CONSENT AGENDA REQUEST

Applicants:

Board of Supervisors Meeting Date: 

Warrenton North, LLC, Owner

Thomas James Ross, II, Applicant

March 18, 2002

Staff Lead:

Department: 

Elizabeth A. Cook

Community Development

Topic:  I.  A resolution to consent to the provision of water service by the town of warrenton to the Warrenton north, llc PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PIN 6985-61-4023-000 AND TO AMEND THE FAUQUIER COUNTY/TOWN OF WARRENTON/WSA MASTER SEWER AND WATER AGREEMENT

II.   PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION APPLICATION (#PP02-C-01)
BLUESTONE SUBDIVISION
SCOTT MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT

Warrenton North, LLC, has requested, as part of its preliminary subdivision plat application, that the proposed Bluestone subdivision be served by the Town of Warrenton for public water service.  The Zoning Ordinance requires subdivisions of seven or more lots to be served by public water.  Attached is a proposed resolution amending the Fauquier County/Town of Warrenton/WSA Master Sewer and Water Agreement.  Also attached is a copy of a January 22, 2002 letter from the Town indicating that there is adequate capacity at the water treatment plant and from the twelve-inch water main in Blackwell Road to serve the proposed development.  Once the Board of Supervisors has acted on the resolution, the Town Council will consider a similar amendment.  The proposed conditions of approval require the connection to public water service or special exception approval to use individual wells or to develop a private central water system.

The applicant is proposing to develop approximately twenty-two acres of an approximately forty-seven-acre parcel into eighteen single-family detached lots.  The remainder of the parcel is within the corporate limits of the Town of Warrenton.  The proposed lots range in size from 40,374 square feet to 92,544 square feet, however the majority of the lots are less than 45,000 square feet.

The property is located on the west side of Blackwell Road (Route 672), north of the Route 17 Spur.  The proposed entrance to the development is from Blackwell Road within the Town of Warrenton. 

Included with the applicant's request is a waiver from Subdivision Ordinance Section 5-8, Cul-de-Sac Streets, to allow a proposed cul-de-sac to be one thousand feet in length, exclusive of turn-around, rather than the prescribed seven hundred feet.

On February 28, 2002, the Planning Commission denied the preliminary plat based on the outstanding issues identified in the staff report, which are summarized as follows:

§         Clarification that an agreement can be reached between the Town of Warrenton and the Virginia Department of Transportation regarding the maintenance and snow removal of the streets within the Town limits that are used to access the development.

§         Concerns about the design and configuration of Lot 18 as it relates to the location of an existing pond to be used for stormwater management.  The drainfield locations for Lots 17 and 18 are impacted by the required one hundred-foot setback from the pond.

§         It is not clear from the grades of proposed Bluestone Lane that the roadway can meet the maximum grade of 10%.

§         The County Soil Scientist has concerns that should be addressed with conditions of approval including operation, maintenance and monitoring provisions for non-conventional sewage disposal systems.

§         The applicant has not agreed to provide a trail easement from Blackwell Road through the development to property owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

§         The applicant has not provided justification for the proposed cul-de-sac length waiver for proposed Bluestone Lane.  In addition, the County Engineer has concern about the location and size of the drainage way at the terminus of Bluestone Lane.

§         Outstanding stormwater management issues were noted in the County Engineer's comments.

Following the Planning Commission action, the applicant has met with staff to address the outstanding issues.  Based on that meeting, a revised preliminary plat has been submitted for Board of Supervisors' consideration.  The revised plat now indicates the existing pond will be designed as a dry pond, which reduces the required setback from drainfields to fifty feet.  The applicant has acknowledged that the design of Bluestone Lane must meet all County and VDOT design standards and is aware that a reconfiguration of the road network or lot layout may result in an amendment to the preliminary plat.  In addition, the applicant has provided justification for the cul-de-sac length waiver including the size and shape of the parcel, the split zoning of the parcel as residential in the County and industrial in the Town, and the concern for routing residential traffic through an industrial development.  The County Engineer and the applicant's representatives have discussed design approaches to address the drainage way location at Bluestone Lane during the final construction plan phase.  The applicant has agreed that conditions related to the operation and maintenance of non-conventional sewage disposal systems are needed.  The applicant has not agreed to provide a trail easement through the development; however, they will dedicate an easement along their portion of Blackwell Road within the County.  Attachment 3 includes the revised plat and the applicant's response to the outstanding issues.

