ATTACHMENT 2

 

Some of the circumstances and/or recommendations in the original Staff Report, reviewed by Advisory Board, have changes.  Please refer to the Staff Report Update (Attachment 1) for detailed discussion of changes to recommendations.  The changes in the Staff Report are noted by underlines and strikeouts for inserted and deleted text respectively.

 

STAFF REPORT

 

Subject:       Homestead Park Aquatic Center - Application for Special Use Permit Modification (File No. 24..19)

 

Date:             September 27, 2005 (Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board)

                        September 28, 2005 (Community Design Commission)

                        October 4, 2005 (Planning Board)

                        October 4, 2005 (Transportation Board)

                        October 19, 2005 (Parks and Recreation Commission)

 

INTRODUCTION

 

We have received a request for approval of a Special Use Permit Modification for an Aquatic Center to be constructed at Homestead Park. The 40-acre park site is located west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., north of Homestead Road, south of Parkside Subdivision and east of Vineyard Square. The proposed Aquatic Center would be located in the northwest corner of the park at the northern end of Homestead Park Drive. The site is located in the Residential-2 (R-2) zoning district, the Resource Conservation District, and is identified as Orange County Tax Map 24..19.

 

BACKGROUND

 

A Special Use Permit was originally approved in 1996 for Homestead Community Park (aka Northern Community Park). A Special Use Permit Modification was approved in 1997, to reduce the boundary of the original Special Use Permit by 0.59 acres. The 1997 modification involved the Town’s exchange of a parcel of property with the Freedom House.

 

EVALUATION

 

The Town staff has reviewed this application for compliance with the standards of the Land Use Management Ordinance and the Design Manual and offers the following evaluation.

 

General Issues

 

Existing Conditions: The Aquatic Center site lies in the northwest portion of the 40-acre Homestead Park, which is located at 100 Homestead Park Drive, just west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., and just north of Homestead Road. To the north is the Parkside Subdivision, to the east Vineyard Square, to the northeast are Freedom House and Rainbow Heights, and to the south (across Homestead Road) are the Brookstone Apartments.

 

Existing Structures: The existing park includes two soccer fields, two ballfields, a basketball court, dog park, playground, skateboard court, and batting cage. A Duke Power Company utility easement  runs along the western edge of the site.

 

Vehicular Access: Vehicular access to the proposed Aquatic Center site is from Homestead Road. The park shares the access road, Homestead Park Drive, with Duke Power Company offices and with the United Church of Chapel Hill. Access to the Aquatic Center would be provided via the proposed expanded parking lot, as well as existing sidewalks to the east and west of the site.

 

Parking: There are 274 existing parking spaces.

 

Topography, Drainage, Vegetative Cover: The proposed site for the Aquatic Center has average slopes of approximately 15 percent, and drains generally from west to east. The property does not lie within a Watershed Protection District.  There is a Resource Conservation District associated with Booker Creek, that runs along the eastern edge of the Aquatic Center site (the edge of the 150 Upland Zone is approximately 20 feet from the edge of the proposed building). 

 

The text immediately below has been changed from the original Staff Report.

 

Development Description:  The applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, is proposing to construct a 26,313 27,400 square foot Aquatic Center with two pools, locker rooms, and office space for staff. Proposed landscaping includes the protection of existing trees and required buffers. A stormwater quality/detention pond and a bio-retention area are proposed to manage the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff on the site. The area of the Special Use Permit Modification is the northwest corner of the park at the end of Homestead Park Drive, near the existing basketball court, skate park and batting cage.

 

Concept Plan / Special Use Permit Modification Application Comparison

 

The current Special Use Permit Modification application plans for the Aquatic Center have changed slightly from Concept Plan Review by the Town Council (June 21, 2005) and Community Design Commission (June 16, 2005). Minor modifications include a decrease in building square footage, change in building site orientation, a more compact form to the building, and modification to the proposed fire lane, so that it no longer circles the building. A copy of Community Design Commission Summary Comments from the June 16, 2005 meeting and Council minutes from the June 21, 2005 meeting are attached to this report.

 

Ordinance Requirements

 

Zoning: The Homestead Park site is located in the Residential-2 (R-2) zoning district and has Resource Conservation District. The site is adjacent to the Residential-3-Conditional (R-3-C) and Office/Institutional-2 (OI-2) zoning district to the south, the Residential-1 (R-1) district to the east (across Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.), and Residential-4-Conditional (R-4-C) to the west.

 

Some of the permitted uses in the Residential-2 (R-2) zoning district include single family and duplex dwelling units, places of worship, and public use facilities.

