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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCP201400001 Staff Report 2014-04-15COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE STAFF REPORT SUMMARY Project Name: CCP 2014-00001 Staff: Rachel Falkenstein, Senior Planner CMA Properties Rezoning Pre -application work session Planning Commission Work Session: 4/15/2014 Board of Supervisors Public Hearing: N/A Owner/s: CMA Properties Inc Applicant: CMA Properties Inc c/o Pete Borches Tax Map Parcel: 04500-00-00-17300 Acreage: 3.529 acres Location: east side of Berkmar Drive, 350 feet northeast of intersection with Rio Rd. Directly behind (west) existing Colonial Auto Center. Zoning District: R6, Residential Magisterial District: Rio Conditions or Proffers: No Proposal: Pre -application work session to determine if Comprehensive Plan Designation: use of property for automotive related uses connected Places 29 Urban Density Residential (in areas to the expansion of the Colonial Auto Center car around centers) dealership is in conformity with the Comprehensive Plan and potential next steps for the applicant. Use & Character of Property: Use of Surrounding Properties: Motor Currently vacant; former Greenfield Mobile Home Park vehicle sales and service, apartment building, single family home, commercial uses, shopping center, neighborhood model undeveloped Factors Favorable: Factors Unfavorable: 1. Developing the site for commercial uses rather 1. The proposed use is not in conformity with than the recommended residential uses reduces the Comprehensive Plan and Places 29 the capacity for residential growth in the Master Plan with respect to recommended development areas and the surrounding land use. neighborhood; however this loss is not so 2. The conceptual plan does not meet significant that it cannot be made up by the Neighborhood Model principles and the redevelopment of other sites in the area. proposed layout may cause issues for 2. Although the proposed use is not a target industry, visibility and drainage. the proposal is consistent with the Economic Development goals of the Comprehensive Plan including encouraging the expansion of existing businesses (applicant predicts 20-30 new jobs) and encouraging infill development. 3. The redevelopment of this site may provide an opportunity to incorporate transportation improvements recommended in the Places 29 Master Plan. RECOMMENDATION: Based on the information provided for review, staff does not find the proposal to be in conformity with the Comprehensive Plan. If the Commission agrees, but believes the proposal has merit, then it is asked to provide guidance on potential next steps for the applicant. If the Commission believes it can support a change to the Places 29 Master Plan, the Commission is asked to advise on one of the three options below: 1. Review the proposed land use amendment during the next Places 29 Master Plan update. This update will include the development of the small area plan for the intersection of Rio Road and Route 29 which includes the CMA site. After the Plan is updated the applicant can choose whether or not to pursue a Zoning Map Amendment (ZMA). This is the approach that staff has typically recommended to applicants interested in land use changes to the Comprehensive Plan. 2. Advise the applicant to apply for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA), for which the next deadline for filing is September 2, 2014. After the CPA review the applicant can choose to pursue a ZMA. Processing requests in this order allows staff and the Commission to review proposed CPAs on their own merit, without a specific proposal attached. This approach is similar to the approach recommended to property owners who asked for land use changes late in the Comprehensive Plan review process. 3. Review the application for a CPA in conjunction with the submittal of a rezoning request for the property. This recommendation should be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for concurrence due to the current status of the draft Plan. While not typically recommended, this approach is possible due to the small size of the site and narrow focus of the proposed uses. At this juncture, staff believes the second option is the most appropriate. However, if the Commission wishes to recommend the third option, it is asked to advise on the most important features needed for a land use change. STAFF PERSON: PLANNING COMMISSION: Rachel Falkenstein 4/15/2014 CCP 201400001 CMA Properties Rezoning Pre Application Work Session for input on Compliance with Comprehensive Plan Background and Purpose of the Review The pre -application process is for proposed development projects, typically a Zoning Map Amendment or Special Use Permit. The purpose of the process is to gather input from the Planning Commission on the proposed project's consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, the appropriateness of the proposed use and to determine any other issues with the project that need to be addressed. The action of the Planning Commission is non -binding but is meant to help an applicant know