AGENDA DATE: 6/6/2018
TITLE:
Title
Designation of a Segment of Route 637, Dick Woods Road, as a Rural Rustic Road
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Resolution recommending a Segment of Route 637, Dick Woods Road, be designated as a Rural Rustic Road
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson. Walker, Kamptner, Graham, Benish, McDermott
PRESENTER (S): N/A
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: A segment of Route 637, Dick Woods Road, is scheduled to be paved in FY 2019 under the Rural Rustic Road paving program. This paving project was previously prioritized by the Board and approved in the most recent Secondary-Six Year Improvement Plan (SSYIP). The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) requires that the governing body of the jurisdiction within which a road proposed for paving under the Rural Rustic Road program is located adopt a Resolution designating that road as a Rural Rustic Road.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment: Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs.
DISCUSSION: Each spring the Board approves the SSYIP, which includes funds dedicated to paving unpaved roads in the County under the Rural Rustic Road (RRR) Program. The RRR Program is VDOT’s preferred approach to paving low-volume roads. The goal of the program is to keep traditional rural lane ambience, while improving the road surface within the current right-of-way. In FY 2019 Albemarle County expects to receive approximately $573,000 in funds towards paving unpaved state maintained roads. In the Spring of 2017, the Board approved the most recent SSYIP, which included the funds to pave Dick Woods Road from Route 151 (Critzer Shop Road) to approximately the Albemarle-Nelson County Line.
The process for identifying and prioritizing RRR paving projects in Albemarle begins with an evaluation of submitted paving requests to identify the eligibility and need. The Board then approves the prioritized list of projects and the SSYIP that reflects those priorities. Within one year before paving the road, adjacent landowners are notified and given an opportunity to comment. Following that comment period the Board is presented with a Resolution designating the road a RRR.
Property owner notifications went out in early February 2018 for this project requesting comments back by late March. Two property owners responded. One was in support of the project because of ongoing maintenance issues with the road and the second was opposed because of concerns of speeding and increased traffic. VDOT supports paving the road to reduce maintenance costs.
Dick Woods Road is located in an area of the County designated by the Comprehensive Plan and Zoned as Rural Areas. The Rural Area designation discourages new homebuilding and subdividing and supports low intensity uses such as agriculture, forestry, and protection and preservation of natural resources. As such, there is no pending development and it is unlikely that any future development would be of an intensity that could increase traffic on this road. The Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) in 2017 for this segment of road was 130 vehicles per day and is unlikely to increase in any significant manner in the future as a result of the Rural Areas designation.
BUDGET IMPACT: Adoption of this Resolution will have no impact on the County budget. This authorizes VDOT to expend state funds on a project to which the Board has previously recommended state funds be allocated through the SSYIP.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment A) to designate a segment of Route 637, Dick Woods Road, as a Rural Rustic Road.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Resolution to Designate a segment of Route 637, Dick Woods Road, as a Rural Rustic Road