City of Fairfax, Virginia City Council Work Session

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1 City of Fairfax, Virginia City Council Work Session Agenda Item # WS 2 City Council Meeting 7/5/2016 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council Robert Sisson, City Manager Request of Paradigm Development Company for a City Council work session to discuss the proposed redevelopment of the property at 4131 Chain Bridge Road, informally known as the Davies Property. ISSUE(S): SUMMARY: Informational Work Session of City Council to discuss a proposed redevelopment of the subject property. An application was submitted and accepted on May 4, The applicant is seeking initial input on the proposal as currently designed from City Council. The applicant proposes to replace the existing single family home with 315 multifamily apartment units in a single six-story structure. The proposal is dependent on a rezoning from R-2 Residential to RPD Residential Planned Development as well as utilization of code provisions from the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District and the Old Town Redevelopment Option. FISCAL IMPACT: RECOMMENDATION: ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION: RESPONSIBLE STAFF/POC: COORDINATION: ATTACHMENTS: A fiscal impact analysis has not been conducted at this time. Staff will present a preliminary estimate at the time of the work session. Discussion. City Council may choose to postpone discussion. Paul Nabti, Senior Planner Jason Sutphin, Community Development Division Chief Brooke Hardin, Director, Community Development & Planning Community Development & Planning Public Works Parks and Recreation Building Code Historic Resources Public Safety Human Services City Attorney Staff Report Page 1

2 CITY OF FAIRFAX Department of Community Development & Planning Zoning Map Amendment (Z ) and Special Exception (SE ) Requests WORK SESSION DATE July 5, 2016 APPLICANT/ OWNER Paradigm Development Corporation AGENT Mark Viani Attorney/Agent PARCEL DATA Tax Map ID Street Address 4131 Chain Bridge Road Zoning District R2 Residential APPLICATION SUMMARY The applicant requests to rezone the subject site from R2 Residential and Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District (TOD) to RPD Residential Planned Development, maintaining the TOD and utilizing the Old Town Fairfax Redevelopment Option, to allow development of 315 multifamily units on 2.69 acres. In addition to the rezoning, the applicant is seeking special exceptions to the zoning code to allow the following: Special Exceptions 1. A reduction in required perimeter open space; 2. An increase in permissible impervious lot coverage; 3. A modification to required landscape screening for a parking garage, and; 4. A reduction in the minimum required number of parking spaces. Waivers 1. An increase in permissible height in the TOD and an increase in the number of stories as permitted utilizing the Old Town Fairfax Redevelopment Option. Location Map City Hall Armstrong Street Room 207 Fairfax Virginia (FAX)

3 Rezoning Z and Special Exception SE Page 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION The 2.69-acre subject site stretches between Chain Bridge Road and University Drive, approximately 250 feet north of Armstrong Street. It is currently zoned R-2 Residential and is located within the TOD. The site is designated as Mixed Use on the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map. The site sits directly across from the terminus of Judicial Drive at Chain Bridge Road and from Breckenridge Drive at University Drive. Surrounding uses include office commercial to the north and south, retail commercial and the County Judicial Complex to the west and residential townhomes to the east. The following table provides a summary of adjacent uses. Adjacent Properties Direction Existing Zoning Current Use Site North South East West R-2 Residential with TOD C-1 Office Commercial with TOD CPD Commercial Planned Development with TOD RT- Townhouse C-2 Retail Commercial with TOD, Planned Development Commercial (County) Residential Single Detached Commercial - Office Commercial - Office Residential - Townhouse Commercial - Retail; Government Facilities (County) Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Designation Mixed-Use Mixed-Use Mixed-Use Residential - Medium Business-Commercial; Public Facilities (County) The site is currently occupied by a 4,936 square foot single-family home that was built in The house is oriented toward Chain Bridge Road with an entrance driveway from the northwest corner of the property. There is no access to the site from University Drive. PROJECT PROPOSAL The applicant proposes to replace the existing single family house with 315 multifamily apartment units and associated parking and amenities, for an overall density of 117 dwelling units per acre (DUA). The proposed plan is arranged with the residential units in two u-shaped buildings at the eastern and western ends of the site with a parking garage located at the center, as shown in the figure below. City Hall Armstrong Street Room 207 Fairfax Virginia (FAX)