whether a project is worth pursuing further. This is a pre -application work session for a potential rezoning proposal to allow for the expansion of the Colonial Auto Center operations onto a neighboring property. The proposal is to rezone the neighboring property to the west of the Colonial Auto Center site from R6 Residential to Planned District commercial to allow for its expansion. CMA Properties, Inc. is the owner of both properties and the applicant for this request. Characteristics of the Site & Area The site is currently vacant and consists of 3.53 acres. This is the former site of the Greenfield Mobile Home Park which closed in June of 2013 due to water infrastructure issues. The parcel is mostly cleared except for some trees along the southern and eastern portions of the lot. The parcel contains an existing entrance onto Berkmar Drive and private road that served the former mobile home park. It is located on the east side of Berkmar Drive, about 350 feet northeast of the intersection with Rio Road. The site is zoned R6 Residential, is in the Entrance Corridor Overlay for Rio Road and is in the Airport Impact Area for the Charlottesville -Albemarle Airport. The property is designated as Urban Density Residential in areas around centers in the Places 29 Master Plan portion of the Comprehensive Plan which was adopted in 2011. Neiahborina Uses (see Attachments B and C for zonina and land use maa): Direction Use Zoning Comp Plan North vacant Neighborhood Urban Mixed Use (in centers) Model South apartment building C1 Urban Density single family homes East Colonial Auto Center HC Office/R&D/Flex/Light Industrial Rio Hill Shopping Commercial Office Urban Mixed Use (in centers) Center West (across office buildings Commercial Office Urban Density Berkmar) elementary school R6 Institutional Specifics of the Proposal The applicant proposes to expand the existing Colonial Auto Center onto the 3.53 acre parcel. The current Colonial Auto Center property, tax map parcel 45-94B zoned Highway Commercial, is a 10.833 acre parcel to the east of the subject property. It is located at 100, 150, 200 and 300 Myers Drive and fronts on Route 29 about 800 feet north of the intersection with Rio Road. The applicant has submitted a narrative describing the proposed use and justification for the request along with a conceptual plan that shows a proposed building and parking lot expansion (Attachment A). The proposed expansion would include an access point on Berkmar Drive utilizing the existing entrance. Prior to submitting a rezoning application and committing to the rezoning process, the applicant would like feedback from the Commission on the viability of this request. Though the Comprehensive Plan calls for this site to be Urban Density Residential and it is currently zoned R-6 Residential, the applicant would like to know if the proposed use might be viewed as appropriate on the site. If so, the applicant would like to know the next steps, such as whether a Comprehensive Plan amendment is needed prior to a rezoning request. Conformity with the Comprehensive Plan This proposal has been reviewed based on Comprehensive Plan policy, including the current Comprehensive Plan, the draft Comprehensive Plan currently under review, and the Places 29 Master Plan last updated in 2011. Land Use Designation: The CMA site in question is located in Neighborhood 1 of the Places 29 Master Plan area. Neighborhood 1 is the most urbanized of the urban development areas and consists of about two-thirds residential and about one-third commercial and retail uses. Neighborhood 1 is largely built -out with very few areas of vacant land. This site is designated as Urban Density Residential in areas around centers, which calls for primarily residential uses. Suggested density in Urban Density Residential is 6.01 - 34 residential units per acre. Urban Density Residential can accommodate all dwelling types and can include two or more housing types on one site. Secondary uses in this designation can include small amounts of retail, commercial and office uses that are indented to draw most of their clientele from the surrounding neighborhoods. Examples include local retail such as a florist or newsstand, a small restaurant or cafe, a small food store or convenience store, or a personal retail service such as a hair salon. It is recommended that retail -only buildings in Urban Density Residential be no larger than 5,000 square feet. Other uses such as open space and institutional uses such as libraries, schools and community centers are also secondary uses in this designation. Auto commercial sales and service are not permitted in Urban Density Residential. Based on this information, staff does not find this proposal to be in conformity with the uses recommended by the Comprehensive Plan. However, it is important to keep in mind that when the plan was drafted this property was the site of Greenfield Mobile Home Park. Many existing residential uses were given land use designations at the time based on their current use and density to protect and enhance existing neighborhoods. Since the mobile home park is no