AGENDA REQUEST

Owner/Applicant:

Board of Supervisors Meeting Date:

Cross Creek Investments, LLC

November 8, 2007

Staff Lead:
Holly Meade, Senior Planner

Department:
Community Development

Magisterial District: Scott

Service District: New Baltimore

PIN: 

7906-83-2379-000, 7906-82-1816-000, 7906-82-0266-000, 7906-82-3462-000, 7906-82-5148-000, 7906-92-0958-000, 7906-82-4798-000, 7906-83-4172-000, 7906-83-7378-000, 7906-72-6542-000, 7906-72-6341-000, 7906-72-7276-000, 7906-72-8685-000

Topic: 

Rezoning Request #REZN07-SC-007 for the Rezoning of 8.5 Acres from Residential (R-1) to Commercial - Highway (C-2), a Category 12 Special Exception Request #SPEX07-SC-013 for a Shopping Center Containing More Than 50,000 Square Feet, and Special Exception Request #SPEX07-SC-014 for Additional Signage

Project Background: 

Cross Creek Investments has been working toward the development of a business/retail center on its 30+ acres of commercially zoned land in New Baltimore for approximately four years.  This work has included the engineering of a public road (Cross Creek Drive) which connects Route 15/29 (Lee Highway) to Route 600 (Broad Run Church Road).  The County and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) have recently approved Cross Creek Drive for construction.

The Board of Supervisors approved a Special Exception for the floodplain crossing for the public road on August 13, 2003.  A floodplain study was approved by the Department of Community Development and a CLOMR was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2006.  This process was quite lengthy as the applicants worked to ensure they were not impacting off-site properties.

Project Update:

Since the Board’s last meeting, the applicant has updated the Cross Creek Conceptual Development Plan / Special Exception Exhibit dated October 22, 2007 to reflect minor technical changes that have been agreed upon between the applicant, staff and the Scott District Supervisor.  The previous CDP/SE Exhibit was dated May 23, 2007 and did not reflect some of the changes that had been refined in the Special Exception Conditions of Approval (dated October 25, 2007) and Proffers (dated October 11, 2007, with minor corrections shown on CDP/SE Plat dated October 22, 2007).  The changes made to the Concept Development Plan include the following:  (1) a new date of October 22, 2007; (2) maximum building height changed from 40 feet to 35 feet; (3) removal of all references to parking and landscaping waivers since they cannot be granted with this application; (3) revised gas station layout increasing the distance from Cross Creek Drive for the gas station entrance; and (4) addition of increased landscaping in the Costco parking lot.  No other changes were made to the CDP/SE Plat.

As reflected in this staff report, the executed proffers accepted by the Board of Supervisors dated October 11, 2007 contain a minor correction of October 22, 2007, to reflect the aforementioned updated CDP/SE Plat.  No other changes have been made to the October 11, 2007 Proffers.

Since the last Board meeting, revisions have been made to the Special Exception Conditions which are now dated October 25, 2007, to reflect concurrence on some outstanding issues associated with the applications.  The following changes have been made to the conditions:

These are the only changes that have been made to the Special Exception Conditions dated

October 25, 2007.

Land Area, Location and Zoning:    

The properties are located south of Lee Highway (Route 15/29) and north of Broad Run Church Road (Route 600), adjacent to the New Baltimore Business Park, in the New Baltimore Service District.  A map of the properties is shown below:

New Baltimore Land Use Plan

Neighboring Zoning/Land Use: 

The property is zoned Commercial – Highway (C-2) with the exception of 8.5 acres along Route 600, which is zoned Residential (R-1) and shown in the Comprehensive Plan as Neighborhood Center. The properties to the north (across Route 15/29) are zoned Rural Agricultural (RA), to the south is Residential (R-1) zoning, to the east is the New Baltimore Business Park and C-2 and R-1 zoning, and to the west is C-2 and R-1 zoning.

The future land use plan designates the properties to the north, northeast and west for Commercial Business use.  Property to the east and southwest are designated as Neighborhood Center.  The property south of Route 600 is designated for low density residential, in two classifications -- up to 1 dwelling per acre and up to 3 dwellings per acre. 

