AGENDA DATE: 5/4/2016
TITLE:
Title
ACSA 201600001 Froehling & Robertson Request For Water Service
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Request to change Jurisdictional Areas designation from Water Only to Existing Structures to Water Service Only designation for Tax Map Parcel 055000000110 to allow a new office building to be served with public water.
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Foley, Walker, Davis, Kamptner, Graham, Benish
PRESENTER (S): David Benish
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Thomas C. Foley
BACKGROUND: The applicant will be constructing a new office building on Tax Map Parcel 055000000110 to replace an existing office located on the adjacent parcel to the east of this site. The parcel is 1.76 acres with one old uninhabited house, and is designated for Water Only to Existing Structures. The applicant is requesting a Water Only designation to allow the new office to be served by public water. If the Water Only designation is not granted, the new office building will be served by a private well. See the applicant’s request and supporting information provided in Attachment A. The parcel is located on the south side of Route 250 West in the White Hall Magisterial District, generally in the area between Western Albemarle High School and the Yancey Lumber Yard/I-64 Interchange. This property, and the immediate surrounding area, is designated Rural Area and is located south and west of the Crozet Development Area. This area contains old, or “stale” commercial zoning which in many cases predates the comprehensive downzoning that occurred in 1980 to implement the County’s growth management policy, and in some cases predates the County’s comprehensive planning (pre-1971). This particular parcel is zoned HC, Highway Commercial. The proposed office is a by-right use.
The Crozet Master Plan includes the following recommendation for the Rural Area fringe areas around the Crozet Development Area: “that the Rural Areas outside of the Community of Crozet remain rural, including the stretch of Route 250 West between the Development Area boundary and the interstate interchange.” The Master Plan provides the following Specific Recommendations for Route 250 West:
• Do not approve any rezoning for new development along the Route 250 West Corridor.
• Preserve the rural scenic character of Route 250 West.
• Develop corridor-specific design guidelines for Route 250 West in and near Crozet.
• Where special use permits or waivers to requirements are allowed, only approve uses which have the least impact on the Rural Areas, environmental resources, and transportation systems.
There are two Jurisdictional Area Amendment requests that have been reviewed in this area. Water Only service was requested and approved in 1987 to the Yancey Lumber Yard site after a fire occurred on the site. The Water Only designation was granted by the Board to address fire response/safety issues at this site. In 2008, Water Only designation was requested to the then vacant parcel where Restore’n Station is now located. The service designation at that time was Water Only to Existing Structure. The Board denied the request for a Water Only designation to that parcel because there was no documented health or safety issue associated with the request as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan’s policy for extending public utility services to Rural Area properties.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Goal 2 - Critical Infrastructure. Prioritize, plan and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs.
DISCUSSION: The Community Facilities chapter of the Comprehensive Plan includes Strategy 9a regarding the provision of public water and sewer service, which states: “Continue to provide public water and sewer in jurisdictional areas.” The explanatory text following Strategy 9a is provided below, and the specific criteria for the provision of public water or sewer service to the designated Rural Areas is underlined.
“Water and sewer jurisdictional areas ensure the County’s Growth Management Policy, Land Use Plan, and Develop Area Master Plans are implemented by guiding the direction of public utility placement. The areas also permit these services to be provided in a manner that can be supported by the utility’s physical and financial capabilities. The jurisdictional areas are those portions of the County that can be served by water or sewer service, or both, and generally follow the Development Areas boundaries. Delineation and adoption of utility project jurisdictional areas by a local governing body is provided for in Virginia Code §15.2-5111. The boundaries of the Development Areas are to be followed in delineating jurisdictional areas. Change to these boundaries outside of the Development Areas should only be allowed when: (1) the area to be included is adjacent to existing lines; and (2) public health and/or safety is in danger.”
Strategy 9a addresses the fact that public water and sewer systems are a potential catalyst for growth, and that capacities need to be efficiently and effectively used and reserved to serve the Development Areas. Continued connections of properties in the Rural Area should be the exception as the further extension of lines into the Rural Area will strain limited water resources and capacity.
Water and sewer services by policy are intended to serve the designated Development Areas. There is no documented health or safety issue identified on site that would be addressed by providing service to this site; therefore, this request is not consistent with the County’s policy for extending service.
As noted in the applicant’s request and supporting information, the existing water line running along this section of Route 250 is a non-looped, or “dead-end,” water line. This line periodically requires flushing because of the low level of water use along this section of line. The flushing is to avoid water standing in the dead-end line for long periods of time. The Albemarle County Service Authority has provided comments regarding this condition (see Attachment D). ACSA has not indicated that this existing condition is a health/safety issue.
BUDGET IMPACT: The approval of this request would have no budget impact to the County. The property owner would bear the cost of the water connection.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
This request is not consistent with County Policy regarding the extension of Water and Sewer Service, and staff recommends not setting a public hearing on this request.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Applicant’s Request and Supporting Information
B - Location Map
C - Map: ACSA Jurisdiction Area Designations
D - ACSA Comments Regarding Condition of Water Line