AGENDA DATE: 1/6/2016
TITLE:
Title
Community Development 2016 Work Program - Amendment 1
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Modify approved 2016 work program to accelerate work on Phase 2 Farm Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries, as well as Rural Events
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Foley, Walker, Davis, Graham, Benish, McCulley, Cilimberg
PRESENTER (S): N/A
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Thomas C. Foley
BACKGROUND: On November 4, 2015, the Board endorsed the staff recommended 2016 work program for Community Development. (Attachment A). On December 9, 2015, as part of a zoning text amendment to address State mandated requirements for farm distilleries, the Board expressed an interested in modifying this work program to accelerate work on regulations addressing both the cumulative and substantial impacts resulting from events and activities associated with farm wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Staff noted an opportunity for accomplishing this by deferring planned work on the Pantops Master Plan / Rivanna River Corridor Plan (Pantops), as well as the Rural Areas churches zoning text amendment. The Board appeared to conceptually agree with this change, but requested it be brought forward at the January 6, 2016 meeting.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Goal 7. Operational Capacity. Ensure County government’s ability to provide high quality service that achieves community priorities
DISCUSSION: The adopted work program included two initiatives intended to address special events in the Rural Areas. The first, Phase 2 Farm Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries (Phase 2) is focused on assuring that events at these facilities properly complemented this important agricultural industry. The second, Rural Areas Special Events (RA Events), is focused on assuring that any events for other purposes in the Rural Areas are properly aligned with the County’s policies for the Rural Areas. Staff believes it is important that these two initiatives be considered together in order to avoid potential conflicts. With this proposed change to the work program, work on these two items would begin in early 2016 rather than in 2017. This effort is anticipated to take the time equivalent of one-half FTE for six to nine months to develop a recommendation for the Board. Staff believes this amount of time is appropriate, noting concurrence with industry representatives who spoke at the December 9h Board meeting on the complexity and need to avoid unanticipated consequences. Staff will strive for consensus through the public engagement process before forwarding a recommendation to the Board.
At the December 9 meeting, staff stated that the Rivanna River Corridor Plan would be deferred because the City, the County and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission had not yet established funding or a work plan for the river corridor study. The Board’s Strategic Plan and Community Development’s 2016 work program both anticipated the River Corridor Plan being integrated into the Pantops Master Plan update. Staff also stated that the work on the Rural Areas churches zoning text amendment could be deferred if the Board believes the Phase 2 zoning text amendment is more time sensitive. Deferring those two items until the completion of the Phase 2 and RA Events would free up the needed staff resources. Attachment B provides the modified work program, with the changes shown in red.
BUDGET IMPACT: This modification to the adopted work program does not alter resource needs or require any additional funding.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the amended work program as presented in Attachment B.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A - Adopted Community Development 2016 Work Program
Attachment B - 1st Amendment to Community Development 2016 Work Program