Planning Commission Recommendation: 

On August 30, 2007, following several months of review and public hearing, the Fauquier County Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend:

1)  Approval of the Rezoning request REZN07-SC-007 for the rezoning of 8.5 acres from Residential (R-1) to Commercial – Highway (C-2)., with proffers, recognizing the need for economic development and finding it to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and the citizens’ planning committee vision for the area;  

2)  Denial of Special Exception request SPEX07-SC-013 for a shopping center containing more than 50,000 square feet and Special Exception request SPEX07-SC-014 for additional signage, due to traffic concerns and inconsistency with the Comprehensive Plan recommendation precluding a “big box” store within the Service District.   

Project Information: 

1)  Rezoning Proposal – Along Route 600 Frontage: 

The applicant is requesting to rezone approximately 8.5 acres along the north side of Broad Run Church Road (Route 600) from R-1 to C-2, with a proffered limitation of no more than 45,000 square feet.  The applicant’s Statement of Justification expresses compatibility with the recently adopted New Baltimore Service District Land Use Plan.  Their reasoning is that this C-2 rezoning request is proposing to develop its Route 600 frontage with low-scale, neighborhood-styled building facades serving commercial uses.  Cross Creek is proposing architectural design features including brick facades and gable roof lines that historically represent compatibility with such centers adjacent to residential uses. To further ensure compatibility with the residential character along Route 600, proffers are included to limit building heights to 35 feet, maintain a minimum number (no less than 4) of smaller structures (less than 12,000 square feet) and to maintain a minimum spacing between buildings (no less than 70 feet).  In addition, the applicant has proffered out typical uses associated with the Commercial Highway (C-2) zoning district, limiting uses to neighborhood commercial type businesses.  The most recent Proffers (Attachment 2), dated October 11, 2007, with minor corrections shown on CDP/SE Plat dated October 22, 2007, are applicable only to the 8.5 acres being rezoned. 

The specific design elements also proffered that complement and provide this land use character also include the following performance standards:  (1) all commercial uses are proposed for access internal to Cross Creek, (2) no “drive-thru” operations are proposed for this rezoned area, (3) increased setback is provided along Route 600, (4) free-standing signage shall be monument-style and, (5) the number of rear loading drive aisles has been limited to only one building.

A meandering trail system is proposed to connect these uses with adjacent properties and to support pedestrian activity along Route 600.  Additionally, a broad 30-foot landscape buffer is provided along Route 600.  The applicants state in their Statement of Justification that this will establish a positive image for the motorist on Route 600 and serve as an important keystone for upgrading the visual character along this local collector.   

2)  Special Exceptions – Cross Creek Shopping Center and Additional Signage:

Shopping Center:  The applicant is requesting approval of a Category 12 Special Exception for a shopping center containing more than 50,000 square feet.  The planned center will have up to 255,000 square feet of commercial development.  A total of 218,000 square feet (or 86%) of the shopping center development is proposed within the existing commercial business, C-2 zoned portion of the site.  The remaining 37,000 square feet is shown within the Neighborhood Center planned portion of the site that is the subject of the rezoning request.  (Up to 45,000 s.f. would be allowed as outlined above.)  The commercial development will be phased, with the first phase encompassing the twenty-five acres to the east of Cross Creek Drive to include the proposed Costco site and ancillary retail along the east side of Cross Creek Drive.  The proposed Special Exception encompasses the proposed Costco site and the ultimate square footage proposed for Cross Creek.  The shopping center and Costco will have direct access to Route 15/29 by way of the newly designed Cross Creek Drive.

The applicant will provide a common architectural style and pedestrian linkages between the shopping center (existing C-2 zoning district) and the Route 600 neighborhood retail uses.    Such a diversity of commercial uses between Route 600 and Route 15/29 will provide a  transition between “highway commercial” uses near Route 15/29 and the lower scale neighborhood retail uses recommended along Route 600. 

The project addresses two other key principles in the New Baltimore Plan, which include vehicular access between parcels and pedestrian access within the site.  The Concept Development Plan shows the location of an interparcel connector to the properties located to the east and west of the shopping center site, providing the opportunity for future connection as those adjoining parcels are developed.  A pedestrian route has been shown on the Concept Development Plan to facilitate walking between Costco and other stores on the east side of Cross Creek Drive.  Similar facilities will be provided on the west side of Cross Creek Drive as that section of the project is further refined. 

