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centreville planning commission meeting minutes

Minutes April 20, 2022 · 5 page(s)

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Centreville Planning Commission
April 20, 2022
7:00 p.m.
MINUTES
The April 20, 2022 Centreville Planning Commission meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Kara Voight, Chair, in
the Liberty Building, second floor meeting room. The following members and staff were present: Kara Voight, Chair;
Tim Zuella, Secretary; Mitchell Delaney, Member; Wendy Emerson, Alternate Member; Charles M. Koogle, Town
Manager; Sharon VanEmburgh, Town Attorney; Chris Jakubiak, Town Planner; Paige Tilghman, Economic Development
Director and Betty Jean Hall, Administrative Assistant.
Chair’s Announcements
• Town Council President, Steven K. Kline will not be in attendance tonight.
• There are four out of seven Planning Commission members in attendance tonight.
Review of Minutes from Previous Meetings
a. Ms. Voight moved to approve the March 16, 2022 Planning Commission meeting minutes as amended. Mr.
Zuella seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Citizen’s Comments
• Tim McCluskey, Watson Road provided comments pertaining to the lack of public documents availability
supplied by the Town and questioned why the process is continuing when the Planning Commission is in the middle
of a Comprehensive Plan rewrite, the Town is almost out of waste water capacity and is seeking to build a new plant
which will take about five years to fund and permit.
PUBLIC HEARING – Growth Allocation Request Carter Farm Traditional Neighborhood Development
Ms. Voight called the public hearing to order at 7:07 p.m.
• Mr. Jakubiak provided background on Section 170-31.6 of the Town Code. He stated a growth allocation
is the procedure set up under State law for reclassifying Critical Area land from a more restrictive
classification to less restrictive classification such as a change from LDA to IDA. The awarding of a
growth allocation typically follows a process wherein a property owner who desires to develop land,
petitions the Town, and submits a conceptual plan for review. The Town may, but is not required to,
approve a growth allocation petition. The property is 46.869 acres in size, 40.372 acres is the growth
allocation area that would be reclassified to IDA. There are a series of standards in Section 170-31.6 of
the Town Code that must be met in order to make the reclassification take place. For all those that are
applicable to this site, the growth allocation request complies. There are additional standards per Section
170-31.6D. One of those standards states, the design of the development project shall enhance the habitat
value or improve water quality in the area. The applicant proposed to plant native herbaceous vegetation
within parts of the open space outside of the expanded Critical Area buffer. This would be in addition to
afforestation within and along the expanded Critical Area buffer. The next additional standard is not
applicable. The final standard states open space requirements in the Town Zoning Ordinance,
Subdivision Regulations or as required through the site design process must be met. The proposed open
space plan meets the standards of the PUD regulations. The growth allocation request should be
consistent with the Centreville Community Plan. The Community Plan’s Yellow Bank Greenway, which
is mapped through the subject growth allocation, is specifically identified as an open space park resource
to be dedicated to the Town when the Carter Farm is developed.
Administrative Assistant, Betty Jean Hall, provided evidence of the published notice of the hearing.
Ms. Voight invited public comment from those in favor of the Growth Allocation request.
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• Ms. Sandy Huffer, Corsica Street stated she likes the proposal and plan with one of the key points being
the preservation of the existing farmhouse. The public trail is a great asset to the community as well as
the residents there. The low-impact net zero housing that the development is going to provide to the
community and other sustainable features that are important to her personally as relates to her value
system. The small scale commercial property will provide businesses and services that will be aligned
with the farm, local products.
• Ernie Sota, President of Green Development; Rebecca Flora, ReMake Group; Barry Griffith, Lane
Engineering, LLC and Ryan Showalter, Attorney were in attendance to give a summary of the growth
allocation request.
• Mr. Sota stated they hope to show they are meeting, or hopefully, exceeding the standards for growth
allocation.
• Ms. Flora provided background on the Carter Farm and the updates to the development plan that have
occurred since the last presentation before the Planning Commission in December 2021. Ms. Flora stated
the Planning Commission recommendation of public streets to the interior of parcel three was part of the
conditional approval at Town Council level. The commercial area has been reconfigured. The woonerf
turn around has more availability for ensuring delivery trucks can be accommodated. The terminus of the
public street at the Board of Education property has been reviewed by the Technical Advisory Committee.
The cart way for the public street has been widened. The parcel two parking configuration has been
changed. There has been a reduction of five townhomes that were replaced with three single family
homes. Ms. Flora supplied a letter of support of the natural resource provisions of the Green
Development/ReMake proposal from the Corsica River Conservancy dated April 6, 2022.
