AGENDA DATE: 7/11/2018
TITLE:
Title
ACSA 201800001, Crozet Treatment Plant
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Public hearing to review request for public water and sewer service to serve the Crozet Water Treatment Plant located on Tax Map Parcels (TMP) 05700-00-00-010A0 and 05700-00-00-029B0.
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Kamptner, Graham, Gast-Bray, Benish
PRESENTER (S): David Benish
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) is requesting that the Crozet Water Treatment Plant site, located on Tax Map Parcels (TMPs) 05700-00-00-010A0 and 05700-00-00-029B0, be designated for water and sewer service. RWSA is “undertaking an expansion of the treatment plant to secure future demand needs of the Crozet Community.” Currently the sludge by-products from the water treatment process are discharged to lagoons located on TMP 05700-00-00-010A0 on the north side of Three Notch’d Road. The sludge is periodically removed from the lagoons and transported by truck to the Moore’s Creek Sewer Treatment Plant. As part of the expansion, RWSA is proposing to connect the facility to an ACSA sewer line on an abutting property on Gate Post Lane in the Highlands subdivision. RWSA is also requesting that the bathroom serving the treatment facility be connected to the public sewer in order to eliminate an old septic field and tank located on the treatment plant site (see applicant’s requests, Attachment A).
Most of the treatment plant is located on the parcel on the south side of Three Notch’d Road (TMP 05700-00-00-029B0). Approximately 3 acres of the total 4 acre parcel are located within the Crozet Development Area boundary. This portion of the property is designated for Light Industrial use in the Crozet Master Plan and the entire property is zoned LI, Light Industry (Attachment B), with proffers. The proffers limit the uses permitted on the entire property to public uses/buildings, public utility facilities, and fire and rescue squad stations. This entire parcel is currently designated for water only to existing structures.
TMP 05700-00-00-010A0 containing the lagoons is outside of the Development Area boundary and is designated as Rural Area in the Comprehensive Plan. The parcel is zoned RA, Rural Areas. There are two structures (lagoons) on a portion of the approximately 1 acre parcel. One of the lagoons is proposed to be converted into a backwash waste basin which would be connected to the ACSA sewer line. This parcel is currently not in the ACSA Jurisdictional Area for either water or sewer service. (Attachment C).
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: The Comprehensive Plan strategy regarding the provision of public water and sewer service within the County as it relates to properties located in the Rural Area states that “[t]he 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.”
This strategy reflects the fact that public water and sewer systems are a potential catalyst for growth and 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 Areas will strain limited water resources and capacity.
The Comprehensive Plan strategy regarding the provision of public water and sewer service within the County as it relates to properties located in the Rural Area states that “[t]he 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.”
This strategy reflects the fact that public water and sewer systems are a potential catalyst for growth and 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 Areas will strain limited water resources and capacity.
As noted previously, most of TMP 05700-00-00-029B0 is located within the designated Development Area of Crozet. The existing LI zoning and associated proffers significantly limit the uses permitted on the property. Providing public water and sewer service to the Development Area portion of the property is consistent with the County’s policy for providing service in the designated Development Area. Providing water and sewer to the 1 acre Rural Area portion of the property is not inconsistent with the County’s growth management policy (that the public water and sewer service extension policy is intended to implement) based on the conditions established by the existing development and restricted zoning.
All of TMP 05700-00-00-010A0 is outside of the Crozet Development Area and designated as Rural Area.
The policy for providing service to sites that are located outside of the Development Area call for the existence of a public health or safety issue and adjacency to an existing utility line. While there is currently no documented health or safety issues on the portions of the treatment facility site that are in the Rural Area, staff believes that the following characteristics and conditions regarding this proposal and parcels merit granting full and sewer service to the parcels:
- Provision of sewer service to the treatment plant eliminates the need to haul away by truck the sludge by-product generated by the water treatment process, providing for a safer more effective way to remove the sludge from the site (reducing the chance for traffic conflicts and spills). This aspect of the proposal is addressing a health and safety issue.
- The treatment plant is an existing, long standing, facility that provides water service to a designated development consistent with the County’s growth management polices to provide public water to designated Development Areas. Continued viable use and expansion of the existing facility is also consistent with both County Community Facilities goals and objectives and the Growth Management Policy for supporting development in, and directing growth to, the Development Areas.
- A “Limited Service” designation can be used to limit the water and sewer service to the public water treatment facility use only for TMP 05700-00-00-010A0. If the treatment facility use were to be abandoned on this parcel, other potential uses would not be eligible to be served without Board approval of an amendment to this Limited Service designation. Limiting the area of the parcel designated for service to the to the one lagoon/backwash basin area will future limit the impacts of the service designation to the County’s growth management policy (see Attachment D for the proposed area for a service designation).
- An existing sewer line is located on properties abutting the water treatment facility.
Based on these site/use characteristics and conditions of approvals, staff believes the following amendments to the ACSA Jurisdictional Area Map would be consistent with County policies:
- A “Water and Sewer” designation for TMP 05700-00-00-029B0.
- A “Limited Service” designation limiting water and sewer service to the Crozet Water Treatment Plant use only for TMP 05700-00-00010A and only to the areas as shown on Attachment D (map).
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no cost to the County. The property owners would bear any costs for water and/or sewer connection.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment E).
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Applicant’s Request
B - Location & Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designation Map
C - ACSA Jurisdictional Area Designation Map
D - Proposed Area for ACSA JA Service Designations
E - Resolution