While specific users, with the exception of Costco, have not been identified, the types of uses will include general and specialty retail, personal service uses such as dry cleaning pick-up and hair salons, business services such as a copy center and financial institution, small medical, dental and veterinary offices, and restaurants.  The Costco store includes a tire center and gasoline sales.  Some uses, such as heavy equipment sales or repair, and telecommunications towers which would otherwise be allowed by-right in the C-2 zoning district have been excluded by the Development Conditions included in Attachment 5 (reference 6a – s).  Those conditions specifically identify the use limitations.

Additional Signage:  In addition to the Special Exception request for a shopping center, the applicant has filed a Special Exception request for additional signage.  The Board of Supervisors can authorize additional building signage on buildings larger than 100,000 square feet with a Special Exception.  The applicants are requesting 639 square feet of total building and gas station signage area.  The signage square footage represents only the area actually covered by the channel lettering.  There are two proposed building mounted signs along its north and west building elevations which would be approximately 222.74 square feet each.  Two smaller versions of the same building mounted signs are proposed along the same elevations on the canopy and they measure approximately 73.06 square feet each.  No signage is proposed along its southern elevation, which is adjacent to residentially zoned land.  One tire center sign of 9.92 square feet is included in the package.  The total building signage area requested is 601.52 square feet.  The applicant is proposing two Costco Gasoline signs of 18.38 square feet each for a total signage of 36.76 square feet.  The gasoline signs are to be located only on the north and west face of the canopy.  The specific details and drawings of signage proposed for Costco is included as Exhibit A in the “Architectural, Landscaping, Signage, Parking, and Transportation Exhibits dated  October 5, 2007” included as Attachment 6. 

Even though it recommended denial of both Special Exception requests, the Planning Commission did forward a draft list of Development Conditions which was included in earlier staff reports.  Changes to the conditions since the Planning Commission meeting are detailed on page 2 of this report. Below is a summary of the current conditions included in Attachment 5.

Special Exception Conditions

• Conditions are included regarding road improvements at Kelly Road, Route 600 and 29, and Route 600 and Route 676.
• To address a recorded conservation easement on delineated and non-delineated potential wetlands, a requirement is made for a jurisdictional determination by the Corps of Engineers and that all vegetation within the easement areas be protected unless approved by the County Administrator in writing.
• The square footage reflects no more than 148,000 square feet of retail space, with ancillary office space not to exceed 2,500 square feet and associated gas facility not to exceed 12 pumps.

• A condition has been included to require a sign instructing primary construction traffic to enter and exit the site via Route 29.
• The amount of building versus the amount of landscaped area shown in the rezoned area has been clearly addressed to ensure the ultimate build-out will generally conform to the concept plan.  Buildings in the rezoned area shall not exceed 45,000 square feet with no fewer than four buildings not less than 70 feet apart.
• Various landscaping conditions have been included.
• The hours for deliveries to Costco require tractor trailer deliveries between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. so as not to impede the flow of traffic.
• The hours of operation for the Costco store and associated gas pumps are set at 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with the hours of operation for the associated gas pumps from 6:00 a.m. to one hour after closing.  A condition has been included to allow some flexibility for holidays, provided the applicant does not exceed 30 “flexible” hours in any one calendar year.
• A 36-foot wide interparcel connector road with a public access easement is provided for inter-parcel access to adjoining parcels to the east and west.
• No later than July 1, 2009, the applicant shall undertake the design and engineering of a roundabout at the Route 600/676 intersection, or contribute $75,000 to the New Baltimore Transportation Fund.  (This was added since the Board’s last meeting.)