• Mr. Sota stated the commercial buildings have been set back further from Chesterfield Avenue. The
buildings have been reimagined using rural tobacco barns as a basis. Mr. Sota added the key topics under
the standards for growth allocation are habitat protection, restoration and expansion, stormwater
management, open space, Community Plan consistency, and public access. The applicant supports the
findings in the Town Planner’s evaluation with a proposed revision that we note that we are providing a
fifteen-foot-wide public easement along the Yellow Bank Stream Trail which goes beyond what the
Community Plan asks for.
• Mr. Griffith stated any of the environmentally sensitive features on this property are within the new
expanded buffer and therefor protected from any of the impacts of development. The developer will be
enhancing and adding plantings in the expanded buffer totaling about 12.5 acres of the overall 40-acre
site. The habitat along the shoreline will be better than what exists today. Phragmites will be eradicated
with herbicides and other invasives will be removed by hand.
• Mr. Sota stated rain gardens, micro infiltration beds in rear yards from the downspouts of the homes,
permeable pavers, a green roof on the proposed multi-family building, and bio swells along the roads and
parking areas are all part of the stormwater management plans for the site.
• Ms. Flora stated the open space metrics are at 21 acres, more than double the requirement of 20 percent.
Active open space is about a third more than what is required. There are two public overlooks. The
Yellow Bank Stream Trail is .72 miles along the buffer perimeter area. An interpretive pollinator garden
is located in front of the commercial buildings along Chesterfield Avenue. Continuity of the existing
fabric addressed by single family approach to development, the small-scale commercial area and the
existing street grid being extended through the site and creating an opportunity for connection to any
future development at the Board of Education. The density is consistent with the TND standard. There
are no gates so that access to the site is open.
• Ms. Flora stated of the 186 total acres that have been allocated to the Town, the Carter Farm development
is requesting 40.3 and based on their calculations there are about 90 to 100 acres that might be eligible at
some point in time. It is pretty evident that there is ample allocation available.
• Ms. Flora requested a recommendation for the growth allocation to Town Council for approval.
• Mr. Sota stated the best scenario for the farmhouse would be a farm to table restaurant or a bed and
breakfast. The good scenario would be a private residence.
• Mr. Sota added the two commercial buildings along Chesterfield Avenue have a footprint of
approximately 2800 square feet per building and the live/work building is 2100 square feet. The long
narrow building in the back is 3000 square feet and the farm house is projected at about 2800 square feet.
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The setback of the commercial buildings on the Chesterfield Avenue frontage has been increased from 33
feet to 46 feet which would be the same setback as the house immediately to the left of the site.
Ms. Voight invited public comment from those opposed to the Growth Allocation request.
• Bob McGrory, Chesterfield Avenue stated his opinion for conditions of the approval include: moving the
commercial property setbacks further from the residential street and continue to reduce the scale of the
commercial structures. Fee simple ownership of the 15’ greenway trail as well as any other public amenities
envisioned. The Town and the Planning Commission cannot foresee the financial stability of a future HOA and
its ability to maintain those amenities. The Town should affirm that there is sufficient sewer allocation to conduct
the entire buildout including the commercial areas.
• Tim McCluskey, Watson Road stated there are several factors of which he feels the Planning Commission should
consider denying the application at this point. The factors are: The Town’s waste water treatment system is
dangerously close if not past the point where it could fail. The location of the commercial buildings is
inappropriate, it should be located more on the interior of the property. The buildings that front on Chesterfield
Avenue should be residential. Commercial building sizes are inappropriate. The amount of open space is not
necessarily adequate. Several other points that are concerning including: the allowance of private sewer systems,
golf carts, multiple HOA’s, zero lot lines and the lack of enough visitor parking.
There being no further business or comment on the Growth Allocation request, Ms. Emerson moved that the hearing be
adjourned. Mr. Zuella seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. The April 20, 2022 Planning and Zoning
Commission Public Hearing for Growth Allocation request adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
New Business
a. Growth Allocation deliberation and recommendation to Town Council
• Mr. Koogle stated this development proposal would require allocating 60% of the Town’s remaining
sewer capacity. A recent 2 ½ inch rainfall pushed the percentage of the wastewater treatment system to
91 and the recouperation of the plant to normal flows after that rainfall took four days.