4 Rezoning Z and Special Exception SE Page 3 The residential buildings are primarily six stories, tapering to four stories closest to University Drive. The parking garage is proposed at seven stories. Open space is provided in courtyards at the centers of the two u-shaped buildings and in an area along the center of the south property line where the building form steps back. Vehicular access is provided from University Drive only. No inter-parcel access is proposed. Pedestrian access is provided from University Drive and Chain Bridge Road. REQUESTS In order to fully execute the aforementioned improvements, the applicant proposes the following land use requests for City Council action: Rezoning from R2 Residential to RPD Residential Planned Development Utilization of the Old Town Fairfax Redevelopment Option Special Exception to allow for a reduction of 25-0 minimum open space perimeter around the entirety of the development per code Section (2); Special Exception to allow impervious coverage to exceed 50% of the gross tract area per code Section (4); Special Exception to allow modifications to the required landscape screening adjacent to a parking structure per code Section (b). Special Exception to allow fewer than two (2) parking spaces to be provided for each multifamily residential unit per code Section (b)(1)(c). Waiver to allow a maximum height that exceeds 43 feet as permitted in the Old Town Fairfax Transition District and more than five stories as permitted through the Old Town Fairfax Redevelopment Option. These land use requests are subject to change based on further analysis by staff and design modifications to the proposal. ANALYSIS Staff analysis of the compliance of this proposal with the Comprehensive Plan and other City goals and policy is provided in Attachment 1. City Hall Armstrong Street Room 207 Fairfax Virginia (FAX)

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6 ATTACHMENT 1. WORK SESSION ANALYSIS 4131 CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD Z and SE Staff seeks input from the City Council on the following items that are currently under review and discussion. Land Use: As shown in Figure 1, the site is designated as mixed use on the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map, which seeks for a mix of retail type uses with office or residential uses. Residential uses are encouraged in the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District (Transition District). Figure 1: Future Land Use Map Although the proposed addition of residential units to the Old Town area is encouraged by the Comprehensive Plan, the current proposal lacks a commercial component that would be supported by the mixed-use designation. The applicant has stated concerns with the economic viability of supporting commercial uses at this location. An analysis of key citations from the Comprehensive Plan related to uses for this site is provided in Attachment 2. 1

7 Building Form: The Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines provide parameters for larger scale buildings in the Transition District, including the following: a. Traditionally scaled building forms should be provided by breaking up large facades and varying the roof lines. b. The tallest building heights are most appropriate toward the center of the site with building heights tapering down toward street frontages. Appropriate building heights at street frontages should be determined based on surrounding uses and building forms. This property is roughly 220 feet wide and 575 deep. The relatively narrow street frontages combined with the U-shaped concept for the buildings at the east and west ends of the property generally contribute toward a traditionally scaled building width as viewed from the two street frontages. These elevations are provided in Figures 2-1 and 2-2. Figure 2-1: East elevation (University Drive) Figure 2-2: West elevation (Chain Bridge Road) Although the north and south elevations are partially screened by other buildings and vegetation, these two elevations have a much more significant mass than the east and west elevations as shown in Figures 3-1 and 3-2. The overall length of the building is approximately 530 feet. The appearance of these elevations when approaching the site from the north or the south should be considered when determining appropriate building forms, height transitions and architectural treatments. As proposed, these two elevations conflict with the guidance of the Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines. Figure 3-1: South elevation (as approached from City Hall/Inns of Court) 2