longer in existence, the question for the Commission is whether or not the proposed use would be appropriate in this area. If so, then staff and the applicant request guidance on the design considerations needed for redevelopment of the site and for this use to fit in with the overall vision for the area. Future Transportation Network: A major transportation goal of the Places 29 Master Plan is to construct a network of roads parallel and perpendicular to US 29 that would give drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians and transit -users alternative routes to destinations. Berkmar Drive, on which the site fronts, is an important alternative travel route that runs parallel to US 29. The Plan recommends the creation of a multimodal transportation network, which includes integrating walking, bicycling, transit and automobile traveling into the design of the roadway. Specifically the Plan recommends Berkmar Drive, from Rio Road to Hilton Heights Road, be expanded to a four -lane boulevard with a 16-foot center median, bicycle lanes on both sides of the road, sidewalks on both sides of the road with landscaped strips that separate sidewalks from the roadway, and street parking on some sections of the road. Current roadway conditions for this portion of Berkmar Drive include two travel lanes with a center turning lane and no median. There are bicycle lanes in both directions and a sidewalk on the west side of the road. The east side of Berkmar Drive, where the CMA property is located, does not have a sidewalk. In order to accommodate the future expansion of Berkmar Drive, the applicant should, in collaboration with planning staff, engineering staff and VDOT, determine if additional right-of-way is needed for the expansion of the roadway in this location. If so, the applicant could consider dedicating the additional width that is needed for the future roadway expansion. Redevelopment of the site should also incorporate sidewalks and landscaping through the parcel on the east side of Berkmar Drive to expand the pedestrian network in the area. Both of these features should be considered by staff and the Commission if the proposal moves forward to a rezoning application. The Master Plan also calls for the creation of blocks where possible. Blocks are essential in creating walkable, interconnected neighborhoods. Running a perpendicular connector street to connect Berkmar Drive to Route 29 would begin to establish a block network in this area. The Places29 future transportation network map shows a possible connection between the two roadways in the vicinity of Myers Drive, which currently runs along the northern border of the Colonial Auto Center lot and connects to the back side of the Rio Hill Shopping center. The extension of Myers Drive through or along the northern portion of the CMA site as a public or private street would create an additional link between to two major parallel roadways in the Northern Neighborhoods and would increase the connectivity of the transportation network. The location for this connection should be considered in planning for the redevelopment of this site and space for this connection should, at a minimum, be preserved as a future right-of-way when the site is developed. Priority Areas: The Places 29 Master Plan establishes priority areas to focus public efforts and resources where they are most needed during the plan's 20-year implementation time frame. This site is located in Priority Area 2 South. The recommendation of Priority Area 2 is to focus public investment and land use decision making in areas where new development has been approved and where redevelopment is encouraged. The purpose of this priority area is to revitalize, expand and improve the existing infrastructure to support redevelopment. Priority Area 2 South is located in the vicinity of the intersection of Rio Road and US 29. According to the plan, much of the existing commercial development in this area may be ready for redevelopment. The focus in the priority area is closing gaps in the existing system of transit, bicycle and pedestrian networks and expanding transportation networks where needed. The future development of the CMA site should take into consideration the need to close current gaps in transportation infrastructure such as the need for sidewalks and interconnectivity, and should address the plans for expansion and improvements of Berkmar Drive. This site is also located in an area that is recommended for a Small Area Plan. This area is expected to experience redevelopment in the future and a major intersection improvement is planned for the Rio Road and Route 29 intersection. Small Area Plans have a higher level of detail than Master Plans, can identify specific opportunities for development and provide more detail about transportation improvements. Small Area Plans allow for better coordination of land use and development and for business owners and residents in the area to participate in the planning process. The Small Area Planning process will be an opportunity to design this intersection improvement and will also be an opportunity to study