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PC_02-17-93_Meeting_MinutesMEETING MINUTES OF THE FREDERICK COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Held in the Board Room of the Old Frederick County Court House in Winchester, Virginia on February 17, 1993. PRESENT: Planning Commissioners present were: James W. Golladay, Jr., Chairman; John R. Marker, Vice Chairman /Back Creek District; Todd D. Shenk, Gainesboro District; Ronald W. Carper, Gainesboro District; Marjorie Copenhaver, Back Creek District; Roger L. Thomas, Opequon District; Manuel C. DeHaven, Stonewall District; John H. Light, Stonewall District; and Beverly Sherwood, Board Liaison. ABSENT: S. Blaine Wilson, Shawnee District; George L. Romine, Citizen at Large. Planning Staff present were: Robert W. Watkins, Director /Secretary; Evan A. Wyatt, Planner II; Lanny C. Bise, II, Planner 1; Kris C. Tierney, Deputy Planning Director; and Ronald A. Lilley, Planner II. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Golladay called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. BIMONTHLY REPORT information. Chairman Golladay accepted the Bimonthly Report for the Commission's COMMITTEE REPORTS Comprehensive Plans & Programs Subcommittee (CP &PS) - 2/8193 Mtg. sessions. Mrs. Copenhaver said that the CP &PS discussed their goals for the next few 3600 2 Development Review & Regulations Subcommittee (DR &RS) - 2/11/93 Mtg. Mr. Thomas said that the DR &RS discussed what their focus would be in the upcoming months. Some of the issues they plan to look at are business corridors, appearances of parking lots and industrial /business entranceways. They also plan to review the rural issues sections of the zoning and subdivision ordinances and make clarifications where necessary. Sanitation Authority _ 2 /17/93 Mtg. Mrs. Copenhaver said that two citizens who were having problems with water line easements across their properties on Route 642 attended the first part of their meeting. Mrs. Copenhaver reported that the water lines from the water plant to Route 11, the connector lines on Routes 642, 522 (Phase I), and Route 7 and Lee Avenue are all under construction. Bids have been received on the Route 50 connector and the Senseny Road connector. She added that the water line connecting the whole county from north to south will soon be completed. Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB) - 2/10193 & 2/11/93 Mr. Shenk reported that the HRAB met on February 10 and 11 to review the recently completed Rural Landmarks Survey and prepare for their presentation at the joint worksession with the Planning Commission and Board. Frederick County /Stephens City Joint Planning Committee - 2/4/93 Mtg. Mr. Thomas said that the Committee discussed the Route I I South business corridor (setbacks, appearance) and boundary line adjustments for Stephens City and Frederick County MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLANS: Master Development Plan #006 -92 of James R. Wilkins, III for 88 townhouses and 76 apartments. This property is identified by Parcel Ill #54000020000100 and is located on the south side of Route 659 in the Shawnee Magisterial District. (This item was tabled 3601 3 from the Commission's December 6 and January 6 meetings.) Action - Approved Mr. Bruce Edens, Engineer with Greenway Engineering & Surveying Company, was present to represent Mr. James R. Wilkins, 111, the owner. Mr. Edens presented the plan to the Commission, noting that the plan was redesigned somewhat from the draft copy submitted in November. He said that there was some difficulty meeting the distance requirements from the road. Mr. Edens pointed out an entrance located on Route 658 (Brookland Lane), one in the area of the townhouses out to Valley Mill Road, and one from the apartments. He said that VDOT did not agree to a direct entrance from the apartments to Valley Mill Road. Chairman Golladay called for anyone in the audience wishing to speak either in favor or opposition and the following person came forward: Mr. Thomas Dientz, an area resident, inquired if the developer would be using Brookland Heights as access for construction vehicles. Mr. Dientz was also concerned about the safety of children who might be playing in the area of the drainage ponds. Mr. Edens replied that Brookland Heights would not be used for construction vehicles. Regarding the ponds, he said that there would not he any water remaining in those in less than an hour after it rained. Mr. Thomas said that he realized that the density for this particular proposal was within that allowed by the ordinance, but in light of the fact that this area already had a high density of development, he questioned whether maximum utilization was appropriate based on the existing and surrounding conditions. Mr. Thomas was also concerned about the additional traffic, especially at the intersections where bottlenecking was already a problem. Other Commissioners shared Mr. Thomas' concerns about traffic congestion and stormwater management with continued development. They felt this area had the potential for stormwater management problems because of the existing high density development and poor drainage quality of the soil. They also had concerns about increased traffic on Route 659 and potential bottlenecking at the intersection of Route 7 and Route 659. The Commission did feel, however, that the proposal was appropriate, since this area was already zoned for development and there was a need for higher density housing in Frederick County. The Commissioners also felt that the housing types proposed (townhouses /apartments) were appropriate because of surrounding existing housing types. However, they felt that the intersections in the area needed to be worked on and careful attention paid to the stormwater management plan submitted by the applicant. 