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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 1 of 10 STAFF SUMMARY OF Z17-13 PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (MODIFICATION) APPLICATION APPLICATION SUMMARY Case Number: Z17-13 Request: To modify the conditions of the Northchase Planned Development in order to allow for an additional driveway access to N. College Road. Applicant: Property Owner(s): Shane Lippard of Right Angle Engineering, PC McCormick Ventures, LLC Location: Acreage: 4616 Coddington Loop 1.15 PID(s): Comp Plan Place Type: R02611-001-009-000 Employment Center Current Zoning: Existing Land Use: Planned Development (PD) Undeveloped Proposed Zoning: Planned Development (PD) SURROUNDING AREA LAND USE ZONING North Child Care Facility PD East Office/Warehouse, Contractor Offices PD South Undeveloped PD West Single-Family Residential PD Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 2 of 10 ZONING HISTORY July 7, 1972 Initially zoned R-15 (Area 8B) July 1, 1985 Property rezoned to Planned Development (PD) (Z-231) COMMUNITY SERVICES Water/Sewer CFPUA water and sewer services are available Fire Protection New Hanover County Fire Services, New Hanover County Northern Fire District, New Hanover County Murrayville Station Schools Castle Hayne Elementary, Eaton Elementary, Trask Middle, and Laney High Schools Recreation Olsen Park CONSERVATION, HISTORIC, & ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES Conservation No known conservation resources Historic No known historic resources Archaeological No known archaeological resources TRANSPORTATION  Access is provided to the subject property by Northchase Parkway NE (SR 2652) and Coddington Loop Road, a private road. Traffic Counts Road Location Volume Capacity V/C LOS N. College Road Blue Clay to Parmele 10,242 16,200 0.63 C N. College Road Castle Hayne Road to Old Oakland 8,122 16,200 0.50 A/B Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 3 of 10 Nearby Planned Transportation Improvements and Traffic Impact Analyses Regional Transportation Plans:  The NHC/City of Wilmington Greenway Plan recommends that a greenway network be installed in the surrounding area, including a bicycle lane along the portion of N. College Road adjacent to the subject property. Nearby Traffic Impact Analyses: Traffic Impact Analyses are completed in accordance with the WMPO and NCDOT standards. Approved analyses will expire if the proposed development is not completed by the build out date established within the TIA. Listed below are projects within a one-mile radius from the subject site that are currently drafting a TIA or have completed a TIA within the last five years. Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 4 of 10  APPROVED TIAs: Proposed Development Land Use/Intensity TIA Status 1. Cape Landing Subdivision  126 Single-family dwellings  TIA Approved December 21, 2017  2021 Build Out Year The TIA required improvements be completed at the intersection of N. College Road and Blue Clay Road. The major improvement consisted of:  Extension of an eastbound right turn lane on Blue Clay Road, and restriping of existing lane on N. College Road. The improvements have not been completed at this time. Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA:  Cape Fear Community College North Campus Expansion Development Status: Phase I, consisting of 62 lots, has been constructed. 2. State Employees’ Credit Union  8,526 square foot bank with drive-thru.  TIA Approved December 17, 2015  2017 Build Out Year The TIA required improvements be completed at certain intersections in the area. The major improvement consisted of:  Installation of an eastbound right turn lane on Northchase Parkway SE at the site access. In addition, NCDOT denied a driveway access to N. College Road from the subject site. The project is currently under construction. Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA:  None Development Status: Under Construction Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 5 of 10 3. Cape Fear Community College – North Campus  733,000 square feet of buildings, an athletic field and an increase in student population from 2,846 students to 4,268. o Phase I: Two buildings totaling 138,000 square feet.  TIA approved October 10, 2013  Phase 1: 2015 Build Out Year, Full Build Out: 2033 The TIA required improvements to be made at certain intersections in the area. The major improvements consisted of:  Installation of multiple turn lanes on Sidbury Road at two of the three access points. Per NCDOT, the improvements required at this time have been installed in accordance with their standards. Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA:  Exton Park (114 townhome development)  Parsons Mills (354 unit residential subdivision) Development Status: Phase I has been constructed. ENVIRONMENTAL  The property does not contain any Special Flood Hazard Areas, wetlands, or Natural Heritage Areas.  The subject property is within the Prince George Creek (C;Sw) watershed.  Per the Classification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank Suitability, soils on the property consist of Class II (moderate limitation) and Class III (severe limitation) soils. PROPOSED MODIFICATION This application proposes to modify the conditions of the Northchase Planned Development. Similar to conditional zoning districts, planned developments are approved with a master plan which illustrates the general design and layout of the development. Approved planned developments must be constructed in accordance with the approved master plan, with only minor changes capable of being approved by staff. Requests for major changes, like this application, must follow the same review process as a new rezoning application, which includes public hearings with the Planning Board and Board of Commissioners. The Northchase Planned Development, consisting of approximately 700 acres, was originally approved in 1985. As part of that approval, the development was limited to six access points to N. College Road; which are highlighted on the map below. The six access points connect to an internal street network that provides access to all of the properties within Northchase, including both the residential and commercial portions of the development. Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 6 of 10 Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 7 of 10 The applicant is requesting to install an additional driveway access point to N. College Road from a 1.15-acre parcel located at 4616 Coddington Loop Road. The subject property is currently classified as “Commercial” on the Northchase Master Plan, which would allow for land uses permitted in the B-1 and B-2 zoning districts. The applicant states that a driveway at this location would improve business visibility, access, and deliveries by large trucks. When the subject property was first created through a subdivision plat in 1999, access was provided to the property by a 30-foot access easement, where a driveway was previously installed connecting to Northchase Parkway NE. In 2007, a document was recorded in the Register of Deeds that abandoned that easement and dedicated a new 50-foot easement in order for the subject property to utilize Coddington Loop for access and utility purposes (Book 5160, Page 1614). Two properties located directly north of the subject property already use Coddington Loop as their sole access. The location of the proposed driveway would be approximately 300 feet north of the intersection of N. College Road and Northchase Parkway NE. Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 8 of 10 Proposed Driveway Plan 2016 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN The New Hanover County Future Land Use Map provides a general representation of the vision for New Hanover County’s future land use, as designated by place types describing the character and function of the different types of development that make up the community. Specific goals of the Comprehensive Plan are designated to be promoted in each place type, and other goals may be relevant for particular properties. Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 9 of 10 Future Land Use Map Place Type Employment Center Place Type Description Serves as employment and production hub where office and light industrial uses predominate. Can also include residential, civic, and recreational uses, but should be clearly delineated from rural and conservation areas. Commercial uses designed to serve the needs of the employment center are appropriate. Analysis The Comprehensive Plan does not specifically address access management along roadways, and the place type description offers limited guidance for evaluating the applicant’s petition. Employment Center areas are primarily intended to accommodate high job generating businesses. Residential and commercial uses are encouraged in these areas in order to provide nearby housing for workers at those businesses and needed services for those workers. Ideally, commercial uses in this place type are not intended to serve the general motoring public. The existing direct access points on N. College Rd. effectively serve the Employment Center's business and other uses while reducing the likelihood of traffic congestion common on many of the County’s roads (Market St., S. College Rd., Carolina Beach Rd.) where frequent driveway cuts exist. Maintaining limits on driveway cuts on N. College Rd. is especially important given the location of the anticipated high growth area around CFCC North Campus, immediately north of the Employment Center area. High growth and high density without access control on the primary through-road has the potential to increase congestion and roadway conflicts. Consistency Recommendation The proposed access point is in general NOT CONSISTENT with the purpose and intent of the Comprehensive Plan. Allowing additional access points to N. College Rd. will contribute to more opportunities for traffic conflicts on a key arterial to an anticipated growth node. PLANNING BOARD ACTION The Planning Board considered this application at their January 11, 2018 meeting. At the meeting the Board discussed the need for the proposed driveway, how the driveway would affect the safety of the motorists traveling on N. College Road, and NCDOT’s position on the driveway. No one from the public spoke in favor of, or in opposition to, the proposal. The Planning Board recommended denial (4-0) of the application, concluding that it is: 1. Not consistent with the purposes and intent of the 2016 Comprehensive Plan because the proposed driveway will contribute to more traffic conflicts on a key arterial street to an anticipated growth node. 2. Not reasonable and not in the public interest because the proposed driveway will add an additional conflict point on N. College Road, thereby increasing the opportunities for traffic congestion and decreasing the overall safety of the road. In addition, the proposed Z17-13 Staff Summary BOC 3.12.2018 Page 10 of 10 driveway will not improve the access or vehicular circulation to neighboring commercial properties within Northchase as they are already served by an existing internal roadway network. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff concurs with the Planning Board’s action and also recommends denial of this application. The current roadway network in Northchase, which limits driveways to N. College Road, allows for better flow of the road by reducing conflict points. In addition, the property already has access to an internal roadway network that serves every commercial/industrial property located within the development; approximately 250 parcels of land. The proposed driveway will not improve the access or vehicular circulation to the neighboring properties that already utilize the existing internal roadway network. Staff also has concerns that allowance of an additional driveway at the subject property could start a precedent for adjacent property owners to seek the same request. Overall, the proposed driveway will only provide benefit to the subject property while increasing the opportunities for traffic congestion and additional driveways in a planned development that was designed to minimize conflict points on an arterial street by providing a sufficient and effective internal street network that every existing business has utilized for their sole access. Staff requested input from NCDOT regarding this application, and they stated “every additional driveway along Wilmington’s already congested major corridors represents an additional conflict point creating undue impairment of safety, mobility, and utility of the highway…” Further, NCDOT’s “Policy On Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways” stipulates that NCDOT may deny access to the adjacent public roadway from “out lots” or “out parcels” of a larger development where reasonable access can be provided via the larger development’s internal circulation system. It is NCDOT’s stance that this subject parcel is part of the overall larger development and therefore should be served internally. NCDOT’s full position on this application is included in the Planning Board’s packet, in email correspondence sent to staff on December 14th.