12 September 14, 2011 Public Hearing APPLICANT:

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1 12 September 14, 2011 Public Hearing APPLICANT: MCDONALD DEVELOPMENT CO. PROPERTY OWNER: BARBARA CREECH, TRUSTEE OF THE ALFRED T. CREECH IRROVACABLE TRUST STAFF PLANNER: Stephen J. White REQUEST: Conditional Change of Zoning (AG-1 and AG-2 Agricultural to Conditional I-1 Light Industrial) ADDRESS / DESCRIPTION: Southeast side of Harpers Road, approximately one mile west of the intersection of Oceana Boulevard and Harpers Road. GPIN: ; portion of ELECTION DISTRICT: BEACH SITE SIZE: acres AICUZ: Greater than 75 db DNL / APZ-1 and APZ-2 SUMMARY OF REQUEST The applicant requests a Conditional Change of Zoning from AG-1 and AG-2 Agricultural Districts to I-1 Light Industrial District for the purpose of creating a acre parcel that will be used for a distribution center for 150 Navy Exchange (NEX) stores. The site is being created from two existing parcels that have a combined size of acres. Once rezoned, the acre site will be further divided to create a 27- acre development parcel (Lot 100) as well as right-of-way for a roadway. The roadway will provide access to Lot 100 as well as future development parcels in what will be a light industrial business park on the remaining acres. The majority of these acres will remain zoned AG-1 Agricultural at this time, and a portion on the far eastern end of the site will retain its current A-12 Apartment zoning. The development of the site, as shown on the proffered concept plan, will consist of the following: Page 1

2 A new two-lane roadway will be constructed that will extend from a new intersection with Harpers Road into the development parcel. The intersection will include improvements to Harpers Road that will primarily consist of widening to accommodate turn lanes. At this point in time, the new roadway will extend approximately 350 feet into the site from the Harpers Road right-of-way and will terminate as a stub. This design will allow access to and from the employee/visitor parking lot, while still allowing extension of the roadway in the future when other parcels in the proposed light industrial business park develop. A 350,158 square foot warehouse will be constructed, with the shortest side (approximately 400 feet) parallel to Harpers Road, which will reduce the visual impact of the structure from Harpers Road. The longer side (876 feet) of the warehouse faces the adjacent site to the southwest (Schools Pupil Transportation Services Maintenance Facility) as well as the new roadway on the northeast side. A small area (up to 15,000 square feet) of the warehouse will be devoted to administrative functions. Particular design characteristics of the warehouse will consist of the following: o o o o o o Exterior of concrete wall panels with a medium-texture exterior coating. The panels will be painted in several shades of grey in horizontal bands around the top of the building, which will provide visual relief to the overall height of the building. The height of the building will be 37 feet, except at several places where the façade is broken up to provide visual relief (such as the entrance area of the building). The height at those places will be 38 feet. Windows with grey-tinted glazing in an anodized aluminum frame. A prefinished metal bullnose canopy will be installed over the dock area. Canopies will also be located over the main entrances, which will feature aluminum storefronts with fullheight tinted glazing. The southwest side of the building (shipping/receiving) will be punctuated by 44 roll-up dock doors as well as one roll-up door for a drive-in ramp dock. Lighting of the exterior will be addressed through the use of wall-mounted fixtures on the building and pole-mounted fixtures in the parking area. The fixtures will be rectangular and will have the cut-off design feature that ensures downward illumination with minimal spillover illumination of adjacent property. The overall design of the building will include many features advocated by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for LEED certification. In addition to the method for exterior lighting described above, daylighting of the interior of the building will be achieved through glass panels located on the dock above the overhead doors, as well as the full-height glazing located at the entrance. To screen the rooftop mechanical equipment, while also enhancing the appearance of the building by increasing the apparent height, the building will have a high parapet wall. A final feature meeting LEED standards is the use of interior roof drains instead of traditional gutter/downspout systems, which will eliminate the corrosion of the downspouts and the subsequent impact of the runoff from the roof and downspout corrosion to the site. A 146-foot by 660-foot shipping/receiving area will be constructed on the southwest side of the warehouse. The closest 60 feet of this area adjacent to the building will consist of a reinforced pad where trucks with trailers will be parked for loading or unloading. Access to this area will be from a two-lane, gated drive that intersects with Harpers Road adjacent to the property line. A left-turn lane from Harpers Road to this drive is shown on the plan (discussed further in the Traffic Engineering Comments section below). Two separate parking areas will be constructed, one for employees and visitors, located along the front and northeast side of the building, and another for trucks and shipping trailers, located between the rear (southeast) side of the building and the property line. The concept plan shows 208 parking spaces for the employee/visitor lot, which is sufficient for the maximum number of employees planned during any one shift (Zoning Ordinance requires one space per employee). Page 2