3602 0 Mr. James R. Wilkins, III, the owner, came forward to address some of the Commission's concerns, however, a detailed traffic analysis or detailed stormwater management had not yet been done. Upon motion made by Mr. DeHaven and seconded by Mr. Shenk, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Frederick County Planning Commission does hereby recommend approval of Preliminary Master Development Plan #006 -92 of James R. Wilkins, III for 88 townhouses and 76 apartments provided that all staff comments and review agency comments are addressed. The vote on this master plan was: YES (TO APPROVES Golladay, Marker, Copenhaver, Carper, Light, DeHaven, Shenk NO: Thomas DISCUSSION WITH PATTON, HARRIS, RUST AND ASSOCIATES (PHR &A) REGARDING THE PRINCE FREDERICK OFFICE PARK No Action Mr. Thomas announced that he would abstain from discussion of this matter due to a possible conflict of interest. Staff noted that the site was located in the Shawnee Magisterial District on the south side of Route 50 East, approximately 1/2 mile east of the intersection with Route 522 South. The total site area was 91.903 acres, zoned B2 (Business General) District. Staff noted that one item of concern associated with the proposal regards the provision of through roads from this site to the Winchester Regional Airport Authority site and the Donald E. Garber site. Staff believed that these connections were necessary to provide a suitable transportation network for this area. Mr. John Hash, Mr. Douglas Kennedy, Mr. Carl Rinker, and Mr. George Foard, all with PHR &A, came forward to informally discuss the road concerns with the Commission. Mr. John Hash said that if the roads were extended as suggested by the staff, VDOT would require the roads to be constructed as four -lane roads. Mr. Douglas Kennedy, PHR &A's Transportation Engineer, said that his traffic analysis indicated that this property would be able to support 800,000 square foot of employment uses with a two -lane access at Route 50 with additional turn lanes and traffic signals. Mr. Kennedy felt that four -lane roads would act as a magnet to attract trips and go beyond the collector road function. He said that PHR &A would like to work with VDOT and the County to find a solution that 3603 5 allows for the regional access, but also allows for the site traffic demand. The Commissioners said that they were not requesting a commitment on the developer's part to build a four -lane road, only that the roads be designed on the plan so that it would be possible to connect them in the future if traffic warranted. Mr. Tom Dickinson, attorney representing the owners, said that they did not have any problems showing the connection to adjoining properties and he felt any problems could be worked out. DISCUSSION WITH DAVID M. SMITH, JR. REGARDING A MULTIPLEX RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SUNNYSIDE AREA. No Action Staff noted that the plan proposed by Mr. Smith would need variances from the normal road efficiency buffer requirement of 80' and from the setback requirement of 20' from parking areas /driveways. Though not labeled on the plan, the parking areas proposed were in the form of circular driveways. Staff said that before requesting these variances from the Board of Zoning Appeals, the applicant would like to get the Commission's reaction to his proposal. The concept was to have condominium -type ownership of the property, rather than to divide the property into individual lots requiring a road built to state standards. Staff also noted that the Subdivision Ordinance restriction on the length of an access route from a state- maintained road (500) is exceeded in the plan. And finally, it was noted that the Fire Marshal has stated that the 12 foot lane shown on the plan was not wide enough for fire vehicles. Mr. David M. Smith, Jr., the owner, presented his proposal to the Commission and addressed some of the concerns raised. Mr. Charles Maddox, Engineer with G. W. Clifford & Associates, was also present to speak in favor of Mr. Smith's proposal. The Planning Commission recognized the positive aspects of the proposal: the density proposed was lower than what was permitted by the ordinance, the housing units were naturally buffered from adjacent single- family development, and the site had its own separate access. They felt that the overall concept reflected what was intended by the RP ordinance to allow diversity