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Transportation:
The subject parcel is
located off of Route 17, a major arterial road in the County
with high speeds and high volumes of traffic. Vehicle
access to the property is via a right-turn lane on Route 17
southbound or a left-turn land on Route 17 northbound,
followed by a one-lane, narrow road called Dondoric Farm
Road. Dondoric Farm Road is the single entrance and exit to
the site for these events, so it is critical that traffic be
safely managed to and from the site. A traffic control plan
is required to be approved by VDOT prior to each event. The
site’s entrance and associated turn lanes were approved by
the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for the
previous, similar Special Exception for horse shows in
2003. The current Special Exception would bring the same
volume of traffic to the site and have the same hours of
operation as in 2003.
Special Exception Analysis:
Staff finds that the
proposal meets the criteria listed in Section 5-910
of the Zoning Ordinance for equestrian facilities with
spectator uses. If this application is approved, the
applicants will work with the Zoning Office on a Minor Site
Plan and a Dustless Surface Waiver to ensure that Sections
5-006 and 5-901 are met, including appropriate landscape
buffering, adequate parking, signage, and the placement of
structures and parking near lot lines.
Site
Suitability/Environment:
The parcel is mostly flat,
with no floodplain shown on the County’s FEMA floodplain
maps. The horse shows will be held in an open ring, with
parking at the rear of the property.
The subject property is in a
Virginia Outdoors Foundation easement, which would allow
this use, with some limitations for signage size that is
captured as a condition in Attachment 1.
Staff and Review Agency
Comments:
Planning staff has
incorporated agency comments into the recommended
conditions. For a complete summary of agency comments and
how they have been addressed, see Attachment 4.
Summary and Recommendation:
The applicant has worked
with staff and the Planning Commission on details regarding
the scope of the operation and has agreed to the conditions
in Attachment 3. They are aware that follow-up with the
Zoning Office and other public agencies will be necessary
prior to starting the horse shows. Staff and the Planning
Commission recommend that the Special Exception be approved
for one year, followed by the option to seek a two-year
approval administratively, subject to the attached
conditions.
Planning Commission Action:
After two public hearings,
the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval to
the Board of Supervisors with conditions on November 29,
2007. The main concerns expressed by the Planning
Commission were hours of operation, number of spectators,
and a commitment to comply with local and state codes and
expiration deadlines in the future. The applicant and the
Planning Commission resolved these issues and present
conditions (Attachement 1).
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