3 The concept plan shows 101 spaces for the truck/trailer parking area (there is no Zoning Ordinance requirement for this type of parking). Both parking areas, as shown on the plan, are designed with parking spaces and drive aisles that, at this conceptual design phase, either meet design standards or can be easily adjusted to meet standards during site plan review. The truck/trailer parking area, as well as the shipping/receiving area, will be enclosed with a chain-link fence. The employee/visitor parking area will be screened by large street trees and street frontage shrubs. Access to the employee and visitor parking will be through a driveway located on the new roadway, 250 feet from the intersection with Harpers Road. Access to and from the truck/trailer parking area will be through the shipping/receiving area and its connection to Harpers Road. A large stormwater management facility is shown on the plan, located at the southeast corner of the site. This facility will treat the stormwater from the building roof, parking areas, and the other impervious areas that will be on the site post-development. Based on the final size of the facility, there may be some potential for future development sites to utilize its treatment capacity. LAND USE AND PLAN INFORMATION EXISTING LAND USE: Undeveloped site, currently being used for crop production. SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING: North: Undeveloped site being used for crop production / AG-1 and AG-2 Agricultural Harpers Road Across Harpers Road, NAS Oceana South: Undeveloped site being used for crop production / AG-1 Agricultural Virginia Beach Schools Pupil Transportation Services Maintenance Facility / Conditional I-2 Industrial East: Undeveloped site being used for crop production / AG-1 Agricultural West: Harpers Road Across Harpers Road, NAS Oceana NATURAL RESOURCE AND CULTURAL FEATURES: The majority of the site is in crop production. Several drainage ditches associated with that activity are located on the site. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN / LAND USE: The Comprehensive Plan designates this area of the city as Suburban Area - Special Economic Growth Area 3 (SEGA 3), South Oceana. South Oceana is a large hourglass-shaped tract of land encompassing properties on both sides of Dam Neck Road between Holland Road and Corporate Landing Parkway. This area is viewed as a special area with significant economic value and growth potential, particularly if the Southeastern Parkway or a similar regional transportation facility within the same corridor is constructed. Due to portions of SEGA 3 being situated within AICUZ and APZ, the Comprehensive Plan supports development and redevelopment of this area consistent with AICUZ provisions and the City s Economic Growth Strategy. High quality employment, corporate parks and light industrial uses are encouraged for undeveloped tracts in this area. The Comprehensive Plan stresses that every effort should be made, where feasible, to consolidate parcels to achieve a more unified development pattern, (p. 3-32, Policy Document). Additionally, the APZ-1/CZ Master Plan designates a portion of this property as being located within the APZ- Page 3

