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Topic
Description:
The owner,
Wexford Mews, L.L.C., is requesting to rezone 9.8146 acres
from Residential (R-4) to Commercial (C-2) with associated
proffers. The referenced properties are located in the core
of the Bealeton Service District. Wexford Village proposes
to create a commercial area in the town center of Bealeton.
The applicant has submitted proffers that eliminate some
Commercial Highway (C-2) uses and provide some standards for
site development.
Location,
Zoning and Current Land Use:
The
properties are located on Marsh Road (Route 17), between
Catlett Road (Route 28) and Remington Road (Route 656), in
the core of the Bealeton Service District. Both properties
are zoned Residential (R-4) and currently vacant.
Surrounding Zoning and Current Land Use:
The
neighboring properties to the north, south and west are
zoned Residential (R-4) and the properties to the east are
zoned a mixture of Commercial (C-1, C-2, and C-3) as shown
on the map above. A mixture of commercial and residential
uses is located on these parcels.
Site
History:
In February
2005, the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors approved a
Preliminary Plat for thirty-nine (39) town homes on these
two parcels. In addition, a Site Plan/Final Construction
Plan to develop the townhouses has been approved by the
County.
Comprehensive Plan/Land Use:
On the
Service District map provided below, the red area indicates
Town Center, dark green shows areas are planned for
Park/Open Space, and the light green indicates property
planned for Medium Density Residential. The properties
subject to this application are planned for Town Center.
The plan calls for a mixed-use commercial core with
interconnected streets, buildings fronting along the streets
and pedestrian and bicycle access.
Transportation:
Since the
applicant’s pre-application meeting held with County review
agencies on June 26, 2007, VDOT has requested information on
the anticipated traffic generation for the site to determine
if a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) is warranted. VDOT
requested that the applicant update the traffic study done
with the townhouse development, Wexford Mews. To date, no
such information has been provided. The applicant contends
they do not know the ultimate development of the project and
are unable to provide such information. VDOT anticipates
the criteria outlined in Chapter 5 of their Land
Development Manual will warrant a Traffic Impact
Analysis associated with this project. VDOT’s concern is
that the impact of the proposed development and zoning
change will adversely affect the transportation system in
the area and these impacts need to be evaluated beyond the
immediate access to the site.
In the
previously approved site plan for townhouses, the applicant
committed to construct the fourth leg of the light at the
entrance to the site on Route 17, and left and right turn
lanes on Route 17. It is likely that VDOT will require
these same improvements with this application. At the
present time these improvements are not the subject of
proffers. A comprehensive plan collector road through the
site, Village Center Drive, as well as half of a
comprehensive plan collector road along the western edge of
the project, Lafayette Street, which will eventually connect
to Route 28 have been proffered.
The Lee
District Commissioner met with the applicant on November 15,
2007, to discuss the outstanding traffic issues. As a
result of that meeting, revised proffers, dated November 19,
2007 (Attachment 2), were submitted. The revised proffers
addressed concerns which were raised by the Zoning Office.
The proffers now include a TIA for the entire site, assuming
worse-case scenario build-out, prior to first submission of
the first site plan on the site.
At the state
level, several regulations are being implemented throughout
Virginia that will affect Traffic Impact Analyses, access
management, review of subdivision plats and secondary street
acceptance requirements. The Chapter 527 Traffic Impact
Analysis requirements have been upgraded statewide and go
into effect on January 1, 2008 for rezonings, site plans and
subdivisions in our Culpeper District.
The TIA is
the first step that leads eventually to VDOT approvals and
acceptance of public improvements into the state system for
maintenance of the larger and more complex projects.
If a TIA is
not completed or upgraded until the site plan stage, the
County and VDOT lose leverage in obtaining any needed
improvements related to the impact of the development as a
whole, when land use changes have been proposed. At the
site plan stage, no matter what the TIA shows, improvements
can only be required at the entrance to the development and
within the development. Any off-site impacts the
development may trigger cannot be mitigated during the site
plan process. Staff concurs with the applicant that the
daily traffic impacts to the community with this scale
commercial development could be potentially similar to the
previously approved townhome development; however, the
implications on the peak hour impacts may well be
different. Without an update to the TIA at this stage, the
impact changes cannot be assessed.
Site
Suitability/Environment:
The County’s
Soil Scientist’s office continues to comment that based on
the soil map provided, 19% of the site is rated very poor
for general development using central water and sewer, 11%
is rated poor, 59% is rated fair and 11% is rated good. The
applicant is aware of these comments.
Historic
Resources:
There are no
known historic resources to be considered.
Community
Facilities:
The
Comprehensive Plan states the Town Center will possess urban
parks and squares distributed throughout the Center.
Additionally, it states an important square and town park
will be located at the core of the Town Center. The
applicant is not proposing any parks or squares in this 9.8
acre development.
Staff and
Review Agency Comments:
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