The Yard TRC Comments
The Yard – Commercial Site Plan – TRC Review
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To: Andy Mueller – BL Companies (amueller@blcompanies.com)
From: Amy Doss
Current Planner
Date: April 19, 2023
Energov #: SITECN-23-000018
PID: R04000-003-013-000, R04000-003-020-000, R04000-0030018-000, R04000-003-021-
000, R04000-003-019-000
Subject: The Yard – Warehouses – 2840 Highway 421 – Commercial Site Plan – TRC Review
The following comments have been received for the April 19, 2023, TRC meeting.
Please note: following the TRC meeting, a revised site plan addressing each of the below items must be
resubmitted prior to receiving approval.
Planning, Amy Doss 910-798-7571
Please update the plan with the following general corrections:
1. Zoning: I-2, Heavy Industrial.
2. Use: The defined use is WAREHOUSING: The storing of goods, wares, and merchandise within an
enclosed building, whether for the owners or others. There is little on-site sales activity with the
customer present. Uses include: cold storage facilities (including frozen food lockers); distribution
warehouses (used primarily for temporary storage pending distribution in response to customer
orders); storage warehouses (used for storage by retail stores such as furniture and appliance
stores); warehouse storerooms; or similar uses.
3. General Comments:
a. Please change the title to Commercial Site Plan.
b. Please label ADA accessible ramps on sidewalks.
c. Please show the location of all signs and note any proposed sign is subject to Section 5.6.
of the UDO. Thank you for providing the sign legend, are any additional signs proposed at
this time?
d. Please label all open spaces.
e. Please label all fences and walls used for screening or decorative purposes (including
height and material). Perimeter fence detail provided on DN-2, are any other fences
proposed?
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f. Please ensure all loading spaces, dumpsters, outdoor storage areas, and ground level
mechanical equipment are clearly labeled.
g. Please label all pedestrian circulation areas including sidewalks.
h. Please label water and sewer services (including type, size).
i. Please label wells and septic systems including repair area.
j. Please label all storm pipes, sewer pipes, water pipes, underground utilities, manholes,
monitoring wells, and drainage features.
k. Please label stormwater management features.
l. Please label fire hydrants and fire apparatus access to buildings.
m. Please label all radii.
4. Landscape notes:
a. Please provide a detailed landscape plan schedule illustrating the requirements for interior
landscaping, street yards, foundation planting, and buffers have been met. Specifically,
foundation planting calculations are not shown on the site plan.
5. Tree Retention:
a. Please be aware that a Tree Removal Permit is required prior to any land disturbance
activities. Please provide the specific species (Loblolly Pine, Long Leaf Pine, etc.) of the
trees to be removed or retained to determine required mitigation.
b. Please apply for a Tree Removal Permit if any trees are proposed to be removed.
c. Please note Section 5.3.7.E of the County’s UDO may apply. Properties zoned I-2 located
along the Hwy 421 corridor between the Isabel Holmes Bridge to the south, the Pender
County line to the north, the Cape Fear River to the west, and the Northeast Cape Fear
River to the east are not required to mitigate removed Significant and Specimen trees
within the development envelope of a project as long as existing tree coverage outside the
development envelope is retained in accordance with Table 5.3.7.E below. Such areas of
retained trees must be in a strip or patch and be depicted and labeled on approved site
plans. These properties shall still meet all requirements of Section 5.4, Landscaping and
Buffering or, if the Planning Director determines that required plantings cannot be
accommodated on the site, pay an in-lieu fee as described in D above.
d. Please clearly illustrate what trees are being preserved and what trees are proposed to
remain.
e. All specimen trees located within subject tract are required to be illustrated as well. UDO
Section 5.3.5.C The removal of any specimen tree is prohibited on any parcel unless
exempt according to Section 10.3.11, Variance Zoning and Subdivision. If a specimen tree
is removed without a permit, the penalty for this violation shall be twice the mitigation
fee.
f. Please be aware that there are optional incentives for retaining trees on site, UDO Section
5.3.8.A.2.
g. Please see the chart below indicating the documented, significant, and specimen trees
regulated by the County.
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h. Per UDO Section 5.3.4.C, of the UDO requires a minimum of 15 trees at least 2” DBH must
be retained or planted on the parcel where development occurs for each acre or
proportionate area disturbed. Please add a note to the Landscape Plan showing has this
requirement has been met.
Please note that required landscaping for the project can be credited to meet this
requirement, however, required landscaping does not count towards mitigation, if
applicable.
i. Per UDO Section 5.3.6.B, please be aware that prior to any construction activity
protection fencing is required around protected trees or tree stands. The fencing shall be
a minimum of four feet and shall remain in place through completion of construction
activities.
j. Tree inventory plans are required to reflect the trees being retained and the trees being
removed clearly. Please see the example below, which illustrate the trees with the X’s
being removed and the trees and the trees being preserved showing the protection in the
correct placement.
k. Please include the tree data within a table as shown below.
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6. Please be aware that no building permit will be issued until NCDOT has issued the Driveway Permit
approval.