• Ms. VanEmburgh stated the Town intends to place as many protections as possible to ensure the HOA is
initially adequately capitalized so that there is enough funding for repairs. There is also the intention to
have language included where if the HOA doesn’t make payment the Town can have work done and
assess the cost against the property owners. Bonding may also be used to have an additional layer of
protection for the Town. There will be some requirement within the HOA that there are some portions
that can’t be amended without Town consent.
• Mr. Griffith state the IDA designation requires the developer to adhere to the 10% rule, which means the
nutrient levels that could ultimately get into the surface and ground waters must be reduced by 10% over
what the condition is today.
• Mr. Sota stated part of the developers proposed DRRA terms is the existing house on the property shall
remain deed restricted to ensure that the entire exterior and façade is perpetually maintained in
substantially the same form as it exists today. This building may be developed with any use permitted in
the PUD zoning district.
• Ms. Voight stated she has a fear that what this development is asking would take away from the
struggling downtown businesses to build out commercial space in a residential area that is too small to
support this kind of commercial square footage on its own. Additionally, there has been no indication of
what kind of impact this development would make on traffic circulation or hazards that could arise from
an increase in traffic.
Ms. Voight moved to forward a favorable recommendation for the Carter Farm Growth Allocation proposed for the
property located at 408 Chesterfield Avenue along with the staff memo prepared by Chris Jakubiak, Town Planner dated
April 8, 2022 with the following conditions:
• Per Chapter 5, Transportation, Infrastructure & Community Facilities, the Plan addresses Greenways (section 5-6),
addressing the Yellow Bank Stream- “As the undeveloped parcels along the path of the greenway are developed, the area
along Yellow Bank Stream should be dedicated to the Town as open space.” Conditional approval should include this
agreement made between the developer and the Town.
Page 3 of 5

• Satisfying section 170-31.6(D)(1): In addition to meeting the minimum requirements of the Critical Area regulations,
the project design shall enhance the habitat value or improve water quality in the area. For example, afforestation may
exceed the 15% requirement or best management practices for stormwater management may be installed on portions of
the site to remain in agricultural use.
Additional notes:
•Assurances that the Carter farmhouse enters some degree of preservation agreement, and Chesterfield Avenue
sight line is maintained.
•Further discussion should take place regarding the commercial entity of the project pertaining to location, scale,
amount and impact.
•Definition as to how the agricultural component will integrate with the residential as well as the commercial
component of the project.
•The Planning Commission remains concerned about the viability of sewer capacity and the state and condition of
the plant itself. Want to ensure that there remain enough allocations to serve the full needs of the PUD.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Zuella, which passed unanimously.
Unfinished Business
a. Oath of Office – Deferred to next regular meeting scheduled on May 18, 2022.
Miscellaneous Business/Correspondence
A work session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 4th to continue work on the Comprehensive Plan.
Citizen Comment
• No citizens provided comments.
Adjournment
There being no further business, Ms. Voight moved to adjourn the April 20, 2022 Planning Commission meeting. Mr.
Zuella seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:51 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty Jean Hall
Administrative Assistant
Action Items
• Approved the March 16, 2022 Planning Commission meeting minutes as amended.
• Forwarded a favorable recommendation for the Carter Farm Growth Allocation proposed for the property
located at 408 Chesterfield Avenue along with the staff memo prepared by Chris Jakubiak, Town Planner
dated April 8, 2022 with the following conditions:
• Per Chapter 5, Transportation, Infrastructure & Community Facilities, the Plan addresses Greenways
(section 5-6), addressing the Yellow Bank Stream- “As the undeveloped parcels along the path of the
greenway are developed, the area along Yellow Bank Stream should be dedicated to the Town as open space.”
Conditional approval should include this agreement made between the developer and the Town.
• Satisfying section 170-31.6(D)(1): In addition to meeting the minimum requirements of the Critical Area
regulations, the project design shall enhance the habitat value or improve water quality in the area. For
example, afforestation may exceed the 15% requirement or best management practices for stormwater
management may be installed on portions of the site to remain in agricultural use.
Page 4 of 5

Additional notes:
• Assurances that the Carter farmhouse enters some degree of preservation agreement, and Chesterfield
Avenue sight line is maintained.
• Further discussion should take place regarding the commercial entity of the project pertaining to
location, scale, amount and impact.
• Definition as to how the agricultural component will integrate with the residential as well as the
commercial component of the project.
• The Planning Commission remains concerned about the viability of sewer capacity and the state and
condition of the plant itself. Want to ensure that there remain enough allocations to serve the full needs
of the PUD.
Page 5 of 5