There are a few areas where the Planning Commission’s recommendations and that of the applicant continue to differ:

• The Planning Commission recommended the number of allowed drive-through facilities be reduced from four to three which still allows for a bank, pharmacy, or similar use with a drive through.  The applicant continues to request four drive- throughs with no more than two associated with eating establishements.
• The Planning Commission recommended signage condition reflects the removal of the two seven-foot signs measuring 222.74 square feet each, and to allow for three of the four-foot signs measuring 73.06 square feet each as measured by the recently adopted Zoning Ordinance text amendment to Section 8-1500.1. 
• The Planning Commission recommended prohibiting a fast food restaurant on site.  The applicant wants to include this use.
• Staff and the applicant were able to reach a consensus on an alternative layout for the traffic circulation within the gas pump facility.  The applicant agreed to move the entrance to the gas station no closer than 125 feet from Cross Creek Drive, as measured from the centerline of said road to the end of the point of curvature of the entrance to the gas station.
• While staff continued to pursue a condition related to LID, no condition has been included to date.

Comprehensive Plan  and Land Use Considerations: 

The land use and transportation plans for the New Baltimore Service District represent the community’s vision and recommended blueprint for full build-out.  A mix of neighborhood commercial and commercial business uses are planned for the triangular area bordered between U.S. 15/29, Route 600 and Route 676.   The commercial business uses are primarily oriented along Route 15/29, while the neighborhood commercial and residential uses are planned along Route 600 and to the north on Route 676. 

The New Baltimore Service District Plan outlines a series of commercial land use objectives, a number of which are relevant to the proposed rezoning and special exception requests.  For each objective, a brief response is noted on the relationship of these applications, as follows:

• Promote development that increases the non-residential tax base and does not impose a fiscal burden on New Baltimore or the County.

• The applicant projects substantial contribution to the County’s tax base with the development of this project.

• Encourage investment in community-oriented, pedestrian-friendly commercial activities in designated growth areas and discourage additional strip development along Route 29.

• This project is primarily located within an area designated for commercial business and is internally focused along Cross Creek Drive, with only a single point of access onto Route 29.

• Develop Route 29 as a “Gateway Corridor” to Fauquier County and the Piedmont Region by providing a visual experience commensurate with the County’s high quality environment and historic significance.

• This project is located behind the low-scale commercial development currently fronting along Route 29.  There will be some visibility of the project from this gateway corridor; however, additional architectural information is needed to determine the amount of visibility and potential impact on the visual quality. 

• Provide commercial uses along the south and east sides of Route 29 with vehicular access to service roads and limited access along Route 29.  Provide local retail at Vint Hill, and neighborhood business uses in a manner which precludes the creation of a destination retail concentration or “big box” store within the Service District.

• Access to Route 29 is limited to the single point at Cross Creek Drive.  The Costco store, at 148,000 square feet in size, is classified as a “big box” store.  The remainder of the shopping center will likely have uses that provide goods and services to the New Baltimore community and that can capitalize on the proximity to an “anchor” store.   A credible anchor is normally needed to ensure the viability of a commercial center of this nature, particularly when the center is not located along a major roadway. 

The New Baltimore Service District has a limited amount of buildable land for commercial business of this size and scale.  (As will be discussed later, the Neighborhood Center classification attached to a majority of the vacant commercial land in New Baltimore is intended for smaller scale projects – with a zoning ordinance limitation of 50,000 square feet.)  The commercial business land to the east has floodplain and sites that are especially problematic to develop at a large scale.  An anchor of this type will likely serve as a stimulant for the redevelopment of other smaller commercial properties, as well as a potential market stimulator that will allow the community to get more of the desired neighborhood commercial style development on other properties.  An outright prohibition on “big box” stores does not recognize the market and economic forces at play, particularly in regard to encouraging quality in the other portions of the project and with development on other properties.  An unanswered question is whether the County wants to maintain a continuation of standard commercial strip development in the currently C-2 zoned properties in this area or want an anchor of this nature to stimulate the redevelopment of other surrounding commercial properties.

There are four types of commercial areas planned within the New Baltimore Service District.   The 30+ acres associated with the Cross Creek Shopping Center that are currently zoned C-2 and located on the northern portion of the subject property with direct access to Route 15/29 are designated “Commercial Business,” which contains general commercial uses “where vehicle access is the norm.”  The New Baltimore Service District Plan states that this area is intended to serve the needs of both the local community and the motoring public. 

