S19-03 Staff Report PB 11.7.2019S19-03 Staff Report PB 11.7.2019 Page 1 of 9
STAFF REPORT FOR S19-03
SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
APPLICATION SUMMARY
Case Number: S19-03
Request:
SUP to allow for the operation of a child care center as part of the New Beginning Christian
Church facility, within the R-20, Residential District
Applicant: Property Owner(s):
Robert L. Campbell New Beginnings Christian Church
Location: Acreage:
3120 Alex Trask Drive 4.7 acres
PID(s): Comp Plan Place Type:
R03308-002-009-000;
Portion of R03300-003-002-000 Community Mixed Use
Existing Land Use: Proposed Land Use:
Church Church with child care center
Current Zoning:
R-20
SURROUNDING AREA
LAND USE ZONING
North Single-Family Residential (Ivy Woods) R-10
East Undeveloped, Single-Family Residential (Ivy Woods), N.
Kerr Industrial Park, Undeveloped R-10, I-2, PD
South Undeveloped, Single-Family Residential (Rachel’s Place) (CUD) R-10, (CZD) R-10
West Church (Gospel Fellowship Holiness), Single-Family
Residential (Wrightsboro Acres), Nursery (Tinga) R-20
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ZONING HISTORY
July 1, 1974 Initially zoned R-20 (Area 10A)
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Water/Sewer Water and sewer is currently provided by CFPUA.
Fire Protection New Hanover County Fire Services, New Hanover County Northern Fire
District, New Hanover County Station Wrightsboro
Schools Wrightsboro Elementary, Eaton Elementary, Holly Shelter Middle, and New
Hanover High Schools
CONSERVATION, HISTORIC, & ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Conservation No known conservation resources
Historic No known historic resources
Archaeological No known archaeological resources
ZONING CONSIDERATIONS
The applicant is seeking to obtain a special use permit to operate Brighter Beginnings Early
Learning Center, a child care center, at the New Beginning Christian Church, with two
components; 1) a child care center serving children from ages 2-12 and 2) an after school
program serving elementary to middle school-aged children.
The proposed use is considered a “child care center”, in the Zoning Ordinance. Child care
centers are places where there are three or more preschool-age children or nine or more
school-age children receiving child care.
According to the applicant, the Early Learning Center will serve children from ages 2 through
12, Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, to better prepare the children for
school readiness. The applicant has indicated that this program will have a maximum
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capacity of 52 children. In addition, the fellowship hall will be designated for the afterschool
program, with a maximum capacity of 50 students. In total, the proposed facility will have
a total capacity for 102 children and have 10 full-time staff members. All of the facilities
will be within the existing church building. No new buildings are proposed with this special
use permit.
The Early Learning Center will also offer after school programs for elementary and middle
school aged students. Around 2:00 PM, the two Early Learning Center transportation vans
will depart from the subject site to travel to Castle Hayne Elementary, Wrightsboro
Elementary, and Murrayville Elementary schools to pick up children participating in the
afterschool program. These vans will use the existing unimproved roadway that connects to
Blue Clay Road rather than exiting the site via Holland Drive or Old Mill Road.
All children will be picked up by their guardians between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Pick up
time is staggered throughout the afternoon and early evening with the program closing at
6:00 pm.
Below: Existing parking facility with direct access to Blue Clay Road
Based upon the Church’s weekday schedule, there will be no overlap or conflict between
the Early Learning Center’s operations and the Church’s. The Church hosts an Adult Bible
Study that meets on Tuesdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and choir practice takes place on
Thursdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. All other Church related operations take place on the
weekends, outside of the proposed hours of operation for the Early Learning Center.
In addition, Gospel Fellowship Holiness is directly across from New Beginning on Alex Trask
Drive. The two churches have peak traffic on weekends, helping reduce traffic on weekdays.
New Beginning initially obtained site plan approval in 2010 to operate as a church, a
permitted use by-right in the R-20 district. The church subsequently modified the site plan,
and obtained approval in 2013 to construct additional grass/gravel parking spaces and a
stormwater facility. The existing parking facility is sufficient to serve both the church and the
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child care operation, as the Early Learning Center will operate when normal church services
are not conducted.
