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Staff Analysis
Staff and the appropriate referral agencies have reviewed
this request for conformance with the Comprehensive Plan,
the Zoning Ordinance, and other relevant policies and
regulations. Findings, comments, and recommendations are
summarized below. The actual responses from referral
agencies are available upon request.
Comprehensive Compliance Determination
§15.2-2232,
Code of Virginia, Comprehensive Plan Compliance Review.
Here the Planning Commission is required to make a finding
that the proposed elementary school (a public facility
feature) is substantially in accord with the adopted
Comprehensive Plan at this location.
The New
Baltimore Service District Plan (NBSD) Plan objectives
and policies for all school categories are:
Objectives:
ü
To provide quality public schools that are not
overcrowded and situated in safe, quiet environments;
ü
Encourage the co-location of schools and parks
for the development of neighborhood and community facilities
providing for an efficient use of land; and
ü
Ensure public sewer is made available to new
schools, and where possible, existing schools are connected
to public sewer.
The NBSD
Plan has a very limited area designated for WSA sewer
service (AB-1). Brookside represents the southern edge of
AB-1, with sewer available for the Eddington Drive
neighborhood. WSA sewer service is not available to
locations outside such designated areas within New
Baltimore. To solve this problem for the elementary school,
Chapter 6 – Service Districts of the Comprehensive Plan
(reference p. 5) provides a provision which states that the
Comprehensive Plan “does not intend to preclude the
extension of public water and sewer to existing or planned
governmental facilities that are near or adjacent to service
districts.” This section empowers the Board of Supervisors
to allow extension of both sewer and water services to the
elementary school site.
Note that
sewer service lines will be sized to exclusively serve the
Fauquier County School Board site. This connection will be
made through the WSA facilities available through
Brookside. The WSA has onsite wells and service available
to the proposed high school.
Policies:
ü
The acquisition of school sites should be
accompanied with the provision of sewer services. If a new
school for the New Baltimore Service District is located in
an area not planned for public sewer, the sewer line will
then be sized only to serve that school facility, with no
other connections allowed; and
ü
Recreational facilities available at school
sites should be made available for community-wide use.
When meeting rooms and fields are not in use, the Fauquier
County School Board makes such facilities available for
public use through requisite scheduling. This facility is a
major County investment and community resource, and such
provisions are expected.
New
Baltimore Service District Plan Update. The Board of
Supervisors appointed Citizen Planning Committee is
providing the 5-Year review of the adopted 1999 NBSD Plan,
and has prepared proposed refinements to that document for
both Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors
consideration. It needs to be noted that this County owned
property has been designated as a proposed school site in
that document.
Planning
Commission Finding. As described herein, the adopted
1999 New Baltimore Service District Plan identified the need
for an elementary school to serve the growing student
population within its boundary and the surrounding
neighborhoods. The proposed location is consistent with the
proposed New Baltimore Service District Plan’s objectives
and policies. (The Plan is currently under view by the
Board of Supervisors.) The Planning Commission has agreed
with the Fauquier County School Board and determined that
this proposed elementary school is a public facility feature
that is substantially in accord with the adopted
Comprehensive Plan.
Engineering
The
Engineering Office has reviewed the Concept Plan for the
reference project and has the following comments/concerns in
regard to the information presented.
- The
SWM/BMP facility is proposed to be located near the
existing wetlands. Design of that system should consider
the likelihood of wet soils with high groundwater table.
- It
appears that there is a planned future bus storage area
and refueling station east of the proposed elementary
school. Some of that area may drain to the proposed SWM/BMP
pond associated with this project. Design of the new
pond must consider the increase in runoff from the bus
parking area as well as provide fuel/oil separator
accommodations should that area drain to any SWM/BMP
facility.
-
Wetlands are shown to exist on and/or near the site.
Potential impacts on those wetlands should be evaluated
and permits obtained where necessary.
VDOT
The Warrenton Residency staff reviewed the above referenced
Special Exception, and has the following comments:
- The
traffic counts for this school were not part of the TIA
that was done for the high school and bus yard. The
frontage improvements should be evaluated to ensure they
are adequate to handle the additional capacity. It is
not anticipated with the signalized intersection that
there will be a problem, but they should be reviewed.
- At the
pre-construction for the high school, VDOT advised the
engineer and school representatives that the pavement
design being placed for the high school plan should take
into consideration the ultimate traffic counts for this
road. This will ensure it is designed to adequately
handle the additional anticipated traffic.
- A
cul-de-sac needs to be provided at the end of the state
maintained portion of the main road going to the
schools.
- Limits
of clearing and grading shown on the plan do not show
the road being constructed up to the end of the road
being constructed by the high school plan which is just
past the entrance to the student parking. It is not
clear who will construct the road in between.
-
Dedicated right-of-way should be indicated for the main
road for the school if this is intended to be state
maintained.
Summary
and Recommendations:
Staff
recommends the Board hold the public hearing on these items
and consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation.
The
applicant and its design team have conducted a scoping
meeting to upgrade the existing Traffic Impact Analysis
(TIA) to include the elementary school. This amendment is
essential to determine if any additional improvements to
Route 602 are needed, and such an amendment is simply
required of any applicant with a project of this scale.
Although the actual TIA was not available at the time of
preparation of this report, the consultant summarized the
findings to indicate that with the addition of the
elementary school to this site, no new transportation
improvements are required. In summary, no additional
improvements are needed in 2008. In 2014, an eastbound
right turn lane will be needed on Route 652 to achieve level
of service (LOS) C. However, this improvement is needed
without the elementary school.
The County
staff continues to encourage the use of “Green Building” and
Low Impact Development (LID) designs for projects within the
Service District. As a result, it is recommended that the
County lead by example with such designs in its new
buildings and facilities; the elementary school and site
would be an excellent first step. Staff hopes to encourage
“Green Building” designs for this facility. School’s
Administration has done research on this topic previously
when planning the third high school. In particular, the
incorporation of Low Impact Design (LID) principles
regarding design of the stormwater management facilities, as
well as capturing runoff from the building and parking lot
were reviewed. If it is the Board’s wish, staff will draft
a condition related to LID requirements for the elementary
school.
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