 With the revisions and clarifications made by the applicant, staff recommends that the Board of Supervisor consider approving the plat, subject to the conditions proposed by staff.

Section 9-7 of the Subdivision Ordinance requires that “…all preliminary plats acted on by the Planning Commission shall be referred to the Board of Supervisors at its next regularly scheduled meeting.  If the Board takes no action on the preliminary plat referrals, the preliminary plat shall be deemed approved or denied in accordance with the action of the Planning Commission.”

Requested Action of the Board of Supervisors: 

No action is necessary unless a majority of the Board wishes to consider this preliminary subdivision application.   No action will confirm the Planning Commission's denial of the plan.

On March 28, 2002, the Planning Commission voted to deny the Bluestone Preliminary Plat, subject to the outstanding items identified in the Planning Commission staff report dated February 22, 2002 and summarized above.

As noted previously, the applicant made a revised submission on March 7, 2002 to address the outstanding issues noted by the Planning Commission.  Staff believes, subject to the proposed conditions, that the applicant has met the minimum requirements for the approval of the proposed preliminary plat.  If the Board desires to consider approval of the preliminary plat, staff recommends that the following conditions be placed on that approval:

1. These lots shall be served by public water unless a special exception is granted to waive the requirement for connection to public water.
2. Prior to approval of the final construction plans, the Fauquier County/Town of Warrenton/WSA Master Sewer and Water Agreement shall be amended to include the subject property in the area to be served by the Town of Warrenton for public water service.
3. An agreement shall be in place between the Town of Warrenton and the Virginia Department of Transportation to provide for maintenance and snow removal on the sections of street within the Town used to access the development streets prior to final construction plan approval.  This agreement shall ensure that the development streets are eligible for acceptance into the state road system.
4. The proposed dry pond on Lot 18 shall be designed such that all required setbacks from drainfields and other facilities are met.
5. All Stormwater Management and BMP facilities shall meet the requirements of the Northern Virginia BMP Handbook and the Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Law.
6. A Virginia Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS) shall adjust the preliminary soil map lines onto the final drainfield plat.  This shall be done in the field and checked for any additional soil information to be added to the final scale plat map.
7. A signature block shall be placed on this plat for the CPSS to sign which states:

9.      Interpretive information from the County Interpretive Guide for each mapping unit shown on the above plat shall be placed on the same soil map.  Also a Symbols Legend shall be placed on the plat map to identify spot symbols.

10.  The following statements shall be placed on the same plat map:

§         "The County recommends that no below grade basements be constructed on soil mapping units 15B, 17B & C due to wetness and landscape position unless the foundation drainage system of the structure is designed by a Virginia Licensed Professional Engineer."

§         "Before a home is started the builder shall mark the drainfield area off and not disturb it during construction."

§         "The County recommends that before road or home construction begin in map units 140C & D, 240D, 241C, and 340D, a site specific evaluation be conducted so that shallow to bedrock areas are identified. These areas may require blasting if deep cut or excavation is done."

§         "Structures placed on mapping unit 48B will require a geotechnical study and the foundation will have be designed by a Virginia Licensed Professional Engineer in accordance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code."

11.  This plat shall be filed in the front office of Community Development and used exclusively for obtaining soils information for this proposed subdivision.

12.  This map shall be submitted to the Soil Scientist Office before final plat approval.

13.  All non-conventional sewage disposal systems shall have an operation, maintenance, and monitoring schedule established and approved by the Health Department and the County Soil Scientist prior to final construction plan approval.  This operation and maintenance contract must be valid for the lifetime of the system.

14.  Prior to final plat and construction plan approval, the applicant shall submit a detailed landscape plan as required pursuant to Section 7-600 of the Zoning Ordinance.

15.  Approval of this preliminary plat provides for a waiver of Subdivision Ordinance Section 5-8, Cul-de-Sac Streets for a cul-de-sac length waiver to permit a cul-de-sac street of ± 1000 feet.

16.  The applicant shall provide an appropriately sized easement along that portion of Blackwell Road located in the County within its control and shall to work with the Parks and Recreation Department to determine the exact size and location of the easement.