TRANSPORTATION
The subject site is currently accessed by two existing driveways located along the eastern
side of Alex Trask Drive. According to the applicant, staff will transport students from the
surrounding schools to their after school program, and will utilize an unimproved roadway
off of Blue Clay Road to drop the children off at the Early Learning Center.
The below trip generation reflects the total square footage within the existing church that
will be utilized for the child care center.
The proposed child care center is estimated to generate about 70 trips in both the AM
and PM peak weekday hours. The center’s peak times are outside of the normal peak
hours for church activities.
Because the proposed child care center does not meet the threshold to require a TIA to
analyze the traffic impacts, staff has provided the volume to capacity ratio for Blue Clay
Road near the subject site. While volume to capacity ratio, based on average daily trips,
can provide a general idea of the function of adjacent roadways, the delay vehicles take
in seconds to pass through intersections is generally considered a more effective measure
when determining the Level of Service of a roadway. However, the available volume to
capacity data indicates capacity currently exists in this area to support the expected
additional traffic.
Traffic Counts – August 2018
Road Location Volume Capacity V/C LOS
Blue Clay Road Between Kerr Avenue
and Old Mill Road 5,548 15,600 0.36 A
The WMPO recently completed traffic counts on Old Mill Road and Holland Drive in
October 2019. The counts indicate that both roads have current weekday traffic volumes
at about 10% of their capacity.
LAND USE INTENSITY AM PEAK PM PEAK
Day Care Center (ITE 565) 6,000 square feet 70 71
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Nearby Planned Transportation Improvements and Traffic Impact Analyses
Nearby NC STIP Projects:
STIP Project U-5863
o Project to widen Castle Hayne Road from I-140 to MLK Parkway.
o Current production schedule for this project is to begin right-of-way acquisition in
2020 and bidding of the project in 2022. However, the draft STIP, which will be
finalized in September, has moved the dates for right-of-way acquisition to 2021
and bidding of the project to 2024.
o This project will widen Castle Hayne Road by adding a center turn lane or median
to certain sections of the Road.
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Nearby Traffic Impact Analyses:
Traffic Impact Analyses are completed in accordance with the WMPO and NCDOT standards.
Approved analyses must be re-examined by NCDOT if the proposed development is not completed by
the build out date established within the TIA.
Proposed Development Land Use/Intensity TIA Status
1. Trasco Distribution
Center (FedEx) Distribution Center Approved June 18, 2015
2016 Build Out Year
The TIA required improvements must be completed at certain intersections in the area. The
notable improvements consisted of:
Installation of a westbound right turn lane and signal modifications at North Kerr Avenue
and Castle Hayne Road.
Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA:
None
Development Status: The commercial development is completed and the required roadway
improvements have been installed.
Proposed Development Land Use/Intensity TIA Status
2. Rachel’s Place 154 single-family dwellings Approved October 22, 2015
2018 Build Out Year
The TIA required improvements must be completed at certain intersections in the area. The
notable improvements consisted of:
Constructing a north bound left turn lane on Blue Clay Road at the site access on Blue Clay
Road
Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA:
River Bluffs
Trasco Distribution Center
Riverside
Development Status: Construction is underway. Currently 92 zoning permits have been
issued for new homes within Rachel’s Place.
ENVIRONMENTAL
The property is not within a Natural Heritage Area or Special Flood Hazard Area.
The property is within the Ness 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 limitations) soils,
however, the site is already served by CFPUA water and sewer services.
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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. These place types are
intended to identify general areas for particular development patterns and should not be
interpreted as being parcel specific.
Future Land Use
Map Place Type Community Mixed Use
Place Type
Description
Focuses on small-scale, compact, mixed use development patterns that serve
all modes of travel and act as an attractor for county residents and visitors.
Types of appropriate uses include office, retail, mixed use, recreational,
commercial, institutional, and multi-family and single-family residential.
Analysis
The proposed child care center use would be located in an existing religious
assembly facility adjacent to an existing church (Gospel Fellowship Holiness)
and existing residential neighborhoods. The Comprehensive Plan
designated the subject property and adjacent undeveloped land along Blue
Clay Road as Community Mixed Use in order to provide an orderly
transition between existing single family residential homes and the industrial
park at the corner of Blue Clay Rd. and N. Kerr Ave. and other industrial
uses near the airport.