and plan other transportation improvements such as the connection of Myers Drive to Berkmar Drive. Land Capacity for Residential Growth: Chapter 8 of the draft Comprehensive Plan deals with growth in the Development Areas. As with the current Comprehensive Plan, a main theme throughout this chapter is to direct growth, including residential development, away from the rural area and into the development areas. The chapter offers the following guidance: Objective: encourage and support development at the higher end of the density range as recommended on the Master Plans. Staff Comment: In a capacity analysis performed for Albemarle County in 2013, it was estimated that 14,895 additional dwelling units will be needed to support the county's projected 2030 population. The analysis found that the future housing capacity in the development areas based on Comprehensive Plan land use designations is 13,405 - 29,075 dwelling units which would be enough to meet demand. The total capacity for dwelling units based on current zoning in the development areas is 13,405 - 19,874 dwelling units. Changing the Comprehensive Plan land use designation as proposed on the CMA site would cause a loss of future residential capacity of 21 to 119 dwelling units. The change in use based on the current R6 zoning would cause a loss of capacity of up to 21-31 dwelling units. This is a relatively small loss when measured against the entire development area, but when considered at a neighborhood level, the loss is more significant. This site would be a logical location for residential development considering its location across from an elementary school and would help provide a more even mix of uses in the area that currently has few residences. However, the loss of residential capacity caused by the proposed development of this 3.53 acre site would not be so significant that it could not be made up with the redevelopment of other properties in the area. Economic Development: Because the proposal deals with expanding an existing business, it is important to determine if the request is consistent with the Economic Development goals of the Comprehensive Plan. The types of jobs to be provided are likely sales and service jobs and the automotive sales and service sector is not a target industry. The proposal, however, is supported by several other economic development goals of the Comprehensive Plan. The Economic Development chapter of the draft Comprehensive Plan and existing Economic Development Policy provide the following guidance applicable to this request: Objective: Provide diversified economic opportunities that benefit County citizens and existing businesses by basing policy decisions on efforts which support and enhance the strengths of the County. Albemarle's first priority for business development is to help existing business thrive and existing residents have quality job opportunities across a broad spectrum of skill levels. Objective: Increase local business development opportunities, including support for entrepreneurial and start-up businesses. The County values its local businesses and industries and recognizes that job growth occurs more often with existing firms than with new firms that might move to the County, and with small start- up businesses with potential for expansion and growth. For that reason, many of the County's efforts are aimed at helping local business and industry and encouraging local start-ups that bring strength and diversity to the economic landscape. Staff Comment: One of the general themes of the Economic Development chapter is to encourage the expansion of existing businesses. The Colonial Auto Center has been in operation on Route 29 since 1986. The company is part of the larger Carter Myers Automotive group, which has been operating business it Albemarle County since 1924 and employs approximately 130 people. With this proposed expansion, CMA is predicting 20-30 additional full time jobs. Strategy. Encourage infill development of business and industrial uses in Development Areas, including consideration of proactively rezoning land to allow for light industrial uses as needs are identified through Master Plans and other efforts. Explore other incentives to promote infill development. Business and industrial infill development within the Development Areas, either in non-residential or mixed -use areas makes employment opportunities more accessible to a larger number of residents, helping to reduce daily transportation related costs and commute times. Staff Comment: This request calls for the expansion of a business along a contiguous footprint in an area with existing infrastructure. The site is also within walking distance to some residential areas. This proposal is consistent with the strategy of encouraging infill development. Strategy: Promote new employment activities in the Development Areas and encourage developers to build projects that meet the intent of the Neighborhood Model principles. Staff Comment: Staff believes the site could be redeveloped to in a manner consistent with Neighborhood Model principles as suggested in this strategy. Neighborhood