HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-24 PC Staff Report - February REZONING #11 -24
Route 7 Self Storage (Edward P. Browning IV)
Staff Report for the Planning Commission
Prepared: February 5, 2025
Staff Contact: Kayla Peloquin, AICP, Planner II
Executive Summary:
Meeting Schedule
Planning Commission: January 15, 2025
Planning Commission: February 19, 2025
Action: Tabled
Action: Pending
Board of Supervisors: March 12, 2025 Action: Pending
Property Information
Property Identification Number (PIN) 55-A-180
Address Berryville Pike (Route 7)
Magisterial District Red Bud
Acreage +/- 2.38 acres
Zoning & Present Land Use Zoning: B1 (Neighborhood Business)
Land Use: Vacant
Proposed Zoning B2 (General Business)
Adjoining Property Zoning & Present Land Use
North: Principal Arterial Land Use: Berryville Pike (Route 7)
South: RP (Residential Performance) District Land Use: Single Family Residential
East: RA (Rural Areas) District Land Use: Restaurant/Pub
West: RA (Rural Areas) District Land Use: Single Family Residential
Proposed Use
This is a request to rezone one (1) parcel of 2.38-acres from the B1 (Neighborhood Business)
Zoning District to the B2 (General Business) Zoning District with proffers to allow for a self
storage facility.
Positives
Concerns
The proffer statement restricts the use of the
property to a self-service storage facility only.
This use would likely generate less trips per
day than some of the permitted uses in the B1
Zoning District that could be built by-right.
Outdoor trailer parking is prohibited.
Large vehicles and trucks, potentially with
trailers, may be accessing the site to drop off
or pick up items at the facility. This area of
Route 7 is already congested and has numerous
documented safety concerns and incidents.
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A right turn lane to enter the property with a
100’ taper and a 100’ deceleration lane and a
right turn lane exiting the property with a 75’
acceleration lane and a 50’ taper has been
added to the GDP and proffer statement. These
improvements will make the entrance to the
property safer.
Additional business development in the
County could provide employment
opportunities and tax revenue to the County.
The proposed rezoning is not in conformance
with the Comprehensive Plan, which
designates the desired long-range land use as
residential.
Review Agency Comments:
Review Agency
Comment
Date
Comment Summary Status
Frederick
County (FC)
Fire Marshal
December 13,
2023
Fire apparatus access roads must be
shown on the site plan.
Applicant
acknowledged fire
access roads must
be shown on site
plan.
FC Attorney January 21,
2025
Specify what zoning district uses are
to be excluded in the proffer
statement.
Addressed.
Frederick Water January 2,
2024
The submission included a
preliminary site plan and entrance
concept along Route 7, which will be
atop an existing 10-inch water main,
will require that the developer replace
the water main as construction atop
the main will certainly cause damage
to the main. We look to the design
phase of the project to review the
detailed entrance improvements and
water main replacement plans.
Applicant has
acknowledged the
comment.
FC Public
Works
December 19,
2023
No comment.
VDOT December 19,
2024
Given the location of this property on
a narrow section of Route 7 (without
adequate shoulders), we would
suggest a commitment by the
developer to provide a full right turn
lane into the project (100-feet
storage, 100-feet taper).
Addressed. Added
to proffers and
GDP revised in
January 2025.
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Planning & Zoning Staff Analysis:
Site History:
The property was part of a large rezoning from A2 (Agricultural General) to RP (Residential
Performance) in 1987 and was later subdivided and rezoned from RP to B1 (Neighborhood
Business) in 1989 with no proffers.
General Development Plan (GDP), Site Access, and Transportation:
The GDP, revised January 13, 2025, depicts a new right-in/right-out entrance south off eastbound
Route 7 with a proposed bridge over a stream (Ash Hollow Run). The GDP shows 13 vehicle
parking spaces. There are existing entrances nearby along Route 7, approximately 60’ west of the
western property boundary and approximately 20’ east of the eastern property boundary. The
posted speed limit is 45 MPH. The right turn acceleration lane and deceleration lane requested by
VDOT have been added to the GDP.
The impact analysis, revised in January 2025, states, “the business assumes minimum employee
presence and possibly five customers daily. A majority of the activity on site will be autonomous
self-service with minimal amount of traffic in and out of the site” (pg. 2) and later states the
estimated vehicle trips per weekday average is 58.6 trips per day (TPD) per the ITE Trip
Generation Manual, 7th edition.
Comprehensive Plan Conformance:
The Comprehensive Plan and the Senseny/Eastern Frederick Area Plan provide guidance on the
future development of the subject property. The Plan identifies this property with a “residential”
land use designation of 4 dwelling units per acre (4 u/a) and is within the limits of the Sewer and
Water Service Area (SWSA) and the Urban Development Area (UDA). The Plan envisions this
area of the County and the Route 7 corridor to remain residential. Business uses are planned closer
to Interstate 81 and west of Greenwood Road. Therefore, the current and proposed zoning is
inconsistent with the Plan.
Proffers & Staff Comments:
Proffers
(Revised 1/21/25)
Staff Comment
Proposed use has been limited to self-service
storage facilities only.
This proffer restricts all other B2 permitted
uses that could generate more trips per day.
Commercial entrance shall include a right turn
lane into the development with a 100’ taper and
a 100’ deceleration lane and a 75’ acceleration
land and a 50’ taper exiting the development.
Proffers have addressed VDOT comments.
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Outdoor trailer storage will be prohibited. This proffer was added at the request of staff.
It is intended to decrease the amount of large
vehicles/trailers/RVs from being stored on site.
However, given the self-storage use, large
vehicles will still be entering and exiting the
property.
Planning Commission Summary & Action:
The Planning Commission met on January 15, 2025 and received a revised impact analysis, GDP,
and proffers during the meeting. Staff’s presentation reflected the updated materials and outlined
the major changes from the initial submission, namely the restriction of all B2 permitted uses other
than self-storage, the restriction of outdoor trailer storage, and the addition of turn lanes.
The commissioners discussed the B1 Zoning District uses that could be constructed by-right with
the current zoning, and staff confirmed that development of those uses could commence with a
site plan approved by the planning department and other reviewing agencies. One commissioner
pointed out that the current zoning also does not meet the desired long-range land use in the
Comprehensive Plan, and that the proposed self-storage use is likely less intensive than many of
the permitted B1 Zoning District uses.
Mr. Knechtel with Potesta & Associates, representing the applicant, outlined the zoning district
buffer requirement of at least 50’ with a landscaping component that would be required adjacent
to residential uses. Mr. Knechtel said a safety railing would be placed on top of the retaining wall
and site lighting would be addressed through a photometric plan at the site plan stage. The Zoning
Ordinance requires lighting to not shine onto other properties or roadways.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing and two residents spoke. The concerns were
primarily regarding potential environmental and erosion issues, the safety of the children in the
Pioneer Heights subdivision, the proposed use not fitting in with the character of the community,
and potential impacts to nearby residential property values.
The Planning Commission tabled the application to the meeting on February 19th to allow the
public time to review the updated materials and provide comments on the revisions. The Chairman
left the public hearing open so that it could be continued at the next meeting.
Following a public hearing, staff is seeking a recommendation from the Planning
Commission to forward to the Board of Supervisors on this rezoning application.
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