A daycare use is in line with both the institutional services intended for
Community Mixed Use areas and the types of supportive commercial, civic,
and recreational development allowed for in the adjacent General
Residential areas. Locating services in these areas is intended to provide
convenient support services for nearby residents.
Consistency
Recommendation
The proposed child care center use is generally CONSISTENT with the 2016
Comprehensive Plan because it provides child care services that can support
nearby residential neighborhoods, in line with the recommended mix of uses
for both Community Mixed Use and General Residential place types.
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STAFF PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS AND FINDINGS OF FACT:
Staff has conducted an analysis of the proposed use and the information provided as part of the
application package and has created preliminary findings of fact for each of the conclusions
required to be reached to approve the special use permit request. These preliminary findings of
fact and conclusions are based solely on the information provided to date, prior to any information
or testimony in support or opposition to the request that may be presented at the upcoming public
hearing at the Board meeting.
Conclusion 1: The Board must find that the use will not materially endanger the public health
or safety where proposed and developed according to the plan as submitted and approved.
A. Water and sewer services will be provided by CFPUA and will be provided and designed
in accordance with CFPUA’s standards.
B. The subject property is located in the New Hanover County North Fire Service District.
C. The site is accessed from Holland Drive (SR 1358) and Old Mill Road (SR 2148), which
provide direct connections to Blue Clay Road (SR 1318) and Castle Hayne Road (NC HWY
133).
D. The proposed child care center is estimated to generate about 70 trips in both the AM
and PM peak hours. The 2018 volume to capacity data, provided by the WMPO,
indicates capacity currently exists in this area to support the expected additional traffic.
E. The child care center must be licensed with the North Carolina Department of Health and
Human Services and comply with additional regulations imposed by the agency.
Conclusion 2: The Board must find that the use meets all required conditions and specifications
of the Zoning Ordinance.
A. The site is zoned R-20, Residential District.
B. Child care centers are allowed by Special Use Permit in the R-20 zoning district.
C. The existing site complies with all applicable technical standards of the Zoning Ordinance
including buffering and parking requirements to accommodate the proposed child care
center. No additional site improvements are required.
Conclusion 3: The Board must find that the use will not substantially injure the value of
adjoining or abutting property or that the use is a public necessity.
A. The proposed child care center use would be located in an existing religious assembly
facility adjacent to an existing church (Gospel Fellowship Holiness). The surrounding area
contains a mixture of land uses including single-family residential, multi-family residential,
and commercial land uses.
B. No new construction is proposed to accommodate the proposed child care center operation.
C. No evidence has been submitted that this project will decrease the property values of
adjacent or nearby properties.
Conclusion 4: The Board must find that the location and character of the use if developed
according to the plan as submitted and approved will be in harmony with the area in which it
is to be located and in general conformity with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for New
Hanover County.
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A. The 2016 Comprehensive Plan classifies the subject site as Community Mixed Use. This place
type’s intent is to provide an orderly transition between existing single family residential
homes and the industrial park at the corner of Blue Clay Rd. and N. Kerr Ave. and other
industrial uses near the airport.
B. The proposed child care center use is generally consistent with the 2016 Comprehensive
Plan because it provides child care services that can support nearby residential
neighborhoods, in line with the recommended mix of uses for both Community Mixed Use
and General Residential place types.
EXAMPLE MOTIONS
Example Motion for Approval:
Motion to recommend approval, as the Board finds that this application for a Special Use Permit
meets the four required conclusions based on the findings of fact included in the Staff Report.
[OPTIONAL] Note any additional findings of fact related to the four required conclusions.
[OPTIONAL] Note any conditions be added to the development:
[List Conditions]
Example Motion for Denial:
Motion to recommend denial, as the Board cannot find that this proposal:
1. Will not materially endanger the public health or safety;
2. Meets all required conditions and specifications of the Zoning Ordinance;
3. Will not substantially injure the value of adjoining or abutting property;
4. Will be in harmony with the area in which it is to be located and in general conformity with
the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for New Hanover County.
[State the finding(s) that the application does not meet and include reasons why it is not being met]