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Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 1 of 14 STAFF REPORT FOR Z21-06 CONDITIONAL REZONING APPLICATION APPLICATION SUMMARY Case Number: Z21-06 Request: Rezoning to a Conditional R-5 district Applicant: Property Owner(s): Cindee Wolf with Design Solutions TF Holdings, Limited Partnership Location: Acreage: 3001 Blue Clay Road 7.59 PID(s): Comp Plan Place Type: R03312-003-034-000 Community Mixed Use Existing Land Use: Proposed Land Use: Undeveloped Performance Residential Development Current Zoning: Proposed Zoning: R-20 (CZD) R-5 SURROUNDING AREA LAND USE ZONING North Single-Family Residential (CZD) R-10 East N. Kerr Industrial Park I-2 South Industrial I-2 West Single-Family Residential R-20 Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 2 of 14 ZONING HISTORY July 1, 1974 Initially zoned R-20 (Area 10A) COMMUNITY SERVICES Water/Sewer Water and sewer services are available through CFPUA via mainline extension Fire Protection New Hanover County Fire Services, New Hanover County Northern Fire District, New Hanover County Wrightsboro Station Schools Wrightsboro Elementary, Holly Shelter Middle, and Laney High Schools Recreation Blue Clay Bike Park, Northern Regional Park at Castle Hayne, Cape Fear Optimist Park CONSERVATION, HISTORIC, & ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES Conservation No known conservation resources Historic No known historic resources Archaeological No known archaeological resources Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 3 of 14 APPLICANT’S PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL PLAN Includes Staff Markups • The applicant is proposing to construct a 50-unit townhome development. • The units will be located within 14 buildings containing three to four units each. The R-5 district permits the buildings to be a maximum of 40 feet tall. • In addition to accessing Blue Clay Road, the proposed streets within the development would connect to the Rachel’s Place subdivision to the north and Holland Drive to the west. • The proposal would include about 1.8 acres acres of open space, which exceeds the County’s requirement of providing 20% open space. ZONING CONSIDERATIONS • The R-20 district in this area was established in 1974. At the time, the purpose of the R-20 district was to provide lands that accommodate very low density housing and recreational uses in order to preserve the quiet residential nature of the areas included in the district. However, recent rezonings of nearby property have allowed increased density in the surrounding area along Blue Clay Road. • The Rachel’s Place subdivision, located directly north of the site, was rezoned to a conditional R-10 district in 2016. In addition, The Covenant senior housing project, located north of Rachel’s Place, was also rezoned to a conditional R-10 district and received a special use permit to exceed the maximum density of the district (3.3 du/ac) with an allowed density of 7.9 du/ac. • Under the County’s performance residential standards, the site would be permitted up to 14 dwelling units at a density of 1.9 du/ac. The proposed 50 units equate to an overall density of 6.6 du/ac. Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 4 of 14 AREA SUBDIVISIONS UNDER DEVELOPMENT Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 5 of 14 TRANSPORTATION • Access is proposed to be provided to the subject property from Blue Clay Road, an NCDOT- maintained minor arterial street, and Holland Drive/Long Leaf Drive, NCDOT-maintained local streets. In addition, the interconnected street network of the adjacent neighborhoods allows access to Castle Hayne Road from Holland Drive and Long Leaf Drive/Sheridan Drive. • The proposed developed will also connect to an existing road stub within the Rachel’s Place subdivision. • As currently zoned, it is estimated the site would generate about 15 trips during the peak hours if developed at the permitted density. The proposed development would increase the estimated number of peak hour trips by about 10-15 trips during the peak hours. • The estimated traffic generated from the site is under the 100 peak hour threshold that triggers the ordinance requirement for a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA). Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 6 of 14 • Because a TIA is not required to analyze transportation impacts, Staff has provided the volume to capacity ratio for the adjacent roadways 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. NCDOT Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) - 2019 Road Location Volume Capacity V/C Blue Clay Road North of N. Kerr Ave 6,100 10,978 0.56 N. Kerr Ave Castle Hayne Road to Blue Clay Road 9,500 18,000 0.52 Castle Hayne Road North of N. Kerr Ave 17,000 16,803 1.01 Intensity Approx. Peak Hour Trips Existing Development: Undeveloped 0 AM / 0 PM Typical Development under Current Zoning: 14 Single-Family Dwellings 15 AM / 15 PM Proposed Development: 50 Townhomes 25 AM / 32 PM Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 7 of 14 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 Division Drive. This project will add a center turn lane or median to sections of the road. o The project is currently scheduled to begin construction after 2029. Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 8 of 14 Nearby Traffic Impact Analyses: Traffic Impact Analyses (TIAs) 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. Wrightsboro Commons • 226 Multi-Family Units • TIA approved November 28, 2018 • 2023 Build Out Year The TIA requires improvements be completed at certain intersections in the area. The notable improvements consisted of: • Installation of a new signal plan at the intersection of N. Kerr Avenue and Castle Hayne Road. Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA: • Riverside Development Status: Project is currently being reviewed by the Technical Review Committee Proposed Development Land Use/Intensity TIA Status 2. Riverside • 165 Single-Family Dwellings • 72 Multi-Family Units • TIA approved August 13, 2015 • 2019 Build Out Year (no update required per NCDOT) The TIA requires improvements be completed at certain intersections in the area. The notable improvements consisted of: • Installation of an eastbound right turn lane on Riverside Drive at Castle Hayne Road. Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA: • River Bluffs • Trasco Distribution Center Development Status: Currently under construction. The required roadway improvement has not been installed at this time. ENVIRONMENTAL • The property does not contain any Special Flood Hazard Areas or Natural Heritage Areas. • The property is within the Ness Creek watershed. • Per the Classification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank Suitability, soils on the property consist of Class II (moderate limitation) soils. However, the site is expected to be served by CFPUA when developed. Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 9 of 14 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS SCHOOLS • Students living in the proposed development would be assigned to Wrightsboro Elementary, Holly Shelter Middle, and Laney High Schools. Students may apply to attend public magnet, year-round elementary, or specialty high schools. • A maximum of 14 dwelling units would be permitted under the current R-20 zoning base density, and a maximum of 50 units could be developed under the proposed rezoning, resulting in an increase of 36 dwelling units. • Based on the current general student generation rate*, the increase in homes would result in approximately 8 additional students than would be generated under current zoning. • The general student generation rate provides only an estimate of anticipated student yield as different forms of housing at different price points yield different numbers of students. Over the past four years, staff has also seen a decline in the number of students generated by new development. Student numbers remained relatively stable between 2015 and 2020 (excepting the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic), while 14,500 new residential units were permitted across the county. In addition, the student population is anticipated to only grow by approximately 1,300 students over the next 10 years based on the recent New Hanover County Schools Facility Needs Study. Development Type Intensity Estimated Student Yield (current general student generation rate)* Existing Development Undeveloped Approximate** Total: 0 (0 elementary, 0 middle, 0 high) Typical Development Under Current R-20 Zoning 14 residential units Approximate** Total: 3 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high) Proposed (CZD) R-5 Zoning 50 residential units Approximate** Total: 11 (5 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high) *The current general student generation rate was calculated by dividing the projected New Hanover County public school student enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year by the number of dwelling units in the county. Currently, there are an average of 0.22 public school students (0.09 for elementary, 0.05 for middle, and 0.08 for high) generated per dwelling unit across New Hanover County. These numbers are updated annually and include students attending out-of-district specialty schools, such as year-round elementary schools, Isaac Bear, and SeaTech. **Because the student generation rate often results in fractional numbers, all approximate student generation yields with a fraction of 0.5 or higher are rounded up to a whole number and yields with a fraction of less than 0.5 are rounded down. This may result in student numbers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels not equaling the approximate total. • Given the size of the proposed development, it may have a build-out date within 5 years, so staff has outlined existing school capacity to provide a general estimate of the potential impact on public schools. These numbers do not reflect any future capacity upgrades that may occur over the next five years or trends in student population changes. Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 10 of 14 School Enrollment* and Capacity** (2021-2022 School Year) Level Total NHC Capacity School Projected Enrollment of Assignment School Capacity of Assigned School w/Portables Capacity of Assigned School Funded or Planned Capacity Upgrades Elementary 95% Wrightsboro 494 564 88% None Middle 108% Holly Shelter 965 934 103% None High 100% Laney 2125 2013 106% None *Enrollment is based on the New Hanover County Schools enrollment projections for the 2021-2022 school year. **Capacity calculations were determined based on the projected capacities for the 2021-2022 school year, and funded or planned capacity upgrades were those included in the Facility Needs Study presented by New Hanover County Schools to the Board of Education in January 2021. This information does not take into account flexible scheduling that may be available in high school settings, which can reduce the portion of the student body on campus at any one time. • The recent