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Based on the
work session regarding the recently implemented VDOT
Secondary Street Acceptance Requirements (Virginia
Administrative Code; 24VAC30-92-10-140), this agenda item
requests that a text amendment to the Comprehensive Plan be
initiated that designates land within the specified Service
Districts as “Compact or Suburban Areas” under the
provisions of this code.
Background Information:
The
effective date for Secondary Street Acceptance Regulations (SSAR)
for statewide implementation was July 1, 2009. Two of the
enabling legislation’s primary goals that served as the
foundation for these new regulations were: (a) ensuring the
connectivity of road and pedestrian networks with the
existing and future transportation network; and (b)
minimizing stormwater runoff and impervious surface area.
Regarding
public streets designed, constructed and accepted for state
maintenance under these new provisions, VDOT has stated
consistently through its educational forums that the enacted
regulations will have the following benefits at the local
levels:
v
Reduce future construction needs and
operational costs;
v
Improve emergency response times;
v
Improve safety and access for pedestrians and
bicyclists;
v
Create a more efficient transportation
network;
v
Design local streets to encourage appropriate
vehicle speeds; and
v
Reduce stormwater runoff.
Secondary
Street Acceptance Regulation Area Types:
The SSAR
also established three area types for secondary streets in
Virginia. Within each type, streets must meet the
applicable design and public benefit requirements to be
eligible for acceptance into the secondary system of state
highways. Those categories are: Compact, Suburban and
Rural Area Types. Their definitions are provided in
Attachment 1.
Designated Area Types Already Existing:
Both New
Baltimore and Warrenton already have tripped the “Compact
Area” threshold having an
established population falling within the 2,500 - 49,999
people range (2000 census tract information) of the
regulation’s “smoothed
urban cluster boundary”. Therefore, the regulation has
resulted in an official VDOT “Compact Area” delineation
around that referenced “cluster” boundary for both New
Baltimore and Warrenton. In addition, the regulation
also requires and resulted in a “Suburban Area” to be
designated within a 2-mile radius of that “smoothed urban
cluster boundary”. Refer to Attachment 1 and the statewide
illustration; a better illustration will be provided at the
work session. Therefore, those designated areas in New
Baltimore are currently subject to the VDOT regulatory
connectivity and design requirements for those “Area Types”.
Recommended Area Type Threshold For Fauquier County:
The County
has consistently expressed that these Service District
communities will be where our more compact and traditional
town or village scale residential densities and business
development will occur. Here such growth can be more
effectively served through public facilities, services and
utilities, be provided an interconnected public street
network (including multi-purpose paths and sidewalks), and
be all more effectively connected to open spaces, parks and
schools.
The County has also recently
completed transportation impact studies for New Baltimore,
as well as Bealeton-Opal-Remington. These analyses included
existing conditions to theoretical build-out. Both studies
clearly demonstrate the need for safety improvements,
traffic calming and added connections throughout these
Service Districts to effectively meet current and future
expectations. These communities will need a far more
improved and linked street network to provide the balanced
distribution of vehicle trips, options for future public
transit, and pedestrian accommodation expected.
Based on the
initiated text amendment process to the Comprehensive Plan
as described in Attachment 1, staff recommends that the
Bealeton, Marshall, Opal, and Remington Service Districts be
designated for the “Compact Area” classification, since
their adopted land use plans meet the minimum median density
threshold of 2 units per acre; while Calverton, Catlett, and
Midland could be selected as a “Suburban Area”, since their
land use plans meet the minimum median threshold of 1 unit
per 2 acres. New Baltimore and Warrenton have already been
officially designated by VDOT; however, the regulations
allow Fauquier County to add other areas to the VDOT
Statewide Area Type Thresholds List through the
Comprehensive Plan process.
Benefits of
the “Compact or Suburban Area” designations for the nine
Service Districts are that it establishes a higher level of
VDOT review, better implements the Comprehensive Plan’s
expected road network, is more compatible with the County’s
Subdivision Ordinance and Facilities Standards Manual, and
requires that residential, business and mixed use projects:
·
Have sufficient street connections in multiple
directions;
·
Provide pedestrian accommodation;
·
Incorporate context sensitive street design;
and
·
Add streets as a project package and part of
the overall community secondary street network.
At the
moment, VDOT reviews for such rezoning applications as
Cannon Ridge (Marshall), White Marsh and Mintbrook
(Bealeton) currently are subject to the Rural Area
category. That category has no mandatory connectivity
requirements and is meant for areas similar to those
currently zoned RA/RC or other more rural zoning
categories. However, VDOT in this district does assist in
recommending project improvements consistent with the
transportation elements of the County’s Comprehensive Plan.
The “Compact Area” and “Suburban Area” designations as
recommended herein would align the VDOT Secondary Street
Acceptance Regulations (SSAR) with the Chapter 6 – Service
Districts and Chapter 10 – Transportation of the Fauquier
County Comprehensive Plan. |