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Project
Update:
The
following provides a staff summary for all four discrete
applications regarding the proposed high school location on
the former Mt. Sterling Farm. Refer to the Planning
Commission Staff Report for the detailed analysis (March 31,
2005).
On March
31, 2005, a public hearing was held regarding the
Comprehensive Plan Amendment and the referenced Special
Exception applications associated with the proposed high
school site. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to
forward the Comprehensive Plan Amendment to the Board of
Supervisors with a recommendation of denial. Action on the
companion series of Special Exceptions was postponed for up
to 60 days. However, the applicant requested that the
Special Exceptions also be forwarded to the Board of
Supervisors.
The
Planning Commission voted at its April 26, 2005 meeting to
forward the three (3) companion Special Exceptions to the
Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of denial.
Staff has
also received the following comments from the Fauquier
County Water and Sanitation Authority:
The
Authority has reviewed the subject project and has met with
representatives of Fauquier County School systems to discuss
water and sewer utilities related issues. The Authority is
willing to provide water and sewer provided the following
issues are addressed:
1)
Since the Mt. Sterling Farm Site is not in a service
district, the County Board of Supervisors needs to approve
the extension of public water and sewer lines to the site.
2)
Water System modeling must be finalized to determine
whether the New Baltimore Water System can provide adequate
flow, or whether on-site fire storage or system upgrades may
be needed to provide required fire flows.
3)
An analysis needs to be performed of the Authority’s
sewage collection system and the Brookside Pump Station and
force main, to determine whether the additional flows
generated by the school will require any upgrades to the
sewer system.
4)
As with any project, the expense associated with
system extensions and/or system upgrades made necessary by
this project must be borne by the entity constructing the
project and must be designed and constructed in accordance
with the Authority’s Utility Standards Manual (USM).
Project
Description:
Comprehensive Plan Amendment CPAM05-CT-005:
A
Comprehensive Plan Amendment would allow the applicant to
incorporate the proposed school site (±74.77 acres of Mt.
Sterling Farm), situated south of Route 605 and out of the
Service District, as part of the New Baltimore Service
District. However, also note Chapter 6 of the Comprehensive
Plan currently states that it “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 application also requires a series
of companion Special Exceptions detailed below.
Special
Exception SPEX05-CT-017:
This
Special Exception request would allow a high school in the
RA zoning district designed to serve 1200-1500 students,
with approximately 180 to 200 employees. It would serve
portions of Cedar Run, Center and Scott Magisterial
Districts. The design would be a two-story masonry
structure of approximately 230,000 square feet. Per the
Statement of Justification, the palette of materials would
compliment the adjacent residential neighborhood, and
appropriate screening and landscaping would be provided on
site.
This site
would also require transportation (road) improvements in
excess of $1.8 million with this proposal. However, the
County is working with the Virginia Department of
Transportation (VDOT) in its “Revenue Sharing Program” for
fiscal year 2005-2006 grant funds. The County (Board of
Supervisors: $150,000; School Board: $350,000) will provide
up to $500,000 initial dollars, with a possible matching
$500,000 from VDOT. The County could also receive an
additional $250,000 (this additional amount is dependant on
unallocated VDOT funds after the initial installment is
received).
County
funds from the Board of Supervisors and School Board will be
administered and managed through the Fauquier County
Department of Community Development for designated
projects. The County has identified lane and intersectional
turn lanes associated with the new high school as well as
intersectional improvements to Route 605/676 to be in this
program. The VDOT program does not include relocation of
utilities or right-of-way acquisition costs. The School
Board would be responsible for those costs. The Revenue
Cost Sharing program represents a potential and significant
savings to the County for roadway infrastructure
improvements.
There is no
floodplain on the portion of the site proposed for the new
school. The soils at the site have constraints such as
slope, depth to water table, potential for hydric soil
inclusions, and depth to bedrock. The combination of these
factors imposes major limitations to development on this
site and will require additional engineered design or site
preparation prior to construction. The school development
program provides for 14.8 acres of active recreation open
space, or 17.6%. The minimum open space requirement for
Special Exception Uses is 13% (Sec. 3-408(3), Zoning
Ordinance).
Special
Exception SPEX05-CT-018:
This
Special Exception would allow for a wastewater pump
station. The applicant notes that the proposed sewer
pumping station has not been fully designed, but it would
likely have a portion of the facility above ground. This
location would allow the school to be served by the Vint
Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant by connecting the high
school to the existing sewer lines at Auburn Middle School.
The pumping
station and related facilities would be designed to
accommodate only the wastewater needs of the school, with a
maximum capacity of 1500 students and projected employment
of 200.
Special
Exception SPEX05-CT-019:
This
Special Exception would allow for an open space reduction in
order to create a lot to be used for the proposed school.
The applicant proposes reducing the required 85% portion of
the site to be designated as non-common open space. The
proposed school site is approximately ±
74.77
acres. This request would reduce the non-common open
space from 153 acres to 78 acres required of E.C. Investors,
LLC (Ed Miller) for their overall parcel. These acreages
are estimated, as the final boundary of the school is
unknown pending engineering design and considerations.
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