. 10th Edition
Based on 2017 Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Volume Estimates by Section of Route, Reservoir Road currently has 400 daily trips on the portion of
road where the Property is located. The proposed School would increase the peak hour and overall
daily trips on Reservoir Road.
As mentioned earlier, the Comprehensive Plan designates the Property as Neighborhood Density
Residential. This designation recommends 3-6 dwelling units per acre. The Property has approximately
13 acres of developable land area (this is the total acreage of the subject parcels less the area
designated as parks and green systems and the land area designated as critical slopes). If the Property
were to be developed as a single family residential development at the recommended Comprehensive
Plan residential density, approximately 78 units (13 acres multiplied by 6 dwelling units), the
development would generate approximately 780 daily trips (78 dwelling units multiplied by 10 estimated
daily trips). Therefore, while the proposed School would increase the peak hour and overall daily trips
on Reservoir Road, development of the Property consistent with the Comprehensive Plan Neighborhood
Density Residential designation would also increase the overall daily trips as well.
Reservoir Road can safely accommodate the additional traffic, with certain minor improvements. The
enclosed Reservoir Road Survey illustrates the proposed minor improvements to Reservoir Road. As
illustrated, most of Reservoir Road does not meet certain VDOT standards. We propose widening the
shoulder on the south side of the road. In addition, we propose cutting vegetation along the road, which
will create adequate sight distance where currently there are deficiencies (see "Clear Trees and
Vegetation to Improve Sight Line" on the Reservoir Road Survey, enclosed). These minor changes will
greatly increase the safety of Reservoir Road, enabling it to accommodate the additional traffic from the
proposed School.
IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
The proposed development is on approximately 13 acres of the 19.4-acre site. The limits of disturbance
are respectful of the existing critical slopes and the 100' stream buffer. The parks and green systems
Comprehensive Plan designation is largely consistent with the land area designated in critical slopes
and the 100' stream buffer. As a result, the proposed limits of disturbance are respectful of this
Comprehensive Plan designation, ensuring such areas remain park and greenspace. Managed slopes
are expected to be disturbed in the proposed development to allow for adequate internal traffic
circulation and building infrastructure to accommodate a growing student body. Any disturbances would
be consistent with the design guidelines contained in Section 30.7.5 of the County Code.
As stated previously, this Property could be developed to accommodate nearly 80 residential units; if the
Property were to be developed in this manner, the development would likely be more spread out and
therefore may have a greater impact on environmental features as opposed to the compact campus
proposed for the School. A compact, efficient design is cognizant of existing environment features,
including trees, buffers, and terrain.
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The Property is located within 500 feet of Interstate 64 and Route 29, both designated entrance
corridors. The topography of the Property as well as the existing vegetated stream buffer and vegetated
critical slopes provide screening between the proposed development and the designated entrance
corridors. The relationship of the Property to Interstate 64 is shown in the enclosed cross-sectional
diagram.
PROFFERS PROPOSED TO ADDRESS IMPACTS
The Applicant requests a special use permit and therefore proffers are not applicable.
Enclosures:
Special Use Permit Application Plan Packet, dated July 16, 2018
Reservoir Road Survey, dated July 16, 2018
Cross Section Diagram from 1-64 to Site, dated July 16, 2018
36554295_4.docx
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