Model: If the use and scale are approvable, then any rezoning proposal should conform with the Neighborhood Model. Conformity with the Neighborhood Model is assessed below: Sidewalks are not present along the east side of this portion of Pedestrian Berkmar Drive. Any development of the site should include Orientation sidewalks and landscaping separating the sidewalk from the roadway as described in the Places 29 Master Plan. The previous use of the site was a singular use of a mobile home park, but it did add to the overall mix of uses in the neighborhood. The proposed use is also a singular use of a car dealership that is Mixture of Uses adjacent to some existing residential and office uses. The proposed use may have the impact of decreasing the mix of residential uses in the neighborhood, but staff does not feel the loss is will be too significant to make up on other lots in the area. The property is located close to the Rio Hill shopping center. The Neighborhood Places 29 Master Plan does not recommend this site serve as Centers part of a center but as an area adjacent to a center. The Master Plan calls for areas around centers to be closely linked to centers via roads and pedestrian infrastructure. Mixture of Housing The proposed development does not include residential uses. If Types and the Commission finds that the proposed land use is appropriate, Affordability then this principle does not apply. Myers Drive is a private street that runs adjacent to the Colonial Auto Center and connects to the Rio Hill shopping center. Interconnected Redevelopment of the site could complete the connection of Streets and Myers Drive to Berkmar Drive. Creating this connection would Transportation also achieve the Places29 Master Plan goal of creating blocks Networks where possible. Staff recommends the development of this site determine the most suitable location for this connector road and, at a minimum, aside land for the right-of-way. The current portion of Berkmar Drive contains bike lanes in both directions. The addition of a sidewalk on the east side of Berkmar Drive would improve conditions for walking and Multi -modal adding bike lanes and sidewalks to the Myers Drive Transportation extension could further increase the opportunities for Opportunities walking and bicycling. The redevelopment of this site should also consider if additional right-of-way will be needed for the proposed expansion of Berkmar Drive. The proposed development does not include parks or open Parks, Recreational spaces and this site is not designated for parks or open spaces in Amenities, and Open the Places 29 Master Plan. Consideration may need to be given Space for an outdoor employee area, given the number of employees at the site The narrative and conceptual plan do not go into detail about the size and use of the building. If the applicant wants the site to have a presence on Berkmar Drive then the building should be oriented toward the street and parking should be separated from the street Buildings and Space as much as possible. If the site is to be used for parking and of Human Scale outdoor storage, and the applicant does not desire visibility from Berkmar Drive, then the site should be screened from the street as much as possible. If a zoning map amendment is submitted this issue will need to be addressed and the ARB would also need to review the plan for conformity with Entrance Corridor guidelines. Relegated parking is not provided on the concept plan. The plan Relegated Parking shows some landscaping along the front of the lot to but this may not be sufficient. If a zoning map amendment is submitted, staff recommends screened and relegated parking. The proposed project would be built on a vacant site which was Redevelopment formerly a mobile home park. Conceptual plans show reuse of the entrance onto Berkmar Drive. The site rises about 30 feet from the southern property line to the northern property line. A stream and some managed slopes run Respecting Terrain along the southern property line. The conceptual plan shows this and Careful Grading area of the property to remain undeveloped. The slopes and Re -grading of bordering the current Colonial Auto Center site would require Terrain grading to tie the proposed parking lot to the existing parking lot. Drainage issues and stormwater management will need to be addressed with the redevelopment of the site. Clear Boundaries This property is located in Neighborhood 1 of the Places29 with the Rural Area development area. This principle is not applicable to the site. Impacts: The attached conceptual plan (Attachment A) shows how the property might be developed in the future. The applicant does not have specific plans yet for the site but anticipates that the use will be "automotive related." Visibility and Entrance Corridor: The southern portion of the site is within the Entrance Corridor Overlay District for Rio Road. If the Commission finds the use to be appropriate, the rezoning application should address visibility issues from Rio Road. The proposed layout of the concept plan does not appear to have enough screening to mitigate