facility needs survey that has been prepared by Schools staff indicates that, based on NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) student growth projections and school capacity data, planned facility upgrades, combined with changes to student enrollment patterns, will result in adequate capacity district wide over the next five years if facility upgrades are funded. • Based on the small number of students likely to be generated by this proposal, existing school capacity, and planned facility upgrades district-wide, the proposed rezoning will likely have an insignificant impact on the local public schools. NEW HANOVER COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN • One of the goals of the New Hanover County Strategic Plan for 2018-2023 is to encourage the development of complete communities in the unincorporated county by increasing housing diversity and access to basic goods and services. • The proposed R-5 CZD zoning district would allow for an increase in housing diversity and would allow those residents to utilize existing goods and services within one mile of the subject property. • The predominant housing type in the area is single family detached at 88%. Under the proposed R-5 district the site would allow for single family attached (townhomes) and increase housing type diversity by reducing the percentage of single family detached (88% to 87%) and increasing the percentage of single family attached residences (1% to 3%). Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 11 of 14 • The subject property is located in the Wrightsboro community area, where 39% of residents currently live within one-mile of a convenience need (grocery store, retail staples, pharmacies, etc.), a support service (urgent care, primary doctor’s office, child & adult care, etc.), and a community facility (public park, school, museum etc.). The proposed R-5 district would increase the number of residences within one-mile of goods and services (39% to 40%). REPRESENTATIVE DEVELOPMENTS Representative Developments of R-20: Holland Drive Long Leaf Drive Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 12 of 14 Representative Developments of R-5: Marsh Oaks Plantation Village Context and Compatibility • The property is located on a minor arterial street with available capacity. • The property abuts industrial zoning to the south, and the N. Kerr Industrial Park is located across Blue Clay Road to the east. • Recent rezonings have increased density of nearby properties along Blue Clay Road. • The development is designed to provide interconnectivity with the existing neighborhoods. Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 13 of 14 2016 COMPREHENSIVE 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 Comprehensive Plan classifies the property along the surrounding area’s major road corridors (Blue Clay Road, Castle Hayne Road, and N. Kerr Ave) as Community Mixed Use. It is the intent of the plan to allow moderate to high densities along these corridors while also providing a transition between the existing lower density housing and the higher intensity employment centers (N. Kerr Industrial Park, Airport Commerce areas). The subject site is specifically located adjacent to the N. Kerr Industrial Park and industrial zoning. The proposed townhomes will help provide a transition from these higher intensity areas to the existing single-family neighborhoods located west of the site. The proposal is also in line with the preferred density range for the Community Mixed Use place type and supports the Comprehensive Plan’s goal to provide for a range of housing types. Z21-06 Staff Report PB 5.6.2021 Page 14 of 14 Consistency Recommendation The proposed rezoning for a townhome development is generally CONSISTENT with the Comprehensive Plan because the proposed density is in line with the recommended ranges outlined for Community Mixed Use areas, the project will provide a transition between a major road corridor with industrial development and existing lower density housing, and because the proposal will increase the range of housing types in the area. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval and suggests the following motion: I move to APPROVE the proposed rezoning to a Conditional R-5 district. I find it to be CONSISTENT with the purposes and intent of the Comprehensive Plan because the proposed density is in line with those recommended for the Community Mixed Use Place type, and the project will provide an appropriate transition between a major road corridor with industrial development and existing low density housing. I also find APPROVAL of the rezoning request is reasonable and in the public interest because the proposal supports the County’s goals of providing for a range of housing types and opportunities for households of different sizes and income levels. [Optional] Note any conditions to be added to the district. Alternative Motion for Denial I move to DENY the proposed rezoning to a Conditional R-5 district. While I find it to be CONSISTENT with the purposes and intent of the Comprehensive Plan because the proposed density is in line with those recommended for the Community Mixed Use Place type, and the project will provide an appropriate transition between a major road corridor with industrial development and existing low density housing, I find DENIAL of the rezoning request is reasonable and in the public interest because the proposal is not consistent with the desired character of the surrounding community and the density will adversely impact the adjacent neighborhoods.