The 8.5 acres proposed for rezoning are located on the southern portion of the property adjacent to Route 600 and are designated as “Neighborhood Center.”  In the New Baltimore Service District, the “Neighborhood Center” classification consists of about 135 acres, principally centered along Culver Drive, the intersections of Riley Road (Rt. 676) with Route 15/29 and Broad Run Church Road (Rt. 600), and then extending to the west along the north side of Route 600.  This category is planned to provide a limited range of commercial retail, service and office uses, as well as civic and residential uses.  These uses should generate traffic/parking impacts characteristic and compatible with local neighborhoods and schools.  This designated area of New Baltimore should be built to serve the existing and planned neighborhoods.  The following elements comprise the neighborhood vision for the area:  walkability, mixed-uses, residential density, workforce housing, building scale and general design.

The plan envisions an area designed and built with the pedestrian in mind, complete with sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian connections to surrounding neighborhoods.  A neo-traditional mixture of commercial, business, institutional and residential uses is strongly encouraged.  Apartments and/or condominium units are encouraged above commercial space.   Workforce housing should be present in this neighborhood.  Building footprints should not exceed 12,500 square feet and not exceed a total of 25,000 square feet.  The maximum height should not exceed 35 feet.  As for the general design of sites - rear, side and below-grade parking, as well as shared parking should be considered.  Low Impact Development (LID), green building design, landscaped streets, parking lots with street trees and sidewalk trees should be addressed in each site design.  Reduced setbacks are encouraged where appropriate using flexibility in the Zoning Ordinance to help achieve a pedestrian-friendly, neo-traditional design.

Some examples of optional allowed uses in the neighborhood center include commercial uses such as eating establishments, florist, convenience/food store, pharmacy; service uses such as barber/beauty salon, education services, financial institutions; and institutional/business uses to possibly include business or professional office, museum, health club, or post office.

The New Baltimore Service District contains a number of environmental features which are critical to the character and quality of life of the community.  The Plan calls for the sound management of wetlands, floodplains, streams and water bodies, establishing identifiable and attractive focal points for the community of New Baltimore, preserving the dark night sky, and minimizing the impact of night lighting to preserving the dark sky environment. 

Transportation Considerations

Comprehensive Plan Transportation Policies 

The Fauquier County Comprehensive Plan recommends steps to redirect business area access between Route 15/29 intersections with Route 600 and Route 676.  This designated area is constrained with the elimination of unsafe crossovers on Route 15/29 and 100-year floodplain which present long-term access and safety issues along this area planned for significant commercial growth and development.  Cross Creek Drive provides the north-south connection between Route 15/29 and Broad Run Church Road as recommended in the Plan.  To address safety issues and improve the street grid network, the Comprehensive Plan also calls for a local east-west road providing interparcel access between commercial parcels parallel to Route 600.  As previously stated, conditions have been included as part of the Special Exception approval addressing the design of this east/west connector.  The layout restricts the number of entrances into the parking lots from the connector on the east side of Cross Creek, with at least 40 feet between the entrances and with at least 60 feet between any entrance and Cross Creek Drive.  The width of the entrances shall meet VDOT commercial entrance requirements.

The New Baltimore Transportation Plan also orders community roads into an integrated hierarchy that will protect existing neighborhoods, serve the business community and provide better long-term access.  The Comprehensive Plan names Route 600, Broad Run Church Road, as one of the key community roads in the New Baltimore Service District.  The objective of the New Baltimore Transportation Plan is to maintain and enhance accessibility to community services and facilities, improve the level of travel safety along Route 15/29 and Route 600, minimize traffic impacts from new development on established communities and improve the level of pedestrian and bicycle safety of New Baltimore residents when traveling within the community.  The Plan calls for sidewalks on both side of a roadway in new commercial centers, with pedestrian crossings clearly marked or with specialty paving.  Additional transportation aspects mentioned in the Comprehensive Plan include pedestrian circulation, special screening requirements, signage and building and parking setbacks.

Traffic Studies

A Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) was prepared by Patton, Harris, Rust and Associates on May 12, 2007.  Since that time, the applicant and their traffic engineer have worked closely with VDOT developing a SYNCHRO model to address the technical issues raised during the review of the TIA.