4 1, Sub-Area C, and identifies non-residential land uses compatible with APZ-1. These uses are listed in more detail in Article 18 of the City Zoning Ordinance, and APZ-1 Ordinance for this area, (p. 10, APZ-1/CZ Plan). COMPREHENSIVE PLAN / DESIGN: The applicable design guidelines for this area are the Suburban Areas portion of the Special Area Development Guidelines for site and building design in the Comprehensive Plan s Reference Handbook. Those guidelines state that non-residential land uses should respect the scale, height, and character of similar uses in the area. Regarding the layout of the site, the guidelines stress that commercial buildings should be oriented toward the front of the lot within a well-landscaped green area, with parking and loading areas located toward the rear of the site, (pp. B-7 to B-13). CITY SERVICES MASTER TRANSPORTATION PLAN (MTP) / CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP): Harpers Road is a two-lane collector with a 22-foot pavement width within a variable width right-of-way. The Master Transportation Plan recommends that Harpers Road be ultimately improved to an undivided four-lane major collector with a 100-foot right-of-way width. There is, however, no current Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Roadway project scheduled for this segment of Harpers Road. TRAFFIC DATA: Street Name Present Volume Present Capacity Generated Traffic Harpers Road 10,637 ADT 1 6,200 ADT 1 (Level of Service C ) 9,900 ADT (Level of Service D - Capacity) 11,100 ADT 1 (Level of Service E ) Existing Land Use 2 0 ADT Potential Land Use 3 30 ADT Proposed Land Use 4 1,736 ADT 158 morning Peak Hour Vehicles (total) 165 afternoon Peak Hour Vehicles (total) 1 Average Daily Trips 2 as defined by a vacant site 3 as defined by uses allowed under Agricultural zoning 4 as defined by 350,000 SF warehouse TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMENTS: Based on the fact that a right-turn lane cannot be provided for a truck entrance to the site (due to proximity of truck entrance at property line), Traffic Engineering requested that the applicant provide a proffer stating that truck access to and from the proposed site would be via Harpers Road and Oceana Boulevard [STAFF NOTE: The applicant has provided such a proffer (#4)]. By accessing the site in this manner, the potential for a truck to block a travel lane while waiting to turn into the site is significantly reduced. The turn lanes and entrances shown on the Conceptual Layout Plan submitted with this application generally reflect discussions between Traffic Engineering and developer in June. There are, however, several design details regarding the Harpers Road geometric improvements that will need to be addressed at the site plan review stage if this application is approved. A right-of-way dedication may be necessary to accommodate the required geometric improvements to Harpers Road or the ultimate right-of-way width for Harpers Road. The submitted Conceptual Layout Plan provides a 35-foot wide dedication. The final dedication will be determined during site plan review. A Traffic Impact Study is not required for this 350,000 square foot warehouse. Page 4

5 WATER: This site must connect to City water. There is an existing 10-inch City water main in Harpers Road. SEWER: There is an existing 4-inch City sanitary sewer force main on Harpers Road; however, City sanitary sewer is not available for use. Health Department approval is required for septic systems. Private grinder pumps and force main may be an option. The applicant is aware of these constraints. SCHOOLS: Due to the adjacency of the Virginia Beach Schools Pupil Transportation Services Maintenance Facility, the application package was routed to the Virginia Beach Public Schools for comment. The School s Office of Demographics and Planning notes that they are aware of the project and they have no comments regarding the project. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION The applicant is requesting a Change of Zoning from AG-1 and AG-2 Agricultural Districts to Conditional I-1 Light Industrial District on acres of a larger acre parcel. The Conditional I-1 zoning will, under the terms of the proffers listed below, provide for the construction of a 350,158 square foot warehouse/distribution center, parking and other site improvements associated with the warehouse, and approximately 350 feet of a new two-lane roadway that will provide access to the warehouse as well as additional future parcels in a light industrial/business park planned for the area to the southeast. The warehouse/distribution center will serve 150 separate Navy Exchange (NEX) facilities. Staff has evaluated this request and finds that the proposed land use is consistent with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan. The Plan designates this area of the city as Suburban Area - Special Economic Growth Area 3 (SEGA 3), South Oceana, which is an area with significant economic value and growth potential. The proposed use of the property, as well as the proffered site and architectural designs for the warehouse, demonstrate consistency with the Comprehensive Plan s design policies and land use recommendations for high quality employment, corporate parks, and light industrial uses. Additionally, the APZ-1/CZ Master Plan designates a portion of the subject property as being located within the APZ-1, Sub-Area C, and identifies non-residential land uses compatible with APZ-1, (p. 10, APZ-1/CZ Plan). The development of the site as proffered is consistent with that recommendation. Finally, the applicant s attention to including sustainable design elements in the building is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan s recommendations pertaining to environmental stewardship. In sum, based on staff s evaluation of the submitted application, proffers, and support documentation, staff recommends that the Change of Zoning to I-1 Light Industrial be granted as proffered. PROFFERS The following are proffers submitted by the applicant as part of a Conditional Zoning Agreement (CZA). The applicant, consistent with Section 107(h) of the City Zoning Ordinance, has voluntarily submitted these proffers in an attempt to offset identified problems to the extent that the proposed rezoning is acceptable, ( 107(h)(1)). Should this application be approved, the proffers will be recorded at the Circuit Court and serve as conditions restricting the use of the property as proposed with this change of zoning. PROFFER 1: When the property is developed, it shall be developed substantially as shown on the exhibit entitled CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLAN 2 TAYLOR FARM PROPERTY Virginia Beach, Virginia, dated June 30, 2011, prepared by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., which has been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council and is on file with the Virginia Beach Department of Planning (hereinafter Site Layout Plan ). Page 5