 

Land Use Plan: The Comprehensive Plan adopted by the Council on May 8, 2000, identifies this property as “Parks and Open Space.”

 

Dimensional Standards: The proposed project meets the dimensional standards outlined in the Dimensional Matrix (Table 3.8-1) of the Land Use Management Ordinance for the Residential-2 (R-2) zoning district. The proposed one-story building meets the setback requirements, as well as the 29-foot primary and 50-foot secondary height requirements.

 

Transportation Issues

 

Bus Stops and Routes: No improvements to the existing bus stop network are proposed or recommended with this application. The closest existing bus stop to the site is at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Homestead Road, on the east side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. (A Route).

 

The text immediately below has been changed from the original Staff Report.

 

Parking: Minimum parking requirements for a public use facility are based on one parking space for every 350 square feet of floor area. The applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, is proposing 26,313 27,400 square feet of floor area for the Aquatic Center.  Based on the proposed floor area, plus the 1,800 existing square feet of floor area in the park, the minimum number of on-site parking spaces required is 80 84.

 

The applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, is proposing 292 parking spaces (274 are existing; 18 would be added). Based on the applicant’s past experience in operating a public use facility and the anticipated need for parking associated with the proposed Aquatic Center, the proposed number of parking spaces is reasonable.

 

The text immediately below has been changed from the original Staff Report.

 

Bicycle Access/Parking:  Based on the minimum number of required vehicular parking spaces (80) (82) for the existing and proposed floor area in the park, the minimum number of required bicycle parking spaces equals 8 9 (calculated on 10% of the required vehicular parking spaces).  We understand that there are 28 existing bicycle parking spaces in the park; the applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, is proposing 12 additional bicycle parking spaces for the Aquatic Center. Both existing and proposed spaces are in the form of bicycle racks. We believe that it would be appropriate to increase bicycle parking that this location beyond the minimum, based on the Town’s efforts to increase bicycle accessibility.  Resolution A includes a stipulation requiring a minimum of 60 bicycle parking spaces for the park.

 

Traffic Impact: A Traffic Impact Analysis was completed for the Aquatic Center proposal in December 2004. The analysis recommended the following:

 

1)  Provide an exclusive right turn lane at the intersection of Homestead Road and Weaver Dairy Road on the westbound approach of Homestead Road with a full-width storage of 100 feet and a 100-foot taper.

 

2)  Provide an exclusive left turn lane at the intersection of Homestead Road and Weaver Dairy Road on the eastbound approach of Homestead Road with a full-width storage of 200 feet and a 100-foot taper.

 

We recommend that the applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, not be required to construct these improvements, given that they are both planned for construction by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, based on existing conditions unrelated to the proposed Aquatic Center.

 

3)  Provide an overlap phase for the southbound and eastbound right-turn movements at the intersection of Homestead Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. This improvement will require modifications to the existing traffic signal design at this intersection. Signal timing adjustments at this intersection are also recommended for the PM peak hour signal system plans.

 

We recommend that prior to the issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit, the applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, provide a payment of $1,000 to revise the PM peak signal timing plan at the intersection of Homestead Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

 

4)    If the installation of a traffic signal is considered at the intersection of Homestead Road and Homestead Park Drive, it is recommended to conduct traffic counts when the proposed development is operational for an accurate representation of the Aquatic Center traffic.

 

We recommend that prior to the issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit, the applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, provide a $1,000 payment to provide for a 16 hour traffic signal warrant study at the park entrance on Homestead Road. We recommend that the traffic counts and a traffic signal warrant study by the Town be conducted within 12 months, after the Aquatic Center is open to the public, or within a timeline as determined by the Town Manager.If the Town Manager determines that the results of the study warrant a fully-actuated traffic signal with pedestrian amenities, then we recommend that the applicant install these improvements as directed by the Town Manager, subject to the approval of the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

 

Traffic and Pedestrian Control Plan:  We do not anticipate that the movement of motorized and non-motorized vehicles on public streets (maintained and operated by the Town or the NCDOT) will be disrupted during construction.  The proposed construction activity is internal to the park site.

 

Transportation Management Plan: We recommend that the applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, provide a Transportation Management Plan to be approved by the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit and have included a stipulation to that effect. According to Town guidelines, a comprehensive Transportation Management Plan should include:

A stipulation to this effect has been included in Resolution A.