The Scott District Planning Commissioner hosted a community meeting on July 11, 2007, at C. Hunter Ritchie Elementary School in New Baltimore to review the traffic impact analysis and the SYNCHRO model for the proposed Cross Creek Shopping Center/Costco applications.

The SYNCHRO analysis provides an animated picture of traffic flows on nearby roads, and considers existing conditions, the site at build-out, and the combined impacts that this project, along with the Goodland East and Lone Star rezoning applications, could have on the area if approved.  The traffic study included trip generation based on current traffic volume, a growth rate of 4% per annum through 2012 to account for general development, specific approved development such as Bishop’s Run, as well as supplemental data of planned developments of Lone Star and Goodland East to derive a future build-out condition.  The following intersections were evaluated:

·         Route 29/15 (Lee Highway) and Route 600 (Broad Run Church Road)

·         Route 29/15 (Lee Highway) and Route 676 (Riley Road)

·         Route 29/15 (Lee Highway) and Cross Creek Drive

·         Route 29/15 (Lee Highway) and Commerce Court

·         Route 215 (Vint Hill Road) and Route 600 (Broad Run Church Road)

·         Route 600 (Broad Run Church Road) and Route 676 (Riley Road)

The background development considered in the analysis included build-out of the Bishop’s Run residential and commercial projects, Vint Hill, Brookside, Mill Run Business Park, Jamison Tract, Suffield Meadows, Goodland East and Lone Star.  While the development it will serve was included, the traffic study did not anticipate the completion of Brookside Parkway before 2012. 

The SYNCHRO traffic analysis considered access to the development by way of approved Cross Creek Drive, connecting Route 29/15 to the north and Route 600 to the south.  For the evaluation, the proposed development east of Cross Creek Drive included 33,000 square feet of retail, 154,000 square feet of discount club, two (2) 4,900 square foot restaurants, a 3,200 square foot fast-food restaurant with drive-thru and a 12-pump gas station.  The proposed development west of the proposed Cross Creek Drive included 32,000 square feet of retail, 14,000 square feet of pharmacy store with drive-thru, a 6,400 square foot drive-in bank, a 4,900 square foot restaurant, and a 5,000 square foot automated car wash.  This amount is somewhat higher than the total amount currently being considered in the special exception request.  Build-out of the development was projected to occur by the year 2012. 

Traffic comparisons for three development scenarios (a discount club and the same amount of square footage used for a grocery and general retail center, and general retail excluding an anchor) are shown below in order to assess the traffic impacts of the Costco use in comparison with potential by-right C-2 shopping center use. The following table outlines the projected average daily trips and the peak hour trips for a weekday and Saturday for the three development scenarios.

CROSS CREEK/COSTCO TRAFFIC COMPARISONS

 *ADT= Average Daily Traffic

**While the TIA was based on 154,000 s.f., proposed store is 148,000.

Data computed using trip equations, where available, from ITE Trip Generation, 2007.

As shown, the grocery and associated retail produce more frequent trips than the trips generated by a discount club in the weekday peak hour (83% higher) and in the Saturday peak hour ( 41% higher).  General retail use, excluding an anchor, generates 27% more than the discount club in the weekday peak hour and is very close (1% higher) to the amount generated by the discount club in the Saturday peak hour.

Cross Creek Proposed Improvements

The following bulleted lists include transportation improvements that are to be completed by the applicant. 

The items listed under “Route 29 and Cross Creek” are approved with the Cross Creek Drive major site plan for the road infrastructure.  These five site plan improvements the applicant will complete and are required separate and apart from any action taken on the proposed special exception and rezoning applications discussed in this staff report.

Route 29 and Cross Creek

• Construct four hundred (400) foot dual left turn lanes on southbound Route 29.
• Relocate one existing median cross-over and close two cross-overs.
• Design and construct the traffic signal at the new intersection.
• Modify existing entrances in vicinity of the site along Route 29 for improved access management.
• Construct Cross Creek Drive from Route 29 to Route 600.