6 PROFFER 2: When the Property is developed, the architectural design of the building depicted on the Site Layout Plan shall be substantially as depicted on the PROPOSED NEXCOM DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, dated 6/30/11, prepared by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates, Inc., Architects ( Elevations ) and as further depicted on the Rendering of Proposed Commerce Center for McDonald Development, dated June 29, 2011, both of which have been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council and are on file with the Virginia Beach Department of Planning. PROFFER 3: When the Property is developed, its frontage on Harpers Road and the area between the parking lot and the eastern boundary of the Property shall be landscaped and maintained substantially as depicted and described on the Site Layout Plan. PROFFER 4: When the Property is developed, all trucks accessing and departing from the Property shall only be permitted to utilize that portion of Harpers Road in front of the Property and between the Property and Oceana Boulevard (i.e. to the east of the Property). PROFFER 5: Further conditions may be required by the Grantee during detailed Site Plan and/or Subdivision review and administration of applicable City Codes by all cognizant City agencies and departments to meet all applicable City Code requirements. STAFF COMMENTS: The proffers listed above ensure that the I-1 Light Industrial zoning requested for the property is tied to a specific site design that, short of a detailed site plan review, appears to meet the fundamental requirements of the City s development ordinances. The proposed layout also provides for adequate and safe access to the site for delivery trucks coming to and going from the warehouse. The proffers also tie the rezoning to a specific architectural design for the warehouse building, which ensures the building is constructed with materials, detailing, and colors that will provide for a quality industrial building. The City Attorney s Office has reviewed the proffer agreement dated June 30, 2011, and found it to be legally sufficient and in acceptable legal form. Page 6

7 AERIAL OF SITE LOCATION Page 7

8 PROPOSED SITE PLAN Page 8

9 PROPOSED SITE PLAN (WITHOUT STORMWATER FACILITY SHOWN) Page 9

10 BUILDING ELEVATIONS Page 10

11 RENDERING OF PROPOSED BUILDING (from corner of Harpers Road and main roadway access) Page 11

12 ZONING HISTORY # DATE REQUEST ACTION 1 03/22/2011 Use Permit (Borrow Pit) Approved 2 09/22/2009 Use Permit (Wind Energy Conversion System) Approved 07/08/2008 Conditional Rezoning (AG-1/AG-2 to I-2 Industrial) Approved 3 05/14/2002 Conditional Rezoning (AG-1/AG-2 to I-2 Industrial) Approved 4 05/08/1989 Use Permit (Golf Course) Approved Page 12

13 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Page 13

14 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Page 14