AGENDA DATE: 4/16/2025
TITLE:
Title
Old Dominion Village - Private Central Sewerage System Request
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Approval of a private central sewerage system for the proposed Old Dominion Village development.
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Wall, Herrick, Filardo, Svoboda, Pohl, Krystyniak
PRESENTER (S): Greg Krystyniak, Frank Pohl
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: As required by County Code § 16-102, the property owner has notified the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of its request to establish a central sewerage system (Attachment A) to service the proposed development. Under County Code §§ 16-104 and 16-105, the Board is to consider this proposal and either approve or deny this request. This request is for a central sewerage system to serve one existing business and 110 proposed townhomes (111 total connections) on Parcels 56-67B and 56-74A. The development is in the Crozet Comprehensive Plan Area and the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) Jurisdictional Area.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure & Placemaking - Invest in infrastructure and amenities that create connection, opportunity, and well-being
DISCUSSION: On August 17, 2022, the Board approved Zoning Map Amendment ZMA20200005 for Old Dominion Village (with conditions) to allow rezoning of two parcels from Rural Areas to Neighborhood Model District, with both residential (max of 110 units) and non-residential (max of 5,000 sq. ft.) components. That day, the Board also approved an amendment to the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA) Jurisdictional Area Map to include Parcel IDs 05600-00-00-067B0 and 05600-00-00-074A0 in the Jurisdictional Area. The subject property is in the County’s Jurisdictional Area for public water and sewer.
Because most of the subject property is below the elevation of Three Notch’d Road, a gravity sewer connection to the existing ACSA facilities is not feasible. The existing veterinarian business is currently served by a conventional septic tank with drain field system.
This proposal is to allow for the construction of a new central sewerage system, which would consist of gravity mains, two pump stations, and a private force main to connect to the existing ACSA manhole on Parcel 056A3-00-00-00700.
Though the subject property is in the County’s Jurisdictional Area for public water and sewer, the ACSA has determined that there is no cost-effective means of providing public sewer service to the development and does not envision that a public pump station in this location could ever serve a large enough population to justify the ongoing maintenance cost. The ACSA suggested that the developer consider an alternative low-pressure central sewer system with individual owner grinder pumps and a private sewer force main to eliminate the need for private central pump stations and gravity mains. This system would then have connected to a shared ACSA-owned sewer force main along Route 240. This system would still be considered a central system requiring board approval, as it would still have more than three connections.
The Applicant’s Engineer indicated it was more cost effective to build the two private stations instead of having a private pump at each lot. Therefore, the ACSA recommended that the owner connect its proposed design to the existing ACSA manhole on Parcel 056A3-00-00-00700 using a private force main. County Code § 16-101(1) defines a central sewerage system as a system “designed to serve three or more connections”. Because there would be more than three connections, this system is considered a “central system” requiring Board approval. The owner proposes 111 total individual connections, including one business connection.
Staff believes that given the current ACSA Policy, allowing a central system is the only way to provide sewerage services to the new development. For this reason, staff supports the request and recommends approval of the proposed central sewerage system as presented, consisting of a private gravity main, a force main, and two pump stations.
Staff recommends that, if approved, the Board impose the following conditions:
1. The central sewerage system must be constructed in accord with the Old Dominion Village CSW-2025-00002 preliminary plan (Attachment B) and the DEQ Reliability Classification Worksheets (Attachment C).
2. Final plans and specifications require County Engineer approval with the final site plan prior to commencing construction of the sewerage system.
3. Prior to issuance of any certificate of occupancy for any building to be served by the sewerage system, the owner must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the County Engineer that the system was constructed in accord with public utility standards.
4. The Old Dominion Village property owners association must assume full responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the sewerage system.
5. The Old Dominion Village property owners association must annually document compliance with all state operation and maintenance requirements.
BUDGET IMPACT: No budget impact is anticipated beyond the staff time to perform document reviews.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the Board adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment D) approving the installation of a central sewerage system, subject to the conditions herein.
ATTACHMENTS:
Att. A - Central System Request Letter
Att. B - Preliminary Central Sewerage System Drawings
Att. C - Reliability Classification Worksheets
Att. D - Central Sewerage System Resolution