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Z22-13 Staff ReportZ22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 1 of 17 STAFF REPORT FOR Z22-13 PLANNED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION APPLICATION SUMMARY Case Number: Z22-13 Request: Rezoning to a Conditional Planned Development (PD) district Applicant: Property Owner(s): Northside Baptist Church Northside Baptist Church Location: Acreage: 2501 N College Rd 21 PID(s): Comp Plan Place Type: R03400-01-013-005 Community Mixed Use Existing Land Use: Proposed Land Use: Church Church with addition of school Current Zoning: Proposed Zoning: (CZD) B-2, Regional Business (CZD) PD, Planned Development SURROUNDING AREA LAND USE ZONING North Single-Family Residential, Commercial R-15, CZD B-2 East Commercial Services (Circle K & AT&T facility) across N College Rd. B-2 South Single-Family Residential, Commercial R-15, B-2 West Single-Family Residential B-2 Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 2 of 17 ZONING HISTORY July 7, 1972 Initially zoned R-15 April 2, 2012 Approved rezoning case Z-915. Rezoned from R-15 to B-2 to accommodate on-site McDonald’s. COMMUNITY SERVICES Water/Sewer Water services are available through CFPUA. Sanitary sewer is available through CFPUA. Fire Protection New Hanover County Fire Services, New Hanover County Northern Fire District, New Hanover County Murrayville Station Schools Castle Hayne Elementary, Holly Shelter Middle, and Laney High Schools Recreation Blue Clay Bike Park & Northern Regional Park at Castle Hayne CONSERVATION, HISTORIC, & ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES Conservation No known conservation resources Historic No known historic resources Archaeological No known archaeological resources Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 3 of 17 APPLICANT’S PROPOSED MASTER PLAN Overview • The Planned Development (PD) district is a type of conditional zoning district that includes a site-specific design (master plan), and mutually agreed upon conditions can be attached. Master plans for PD districts are intended to be in a bubble format that illustrate the general location and intensity of the land uses within the development. Planned developments must be constructed in accordance with the standards established in the approved master plan and must comply with all other applicable development regulations (stormwater, landscaping, roadways, parking, etc.). Compliance with the master plan and other applicable regulations is verified during the review of a site specific development proposal located within the planned development. • The PD district was established to encourage innovative, integrated, and efficient land planning and site design concepts that achieve a high quality of development, environmental sensitivity, and adequate public facilities and services. The PD district can also provide more flexibility from conventional development standards, such as parking and street design, in order to help create a more mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development. UDO Section 3.3.7 – Planned Development (PD) District Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 4 of 17 Includes Staff Markups • The applicant is proposing to rezone approximately 21 acres to (CZD) PD in order to open a school. The school phase of this project consists of repurposing an existing 14,659 square foot building formerly used as a church into Northside Christian School. An additional, N C o l l e g e R d Bavarian Ln Proposed Site ingress for school Ow l s L n Re d H a w k R d Proposed School Building Proposed School Office Building Proposed Site egress for school Stormwater Pond (existing) Proposed build- out in future phases (not covered under this PD) Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 5 of 17 existing 5,000 square foot building on the property is proposed for use as an office for the school. All buildings on the property are currently used for church purposes. The large building on the northwestern portion of the property is the sanctuary, while the existing eastern buildings that parallel N College Rd are used for Sunday School and Youth Ministry. • Northside Christian School will open year one as kindergarten only. The following year, as the kindergartners move to first grade, the school will enroll a new class of kindergartners. This pattern will continue each year as the school expands until they reach the limit set by the Traffic Impact Analysis: 5 years or 400 students. At that point, another TIA would be required for the school to continue to expand. Both elementary and secondary schools are permitted by-right in the PD zoning district; therefore, future rezoning will not be required for the schools. • The long-term vision for the project includes additional phases, which are not currently included in the proposal under consideration. These will be separate uses from Northside Christian School and would require a modification of the Planned Development if approved. Community Benefit • The proposed development would serve as an expansion of Northside Baptist Church’s Education Ministry. This is part of the church’s goal in carrying out its vision of serving the community in spiritual, physical, recreational and community life. • The proposed school is intended to alleviate some of the pressure put on the public school system by the increase in population of the Cape Fear Region. • The proposed future uses in Phases II-IV including café, auto repair shop and fitness center are part of the church’s vision statement in their intent to serve the community. These phases are not covered under this PD rezoning. Conditions In accordance with the standards of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a Planned Development (PD) District includes a Terms and Conditions document that details any conditions of approval or proposed modifications to development standards. The following notable proposed conditions of the proposal are listed below. The full Terms and Conditions document is included in the application and will be incorporated with the Master Plan if the rezoning is approved. (Italicized text taken directly from application) 1) Conditions related to approval of the application for the master planned development zoning district classifications: a) Phase 1 on Master Plan to be completed upon approval of rezoning to Planned Development. Phases 2 thru 4 are listed as future development and cannot be started without an additional community meeting and a full TIA study encompassing these phases has been completed. b) The use and development of our property will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 6 of 17 c) The use and other regulations and condition approved may be amended or modified to align with county requirements. d) Approval of this rezoning does not give approval of the site plan. All required permits must occur before construction can begin. 