 

Landscaping and Architectural Issues

 

Significant Tree Stands:There are significant tree stands in the vicinity of the proposed Aquatic Center. One specimen tree is proposed for removal. We recommend that a detailed Landscape Protection Plan, clearly indicating significant tree stands, detail of protective fencing and construction parking and materials staging/storage areas, and including Town standard landscaping protection notes, be approved by the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.

 

Buffers and Landscaping: The proposed Site Plan meets buffer requirements for a “C” buffer, between a public use facility and residential dwelling units. A 20-foot buffer currently exists along the northern and western property lines. The applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, is proposing to grade close to the northern buffer line. We recommend that a detailed Landscape Plan including a Landscape Maintenance Plan, be approved by the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit. The landscape plan shall indicate the size, type, and location of all proposed plantings as well as the limits of land disturbance and tree protection fencing.

 

Building Elevations and Lighting Plan: We recommend that building elevations and a lighting plan be approved by the Community Design Commission prior to the issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit. We have included this standard stipulation in Resolution A.

 

Environmental Issues

 

Watershed Protection/ Resource Conservation District: The site is not located inside the Watershed Protection District. A Resource Conservation District lies within approximately 20 feet of the proposed Aquatic Center.

 

Stormwater Management:The applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill, is proposing to manage stormwater associated with the proposed development using both a stormwater quality/detention pond and a bio-retention area. The proposed stormwater management facilities are identified on Sheet A6 of the plans. Based on the preliminary information submitted by the applicant, we believe that the proposed stormwater management facility design will comply with the Land Use Management Plan stormwater standards for rate, quality and volume.

 

We recommend that, prior to the issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit, the applicant submit a Stormwater Management Plan for review and approval by the Town Manager. We recommend that the plan include low-impact stormwater management solutions and best management practices, including but not limited to bio-retention, pervious pavements, underground storage, infiltration trenches, vegetative swales and similar techniques. We have included a stipulation to this effect in Resolution A.

 

The Stormwater Management Plan shall be based on the 1-year, 2-year, and 25-year frequency, 24-hour duration storms, where the post-development stormwater run-off rate shall not exceed the pre-development rate and the post-development stormwater runoff volume shall not exceed the pre-development volume for the local 2-year frequency, 24-hour duration storm event. Engineered stormwater facilities shall also remove 85% total suspended solids and treat the first inch of precipitation utilizing NC Division of Water Quality design standards.

 

Erosion Control:We recommend that a soil erosion and sedimentation control plan (including provisions for maintenance of facilities and modification of the plan if necessary), be reviewed and approved by North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. That the plan is reviewed by the Orange County Erosion Control Officer and that a copy of comments associated with the review be provided to the Town Manager prior to the issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.

 

Utilities and Service Issues

 

Refuse Management: We recommend that a Solid Waste Management Plan, including provisions for recycling and for the management and minimizing of construction debris, and demolition waste be approved by the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit.

 

Utilities: We recommend that detailed utility plans be reviewed and approved by OWASA, Duke Power Company, Public Service Company, BellSouth, and the Town Manager prior to issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit. Except for three phase power lines, the Ordinance requires that all new or relocated utility lines be located underground. We have included these standard stipulations in Resolution A.

 

Fire Safety: The proposed building requires a 20-foot wide unobstructed fire apparatus access. The applicant, the Town of Chapel Hill,  is proposing a fire apparatus access road within 150 feet of all portions of the facility. The applicant, is proposing to pave a portion of the access road.

 

We recommend that, prior to the issuance of a Zoning Compliance Permit, the Town Manager review and approve the fire lane location and construction details. We have included a stipulation to this effect in Resolution A.

 

Special Use Permit Findings

 

For approval of a Special Use Permit, the Council must make the following findings, as set forth in Article 4.5.2 of the Land Use Management Ordinance:

 

1.      That the use or development is located, designed, and proposed to be operated so as to maintain or promote the public health, safety, and general welfare;

 

2.      That the use or development complies with all required regulations and standards of this Chapter, including all applicable provisions of the Land Use Management Ordinance;

 

3.      That the use or development is located, designed, and proposed to be operated so as to maintain or enhance the value of contiguous property, or that the use or development is a public necessity; and

 

4.      That the use or development conforms with the general plans for the physical development of the Town as embodied in the Land Use Management Ordinance and in the Comprehensive Plan.

 

Upon review of the application and information that has been submitted to date, our preliminary recommendation is that these findings can be made.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Based on information available at this stage of the application review process, we believe that the proposal, with the conditions in Resolution A, meets the requirements of the applicable sections of the Land Use Management Ordinance and Design Manual, and that the proposal conforms with the Comprehensive Plan.