views from Rio Road. Further, if the site is used for outdoor display of merchandise for automobile sales, a Special Use Permit would be required and a higher degree of mitigation such as increased landscaping and limits of display would be required (see Attachment D for more details). Traffic: The conceptual plan shows an entrance off of Berkmar Drive and an expansion of the existing Colonial Auto Center parking area throughout the site. The proposed layout would provide a connection, by crossing through the proposed parking area, between Berkmar Drive, Route 29 and Rio Hill Shopping Center. In preliminary discussions about the proposal, VDOT expressed concerns about the location and capacity of the entrance on Berkmar Drive and how this might affect traffic flow in the area. If this proposal moves forward to a rezoning request, then some level of traffic and intersection analysis would be necessary to address traffic impacts on this section of Berkmar Drive. Environmental: There are managed steep slopes on the property which are permitted to be disturbed by -right. However, if the Commission finds the use to be appropriate, the applicant will need to address drainage and stormwater management on the site. There is an intermittent stream on the southern border of the property that should be considered in the redevelopment of the site as it might be important for drainage on this site and from neighboring properties. Adjacent Residential Uses: If the Commission ultimately finds the proposed use appropriate, steps should be taken to screen the site from neighboring residential uses. Though most of the adjacent parcels are commercial, there is one apartment building to the south of the site as well as a vacant parcel zoned Neighborhood Model with proposed residential units. Summary: Factors Favorable: 1. Developing the site for commercial uses rather than the recommended residential uses reduces the capacity for residential growth in the development areas and the surrounding neighborhood; however this loss is not so significant that it cannot be made up by the redevelopment of other sites in the area. 2. Although the proposed use is not a target industry, the proposal is consistent with the Economic Development goals of the Comprehensive Plan including encouraging the expansion of existing businesses (applicant predicts 20-30 new jobs) and encouraging infill development. 3. The redevelopment of this site may provide an opportunity to incorporate transportation improvements recommended in the Places 29 Master Plan. Factors Unfavorable: 1. The proposed use is not in conformity with the Comprehensive Plan and Places 29 Master Plan with respect to recommended land use. 2. The conceptual plan does not meet Neighborhood Model principles and the proposed layout may cause issues for visibility and drainage. Recommendation: Based on the information provided for review, staff does not find the proposal to be in conformity with the Comprehensive Plan. If the Commission agrees, but believes the proposal has merit, then it is asked to provide guidance on potential next steps for the applicant. If the Commission believes it can support a change to the Places 29 Master Plan, then three possible approaches exist for the Commission to process such a change: Review the proposed land use amendment during the next Places 29 Master Plan update. This update will include the development of the small area plan for the intersection of Rio Road and Route 29 which includes the CMA site. After the Plan is updated the applicant can choose whether or not to pursue a Zoning Map Amendment (ZMA). This is the approach that staff has typically recommended to applicants interested in land use changes to the Comprehensive Plan. 2. Advise the applicant to apply for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA), for which the next deadline for filing is September 2, 2014. After the CPA review the applicant can choose to pursue a ZMA. Processing requests in this order allows staff and the Commission to review proposed CPAs on their own merit, without a specific proposal attached. This approach is similar to the approach recommended to property owners who asked for land use changes late in the Comprehensive Plan review process. 3. Review the application for a CPA in conjunction with the submittal of a rezoning request for the property. This recommendation should be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for concurrence due to the current status of the draft Plan. While not typically recommended, this approach is possible due to the small size of the site and narrow focus of the proposed uses. At this juncture, staff believes the second option is the most appropriate. However, should the Commission wish to recommend the third option, it is asked to advise on the most important features needed for a land use change. Attachments: A. Project Narrative and Concept Plan B. Zoning Map C. Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map D. Memo from Margaret Maliszewski, Principal Planner regarding visibility and design of the site with regard to the Entrance Corridor Overlay District