AGENDA DATE: 6/10/2015
TITLE:
Title
SDP201500018 Carson Raymond Field- Minor
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Special exception for waiver of outdoor lighting requirement under County Code § 18-4.17.4(a)
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Foley, Walker, Kamptner, Cilimberg, Benish, Yaniglos
PRESENTER (S): None
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Thomas C. Foley
BACKGROUND: Carson Raymond Field (the "Field") is located on the Hollymead Elementary School property and is used by Hollymead Elementary School, Sutherland Middle School, and the Northside Cal Ripken League (NCRL). The NCRL proposes to install four (4) sixty-foot light poles to illuminate the Field in order to provide an additional 450 hours of practice and game time from March through October. County Code § 18-4.17.4(a) requires that full cutoff luminaires be used, meaning they shall be shielded so that all light emitted by them is projected below the horizontal plane. Both the Albemarle County School Board and the NCRL are seeking a special exception to waive the requirement of County Code § 18-4.17.4(a) to allow the new light fixtures to not be full cutoff luminaires (See Attachment B). The Albemarle County School Board unanimously approved the plan at its January 22, 2015 meeting, and the County Department of Parks and Recreation supports this request. There are other athletic fields located on the property, however, only the Carson Raymond Field, which is the field closest to the school(s), is being proposed for the lighting.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Development Areas: Attract quality employment, commercial and high density residential uses into development areas by provided services and infrastructure that encourage redevelopment and private investment while protecting the quality of neighborhoods.
DISCUSSION: On January 20, 2015, the NCRL hosted a community meeting at Sutherland Middle School and invited members of both the Hollymead and Forest Lakes communities, along with County staff, to share their plan. The NCRL proposes to install Musco brand lighting, which is the same type of lighting fixtures that have been installed on various types of playfields in the County. The applicant has provided a photometric plan that demonstrates what the values would be with the proposed fixtures installed (See page 5 (SL 1.0) of Attachment C). The spillover from the fixtures would not extend beyond the property line of the school(s). During the community meeting, there was concern expressed by the community regarding lighting being used during late night hours. However, the Field has small dimensions and its use is limited to only youth baseball, and the NCRL has indicated that it will not operate late night activities for children. Due to this concern, staff is recommending a condition that would limit the use of the lights to no later than 10:00 p.m. Another concern was related to traffic generation. While the lights will allow the field to be used for a longer period of time, it is not anticipated that the extended hours of field use would generate a significant increase in traffic because it is a single field.
County Code § 18-4.17.5(a)(1) and (2) set forth the factors to be considered in reviewing this request. Staff opinion is that the alternatives proposed would satisfy the purposes of the outdoor lighting regulations at least to an equivalent degree and that the proposed Musco luminaires are a reasonable alternative. A detailed analysis is provided in the Staff Report (Attachment A).
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no budget impact to the County. The cost of electricity for lighting will be paid by the NCRL.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment D) to approve this special exception to waive the full cutoff luminaire requirement of County Code § 18-4.17.4(a) subject to the following conditions:
1. The lighting fixtures installed shall be Musco (Light Structure Green System).
2. The height of the proposed pole shall not exceed 70 feet above ground level.
3. The Field shall not be illuminated after 10:00 p.m. each day.
ATTACHMENTS:
A: Staff Report Attachment
B: Applicant Justification and Information Attachment
C: Resolution
D: Minor Site Plan Amendment