2) References to the Master Development Plan, including any density/intensity standards dimensional standards and development standards: a) The Planned Development does not include residential units. The density requirements for residential units will not apply. b) The existing building as well as future buildings have been and will be developed in accordance with the county, state and federal building and environmental regulations. 3) Conditions related to the approval of the MDP Master Plan, including any conditions related to the form and design of development shown in MDP Master Plan: a) The subject property already has 2 paved access points connected to North College Road. b) The subject property also has 2 additional paved access points, one at the end of Owls Lane and one at the end of Red Hawk Road. c) There will be no gated access points. d) The development already has existing vegetation that was planted per county standards. As future structures are added additional vegetation will be added per county standards. 4) Provisions addressing how transportation, potable water, wastewater, storm water management, and other infrastructure will be provided to accommodate the prosed development: a) This proposed Planned Development already has paved roads established throughout the development. b) Stormwater management has already been installed (see attached map) c) Development is already serviced by Cape Fear Public Utilities for water and sewer. This includes our own sewer pumping station on property. 5) Provisions related to environmental protection and monitoring: a) Northside Baptist Church has in the past and will continue to follow all local, state, and federal regulation, laws, and ordinances. • Because Phases II-IV would require a modification of the PD District, the Terms and Conditions document may need to be modified to clarify this. Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 7 of 17 ZONING CONSIDERATIONS • The B-2 district is intended to provide for the proper site layout and development of larger format or larger structure size business uses, including big box stores and automobile dealers. It is also designed to provide for the appropriate location and design of auto- oriented uses that meet the needs of the motoring public or that rely on pass-by traffic. Common uses in this district include: Restaurants, hotels, large retailers (Best Buy, Walmart, etc.) and vehicle and equipment sales and service. • 2501 N College St was rezoned to B-2 on April 2, 2012 to accommodate an on-site McDonald’s on church-owned property. • Much of the surrounding area is developed for residential use and is zoned R-15. • The properties across N College St are zoned B-2 and used for commercial purposes. • The PD district was established to encourage innovative, integrated, and efficient land planning and site design concepts that achieve a high quality of development, environmental sensitivity, and adequate public facilities and services. The PD district can also provide more flexibility from conventional development standards, such as parking and street design, in order to help create a more mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development. • The UDO contains controls on exterior lighting on the site, and the maximum illumination levels at the common property line with the residential properties to the north shall not exceed 0.5 foot candles. The UDO does not prescribe limitations on the height, wattage, bulb-type, or fixture type, and these can be further limited with a conditional zoning request if mutually agreed upon by the applicant. • If approved, the project would be subject to Zoning Compliance review processes to ensure full compliance with all ordinance requirements and specific conditions included in the approval. Only minor deviations from the approved conceptual plan, as defined by the UDO, would be allowed. Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 8 of 17 AREA SUBDIVISIONS UNDER DEVELOPMENT Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 9 of 17 TRANSPORTATION • Access for Northside Christian School is proposed to be provided to the subject property by Red Hawk Rd, an NCDOT owned and maintained route. • Ingress for the School to Red Hawk Rd is full-movement from Bavarian Lane, also NCDOT owned and maintained. • Egress for the School is right-out on Southbound N College Rd. Traffic wishing to travel North on N College Rd will make a U-turn at the light located at the intersection of N College and Bavarian/Murrayville Rd. • Existing church traffic uses both points of ingress at N College and Red Hawk Rd. The below table outlines current traffic numbers for the church on Sundays. Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 10 of 17 Intensity Approx. Peak Hour Trips Existing Development Church 404 Sunday Initial Build First Year of School 90 AM / 68 PM Full Build Maximum School Capacity 498 AM / 364 PM Traffic Impact Analysis • New developments that are anticipated to generate more than 100 trips during any peak hour period are required to submit a traffic impact analysis (TIA) as part of their rezoning application. NCDOT conducts TIAs for new schools up to a certain threshold. The TIA for this project was finalized on February 8, 2022. • The finalized TIA analyzed the development of both the initial build-out of 70 students to full build-out of 400 students for Northside Christian School. The Church plans to add other uses to the Planned Development in the future, at which time the Traffic Analysis will be revisited. The TIA references the church but does not include the already existing church traffic generation as the days of use differ. • Per conversation with NCDOT, the church will be responsible for upfronting the cost for the roadway improvements and will be reimbursed by NCDOT. • The TIA approval requires the following notable roadway improvements prior to full school (5-years or 400 students) build-out: o Extend the southbound left turn lane to at least 450 feet long, and o Adjust the signal timing to compensate for the additional school traffic Extend the southbound left turn lane to at least 450 feet long Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 11 of 17 Nearby Planned Transportation Improvements and Traffic Impact Analyses Nearby NC STIP Projects: • STIP Project U-5881 o Upgrade of Gordon Rd to New Centre Drive. Proposed 2029 start date. • STIP Project U-6202 o Widen roadway from Market St to I-40. Proposed construction to begin in 2022 and finish in 2029. Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 12 of 17 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. Hawthorne at Smith Creek • 318 multi-family units • TIA approved February 7, 2019 • 2020 build out year The TIA requires improvements be completed at certain intersections in the area. The notable improvements consisted of: • At site access construction of a right-in/right-out only access and stop control for egress traffic. • Installation of a westbound right-turn land and southbound left-turn lane at Gordon Road and Blount Drive. Nearby Proposed Developments included within the TIA: • The Landing at Lewis Creek Estates Subdivision Development Status: Completed. All roadway improvements have been completed. ENVIRONMENTAL • The property is not within a Natural Heritage Area. • The property is within the Smith Creek watershed. • Per the Classification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank Suitability, soils on the property consist of Class II & III soils. Class III indicates severe limitation. However, the site is expected to be served by CFPUA when developed. These soils will not impact this project. Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 13 of 17 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Representative Developments Existing Church building to be repurposed: Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 14 of 17 Representative Churches with Schools: St. Mark’s Catholic School, Eastwood Rd Myrtle Grove Christian School, Piner Rd Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 15 of 17 Context and Compatibility • The property is located along N College St., a major commercial corridor. • Northside Baptist Church is already developed; this project would use existing buildings on the property. • The property is located just south of Trask Middle School and Laney High School and is located north of a commercial node. 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 use include office, retail, mixed use, recreational, commercial, institutional, multi-family and single-family residential. Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 16 of 17 Analysis The subject property is located in the northern portion of the County along a major road corridor and is just north of a commercial node. It is in close proximity to both residential uses and other commercial services. The Comprehensive Plan classifies the property as Community Mixed Use, which promotes development of small-scale, mixed-use developments. This place type is common for areas along major road corridors. The applicant is proposing the repurposing of existing buildings on the property for the school in Phase I, with Phases II-IV encompassing the proposed future uses and build-out. The proposed use is in line with what the Comprehensive Plan recommends for this place type and aims to meet the needs of the surrounding community. While the PD district was not intended for this type of project, it is the most appropriate for the future uses proposed by Northside Baptist Church. Consistency Recommendation The proposed rezoning is generally CONSISTENT with the 2016 Comprehensive Plan because the project provides for the type of use that is recommended in the Community Mixed Use place type. STAFF RECOMMENDATION This project, located in close proximity to a commercial node and area schools, is intended to meet the needs of the surrounding community. While this is not a development that is common in the PD district, it is in line with the Comprehensive Plan for this area of the County. Both the immediate and near-future proposed uses will serve the needs of this part of the County. As a result, Staff recommends approval of the proposal and suggests the following motion: I move recommend APPROVAL of the proposed rezoning. I find it to be CONSISTENT with the purposes and intent of the Comprehensive Plan because it is located near a commercial node and along a major corridor. It also provides for the uses intended by the Community Mixed Use place type. I also find APPROVAL of the rezoning request is reasonable and in the public interest because the proposal provides uses that will serve the needs of the surrounding community. Staff also recommends the following conditions: 1. Prior to the approval of any future phase of this project or expansion of school beyond 400 students, required NCDOT road improvements, as included in the TIA, must be completed. 2. The Terms & Conditions document shall be revised to clarify the process for approval of future development. Section 1A shall be revised as follows: “Phase 1 on Master Plan to be completed upon approval of rezoning to Planned Development. Phases 2 thru 4 are listed as future development and Z22-13 Staff Report PB 5.5.2022 Page 17 of 17 cannot be started without an approved modification to the Planned Development District.” Alternative Motion for Denial I move to recommend DENIAL of the proposed rezoning. While I find it to be CONSISTENT with the purposes and intent of the Comprehensive Plan because it is located near a commercial node and along a major corridor, I find DENIAL of the rezoning request is reasonable and in the public interest because the full proposal would have a negative impact on the surrounding area.