7. Parking/Loading:
a. Please provide a typical parking space detail to demonstrate dimensions comply with UDO
Table 5.1.4.B.
b. Please provide dimensions of parking lot aisle to demonstrate compliance with UDO Table
5.1.4.B.
c. Please show the location of any off-street loading berths if present on site, please refer to
Section 5.1.5 of the UDO for the specifications.
8. Lighting:
a. Before the building permit can be issued, a lighting plan must be provided to illustrate that
street lighting, all exterior lighting, and indoor lighting visible from outside shall be
designed and located so that the maximum illumination measured in foot candles at
ground level at a residential lot line does not surpass 0.5, UDO Section 5.5. Please refer to
Table 5.5.4.B of the UDO for additional standards. Provide documentation from the lighting
provider stating they will provide a lighting plan to comply with the County’s UDO
standards as stated above.
Fire Services, Ray Griswold 910-798-7448
1. Tree Line Properties - The Yard - 2830 N US HWY 421 - Large Warehouse Complex
2. I have rereviewed the site. The only outstanding issue is to adding an additional fire hydrant on
the backside of the 112,954 sq. ft on the 12 inch fire line fireline. Not knowing what will be
stored now or down the road in the future this will meet County Fire’s needs, including fire
hydrant numbers.
NHC Engineering, Galen Jamison 910-798-7072
1. A land disturbing and a stormwater permit issued by the County are required for this project.
Please submit for permits as the design is completed. Please check with NC DEQ for the
requirements of a state stormwater permit.
2. The existing offsite stormwater drainage coming from the north and west qualifies for NHC
Stormwater Services maintenance. A public drainage easement sized in accordance with NHC
Stormwater Manual will be required. Any construction of the offsite drainage conveyance
measures that will be maintained by the county will need to be observed during construction by
Stormwater Services and a turnover meeting scheduled once the system is ready to be
conveyed to the county. Please add a plan note to ensure county construction observation and a
turnover meeting occurs. Note, should the applicant elect to maintain the offsite drainage
themselves, deed restrictions shall indicate the operation and maintenance roles and
responsibilities for any conveyance measures required for offsite drainage. Should the design
include the offsite drainage, then the comment is moot.
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Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, Bernice Johnson 910-332-6620
1. CFPUA TRC Comments provided are preliminary comments only.
2. Utility Plan review required by CFPUA. CFPUA is moving toward becoming
paperless. When ready to submit plan review package, upload all documents to
https://www.cfpua.org/FormCenter/Engineering-3/Engineering-Plan-Review-103.
3. CFPUA water via a mainline extension; sewer available via forcemain to forcemain
connection.
4. Project is currently in CFPUA plan review.
NCDOT, Nick Drees/Mike Frank, 910-398-9100
1. A NCDOT Driveway permit has been submitted to NCDOT for review.
a. Further discussion will be needed for any associated improvements that may be
required.
2. No obstructions shall be placed within the NCDOT sight triangles.
3. Show/Label the 10’ X 70’ NCDOT sight triangles.
4. No obstructions shall be placed with the stopping site distance. Reference table 3-1 (for level
roadways only).
5. Driveway will need to be paved from edge of pavement to r/w line (minimum).
6. A NCDOT Encroachment Agreement is required for any utility connections or installations within
NCDOT right-of-way.
7. We need to see the width of the driveways.
8. Need to see an auto turn for WB-67 for any proposed driveway.
9. Are the entrances to be used as one is for trucks and one is for cars?
10. Need to show the proposed circulation for vehicles.
Environmental Health, Dustin Fenske 910-798-6732
1. Application states the site will connect to CFPUA water. Any existing wells on site must be
identified, protected during any demolition and properly abandoned. Proposed infrastructure
such as pump stations, force mains, storm water ponds or ditching must maintain setbacks to
any surrounding properties wells. The restaurant will need to submit plans and gain
approvals/permitting through Environmental Health Food Protection Division.
2. Application states the site will connect to CFPUA sewer. Any existing septic systems on site
must be identified and properly abandoned. Proposed infrastructure such as storm water ponds
or ditching must maintain setbacks to any surrounding properties septic systems.
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WMPO, Jamar Johnson 910-343-3915
Addressing, Katherine May 910-798-7443
1. Each new building and electric meter will need an address.
2. Contact Planning for address assignments following TRC approval.
USACE, Brad Shaver 910-251-4611
1. The site has an old Jurisdictional Determination (JD) from 2005 that technically expired in 2010.
The site plan reflects the previously approved line and the Corps would have no comments
provided that all of the work stayed within existing disturbed limits. If the new disturbance steps
outside that it may be beneficial to have the line spot checked and updated to make sure there
are no changes.
Comments not received at this time from:
Emergency Services & E911, Steven Still
NCDEQ, Chad Coburn
New Hanover Soil & Water, Dru Harrison
NCDEMLR, Dan Sams
DCM, Tanya Pietila
New Hanover County Schools, Laura Severt