in housing types and was suited for this particular parcel; however, the concerns raised by the staff still needed to be addressed as well as the issue of compatibility of the multiplex units next to a single - family development. No formal action was taken by the Commission at this time. 3604 M DISCUSSION WITH G.W. CLIFFORD & ASSOCIATES REGARDING A PROPOSED 250 - UNIT TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT OFF OF VALLEY MILL ROAD No Action Mr. Charles W. Maddox, Jr. of G.W. Clifford & Associates, presented the proposal to the Commission. Mr. Maddox said that they were proposing a 247 -unit townhouse development on a 32 acre site, zoned RP, located off Valley Mill Road. The parcel adjoins the Wilkins tract (to the south) which was considered earlier for apartment and townhouse units. The Commission's concerns were basically the same as those for the Wilkin's development, since the development proposals were adjacent to each other. They were concerned about problems associated with increased traffic and the potential for drainage problems in the area with additional development. Commissioners felt the potential existed here for regional stormwater management and road network planning and it was a good opportunity for the two property owners to develop a joint proposal on dealing with the problems associated with this area. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE 1995 FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF RURAL ROUTES Action - Approved Mr. Wyatt said that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has directed VDOT to update the functional classification for urban and rural routes throughout the state. He said that VDOT has completed their comprehensive review of all state routes within Virginia and has provided Frederick County with a copy of the 1995 Functional Classification Plan. This plan is part of the state's planning effort and is in conjunction with the Intermodal Surface transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). Mr. Wyatt said that ISTEA has authorized the development of a National Highway System (NHS) and the purpose of the NHS is to provide an interconnected system of principal arterial routes which will serve major population centers. Mr. Wyatt presented a list of primary and secondary routes that have been reclassified from VDOT's 1990 Functional Classification Plan and a copy of the 1992 Frederick County Functional Classification Plan for the Planning Commission's consideration. The Planning Commission had concerns that reclassification of state routes 3605 7 would effect the state's funding of primary and secondary roads. The Commission felt that they could concur with the reclassification plan provided that the funding of primary and secondary road projects followed current practices. Upon motion made by Mr. Marker and seconded by Mr. Thomas, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Frederick County Planning Commission does hereby unanimously recommend approval of the 1995 Functional Classification Plan, however, the Commission does oppose any change in funding or funding mechanisms for future primary and secondary road improvements in Frederick County. 1992 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT The staff presented the 1992 Annual Report for the Department of Planning & Development. The report contained information concerning the state of the County, current planning issues, development and land use proposals that have been approved, and planning progress during the previous year. No action was taken by the Planning Commission. STATUS OF THE ALTERNATE WASTEWATER TREATMENT STUDY The staff brought the Commission up -to -date on the Alternate Wastewater Treatment Study for the Clearbrook /Brucetown and Roundhill Community Centers. Mr. Tierney noted that a consulting firm had been selected and contract details should be worked out within the next few weeks. He said that a report should be available within 90 days after the contract was finalized. He added that the Health Department's report on the septic survey was available for anyone who may be interested. FUNDING FOR PARKS AND RECREATION Mr. Watkins presented a memo from Lanny Bise, Planner II, which was a response to a request by the Commission for information on the percentage of total capital improvements funds that other localities allocate towards Parks and Recreation facilities. Chairman Golladay accepted the report for the Commission's information. 3606 E3 OTHER (FREDERICK WOODS) Mr. Thomas brought the Commission's attention to the fact that Frederick Woods' developers have removed much more of the woodland area than indicated on their master plan. He said that they have also bulldozed soil halfway up trees, which will result in many trees dying. Mr. Thomas suggested that the Commission may want to incorporate some method for enforcing the 25% disturbance /steep slope disturbance policy in the ordinance. ADJOURNMENT No further business remained to be discussed and the meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Robert W. Watkins, Secretary Ja es W. Golladay, Jr., C, • 'rman 3607