HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-25 PC Staff Report REZONING #02-25
Stephenson Depot (Croatan Capital II, LLC)
Staff Report for the Planning Commission
Prepared: March 27, 2025
Staff Contact: M. Tyler Klein, AICP, Senior Planner
Executive Summary:
Meeting Schedule
Planning Commission: April 2, 2025 Action: Pending
Board of Supervisors: April 23, 2025 Action: Pending
Property Information
Property Identification Number (PIN) 44-A-42 & 44-A-43
Address Martinsburg Pike (Route 11) & Old Charles
Town Road (Route 761)
Magisterial District Stonewall
Acreage +/- 5.78-acres
Zoning & Present Land Use Zoning: B2 (General Business) & M1 (Light
Industrial) Districts
Land Use: Residential/Vacant
Proposed Zoning B2 (General Business)
Adjoining Property Zoning & Present Land Use
North: RA (Rural Areas) Land Use: Residential & Vacant
South: RA Land Use: Vacant
East: M1 (Light Industrial) Land Use: Vacant
West: M1 & RA Land Use: Residential
Proposed Use
This is a request to rezone +/-5.78-acres from B2 (General Business) and M1 (Light Industrial)
Zoning Districts to B2 (General Business) Zoning District with proffers to enable commercial
development.
Positives
Concerns
The proposed rezoning fully implements Plan
policy specific to planned transportation
improvements to roadways in the vicinity of
the subject property.
The proposed rezoning limits site access to
one (1) right-in/right-out from Route 11 and
The proffer statement excludes a number of
uses (Proffer B-2), however, this may not
fully provide those uses that “serve nearby
residents” as envisioned for this area of the
County in the Comprehensive Plan.
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one (1) full movement entrance from Old
Charles Town Road.
Pedestrian facilities are to be provided along
Route 11 and Old Charles Town Road.
Site design controls are proffered to limit
building height to 30 feet, a commitment to
high-quality construction materials, screening
of mechanical equipment, and enhanced
landscaping and screening from public streets.
The included site controls seek to implement
Plan policy specific to neighborhood retail
and community scale contained in the
Northeast Land Use Plan.
Self-storage uses are limited by the GDP to
the rear of the site, as not to be the
predominate use encouraging the site to be
primarily used for neighborhood retail.
Monetary contributions are included to off-set
impacts to local fire and rescue services.
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Review Agency Comments:
Review Agency
Comment
Date
Comment Summary Status
Frederick
County (FC)
Public Works
July 13, 2023 “We offer no comments at this time.”
FC Fire
Marshal
July 11, 2024 “No comments at this time.”
FC County
Attorney
January 28,
2025
See attached comment letter. Comments
addressed.
Frederick Water July 13, 2023 See attached comment letter.
Virginia
Department of
Transportation
(VDOT)
February 27,
2025
“VDOT has reviewed the latest GDP
for the Stephenson Depot rezoning
application and we are in agreement
with the proposed entrance locations
shown on the plan. Please note that
entrance locations are subject to final
design and approval by VDOT at the
time of final site plan submission.
VDOT has no additional comments
on this application.”
See attached comment letter.
Planning & Zoning Staff Analysis:
Comprehensive Plan Conformance:
The Comprehensive Plan (adopted November 2021) and the Northeast Land Use Plan (NELUP,
2023) provide guidance on the future development of the subject property. The Plan identifies the
subject property with a “business” land use designation and as being within the limits of the Sewer
and Water Service Area (SWSA) and the Urban Development Area (UDA). Further, the NELUP
plan states:
“The area between Old Charles Town Road and Stephenson Road located immediately east
and west of the existing rail corridor is identified for future business uses. More
specifically, business uses in this area east of the rail corridor should be of a neighborhood
or community scale and be intended to serve the nearby residents of Snowden Bridge and
the Stephenson Rural Community Center. Properties west of the rail corridor may be well
suited to meet community needs for anchor retail, and further study of these properties may
be appropriate to determine whether the inclusion of residential uses would be necessary
to support such activity.”
The proposed rezoning may not fully implement plan policy specific to business uses envisioned
in this area of the County. The proffer statement excludes a number of uses, such as adult retail
and amusement, however, this may not fully provide those uses that “serve nearby residents” and
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of a neighborhood scale. A commitment to uses allowed rather than excluded may better address
Plan policy.
The proffer statement includes site design controls, including limiting the maximum building
height to 30 feet, a commitment to high-quality construction materials, screening roof-mounted
mechanical equipment, and enhanced landscaping and screening from public streets. The
location of any future self-storage is limited to the rear of the property as to not be the
predominate use. The included site design controls seek to implement Plan policy specific to
neighborhood retail and community scale contained in the Northeast Land Use Plan.
Transportation & Site Access
The Plan also identifies transportation improvements in the vicinity of the subject property.
Martinsburg Pike (Route 11) and Old Charles Town Road (Route 761) are identified as “improved
collector roadways” (see inset below). A future roundabout is also planned at the intersection of
the above roadways. The proffer statement includes improvements to serve the proposed
development and for the future condition of the adjoining roadways.
• Site access is limited to one (1) full movement entrance from Old Charles Town Road and
one right-in/right-out from Martinsburg Pike (Proffer C-1);
• Turn lanes and tapers to serve future entrances (Proffer C-2, 3, & 4);
• Pedestrian facilities including a 10-foot (FT) wide multiuse trail along Martinsburg Pike
and a 5-FT wide sidewalk along Old Charles Town Road (Proffer C 5 & 6);
• Monetary contributions ($50,000) for Martinsburg Pike transportation improvements
(Proffer C-7); and
• Right-of-way (ROW) reservation for future intersection improvements (roundabout).
The proposal is fully consistent with the planned improvements in the Comprehensive Plan.
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Proffer Statement, Generalized Development Plan (GDP), & Impact Analysis:
Proffers
(Dated 03/26/2025)
Staff Comment
Proffer A – General Development Plan No comment.
Proffer B – Land Use Restrictions The proffer statement excludes a number of
uses (Proffer B-2), however, this may not fully
provide those uses that “serve nearby
residents.” A commitment to uses allowed
rather than excluded may better to address Plan
policy relating to serving nearby residences
and neighborhoods (i.e. Snowden Bridge).
Proffer C – Transportation Enhancements No comment.
Proffer D – Site Design Controls No comment.
Proffer E – Monetary Contributions to Offset
Impact of Development
No comment.
The generalized development plan (GDP) dated February 17, 2025, is included below and
depicts proffer improvements.
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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