The following improvements the applicant has agreed to complete and are associated with the current rezoning and special exception application(s):

Route 29 and Route 600

• Widen intersection to accommodate the turning radius for dual left turn movements.
• Restripe lanes on Route 600 to accommodate two left turn movements.
• Extend the existing left turn lane on southbound Route 29 to increase capacity.

Route 600 and Kelly Road

• Increase turning radius on southeast corner and relocate utility pole.
• Widen the Kelly Road approach to Route 600 for dedicated left and right turn lanes, if right-of-way can be obtained through best efforts in cooperation with County.

Route 600 and Route 676

• Provide necessary signage for an all-way stop, including “rumble” strips on westbound approach, if warranted by VDOT.
• Design and engineer roundabout by July 1, 2009 or make $75,000 contribution to New Baltimore Transportation Fund.

Route 600 and Cross Creek Drive

• Construct frontage improvements, including sidewalk and curb and gutter along the Cross Creek side of Route 600.
• Construct right and left turn lanes.

Within the Property

• Construct 36-foot wide Interparcel Access Road to connect Cross Creek Drive to adjoining commercial properties to east and west as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan.

The Route 600/Kelly Road improvements, Route 600/676 improvements and the frontage improvements are proffered with the rezoning (with exception of the design and engineering of the roundabout which is included as a Special Exception condition).  All other proposed improvements are included in the conditions of approval for the Special Exception requests.  (See Attachment #5 for specific breakdown.)                                                                                                                            

Improvements Identified by VDOT

The following are additional improvements that have been identified by VDOT to enhance the traffic flow, reduce delay and improve system operations in the vicinity of the Cross Creek site.  None of these items have been proposed to be completed by the Cross Creek applicant with either the Special Exception or Rezoning applications. 

Route 29/600 Intersection

• Provide additional pavement and reconfigure the lanes on both Route 600 approaches (dual left and through right).  Requires additional right-of-way.
• Actual construction of the roundabout or install traffic signal and turn lanes.

Other Improvements

Partial funding is potentially possible for some of the following through the New Baltimore Transportation Fund, VDOT’s Six-Year Plan, and funding from surrounding approved developments such as Bishop’s Run, White House, Vint Hill, and Brookside:

• Design and construct signal at Route 29 and Route 676 (Riley Road).
• Extend existing left turn lane from Route 29 onto Route 676.
• Turning radius improvements at Route 29 and Route 676 to allow optimum signal timing configuration.
• Widen and improve Route 215 (Vint Hill Road) and its intersection with Route 29. (This improvement is in the Six-Year Plan.)

Fauquier County has established a New Baltimore Transportation Fund to use for traffic improvements needed in the New Baltimore area brought on by increased development.  Currently, the approved Vint Hill, Brookside, and Bishop’s Run developments have contributed to this fund.  The proposed Goodland East and Lone Star developments are proposing to contribute $337,500 and $670,500 respectively, plus the design and construction of frontage improvements along Route 600 if the proposals are approved.  According to Community Development’s Proffer Budget Report, $826,083 had been collected as of June 8, 2007, in the New Baltimore Transportation Trust Fund.  Some of those funds are currently being allocated to the turn lane and traffic signal improvements scheduled for the intersections of Route 605/676 and Route 605/602.

Summary and Recommendation:

Staff recommends the Board of Supervisors consider the applications. 

Identify any other Departments, Organizations or Individuals that would be affected by this request:

Fauquier County Department of Community Development
Department of Economic Development
Commissioner of the Revenue

Attachments: 

1.                  Statement of Justification

2.                  Proposed Proffers, dated October 11, 2007 with minor corrections shown on CDP/SE dated October 22, 2007

3.                  Plats

4.                  Special Exception Conditions, dated October 25, 2007

5.                  Breakdown of Proposed Road Improvements

6.                  Trip Generation Tables and Data Sheets for SYNCHRO Analysis comparing Costco to

By-Right Development presented at the October 2, 2007 Board Work Session

7.                  Average Door Counts for Costco stores for September 15-21, 2007

8.                  “Architectural, Landscaping, Signage, Parking, and Transportation Exhibits,” dated October 5, 2007[1]

9.                  Kelly Road Improvements Exhibit A and B, dated October 10, 2007

10.       Resolution

11.       Ordinance