8 Figure 3-2: North elevation (as approached from Old Town) An analysis of key citations from the Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines as they pertain to building form on this site is provided in Attachment 2. Building Height: A special exception is being requested to allow for an increase in maximum height within the Transition District from 43 feet and up to five stories through the Old Town Fairfax Redevelopment Option to 73.2 feet with a maximum of six stories. The Old Town Fairfax Redevelopment Option provides the following considerations for determining appropriate building heights: a) Compatibility with existing and proposed proximate structures; b) Effect of topographic conditions on the visual impact of the proposed structure; c) The extent to which the architectural design of the proposed building mitigates the impact of additional height; and d) Extent to which the proposed development contributes to or detracts from the planned character of Old Town Fairfax. Although there are buildings within the Transition District with six or more stories, the tallest buildings in the area south of the Historic District are five stories and around 60 feet in height. In addition, there are no buildings within the Transition District with a footprint of six stories with a footprint as large as the proposed building in this application. An increased height of six stories could be considered, provided that impacts of the additional height are mitigated by transitioning building heights based on surrounding building forms and uses, topographic conditions and characteristics of the streetscape on which the property fronts. The current proposal steps down the building height toward University Drive to four stories. No step down of building height is proposed along the Chain Bridge Road frontage. When considering whether or not a building height transition is sufficient to detract from the visual impacts of the taller building heights, the depth of the transition should be considered in addition to the height. In the current proposal, the building steps up to five stories 26 feet from the building face, and six stories 40 feet from the building face. This results in an ultimate building height of 69.5 feet, 60 feet from the University Drive property line as shown in Figure 4. 3

9 Figure 4: University Drive Building Step-Back Setbacks: 20 foot setbacks are provided along the two street frontages and 10 foot setbacks are provided along the north and south property lines. The dimensions of the street front setbacks may change as a result of potential dedications for sidewalks, but this would not impact the building location or distance from the building to the curb. All setbacks are in conformance with the requirements of the TOD and the Old Town Redevelopment Option, though the applicant is requesting a special exception from a 25 foot wide perimeter open space as required in the Residential Planned Development District. Vehicular Circulation: Vehicular access to the site is proposed through a single access point on University Drive near the north property line. This access point would serve a driveway that leads under the building to the garage. Access is also provided to a loading area adjacent to the driveway. The driveway and the loading area are both concealed by roll-up doors as can be seen in Figure 2-1. The submitted plans to not indicate where trash service would be provided. Given their orientation toward the right-ofway, the visual and functional impact of these components of the plan on areas outside the site should be considered as the design is refined. The proposed driveway entrance is located approximately 36 feet (curb to curb) from the existing driveway that serves BB&T Bank to the north, and approximately 40 feet offset from the edge of Breckenridge Lane across University Drive. The offset proposed allows for potential conflicts between vehicles making left-turn movements into the development and into Breckenridge Lane. This is of particular concern since both left-turning vehicles would share a center turn lane in the proposed road diet configuration as shown in Figure 5. 4

10 Figure 5: Potential University Drive Conflict Area A traffic study has been provided by the applicant to compare existing and potential traffic volumes on adjacent streets and associated intersection performance. Scenarios were developed to consider the existing lane configurations as well as the proposed road diet configuration. The analysis indicates that adjacent intersections operate at acceptable levels of service during AM and PM peak hours and would continue to operate at acceptable levels of service with the added volume from the proposed development in either roadway configuration. The study does indicate that left turn movements out of the proposed development onto northbound University Drive would operate below an acceptable level of service with the road diet configuration. Staff is currently reviewing the study to ensure that appropriate base figures were used in the analysis. Parking: A total of 527 parking spaces are proposed within the parking garage that serves the site, for a ratio of 1.67 spaces per unit where 2.0 spaces per unit are required. The applicant states that the proposed parking ratio is based on the requirements of the current draft of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite. This ratio is based on the number of bedrooms in each unit, which has not yet been provided by the applicant. If the proposed parking ratio is in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite, a special exception will still be requested for parking because this application falls entirely within the existing zoning ordinance. Three multifamily apartment developments have been approved in the City since 2013, each with a residential parking ratio of 1.6 spaces per unit. This ratio has been supported by analysis of requirements in peer jurisdictions and observations from the Institute for Transportation Engineer s Parking Demand Manual. The applicant also proposes six on-street parallel parking spaces across the property frontage on University Drive. Traffic volumes along University Drive are low enough that on-street parking could be provided without presenting a safety concern with the current lane configuration or the road diet configuration. These parking spaces are located in the public right-of-way and would be available to the public, though time restrictions could be imposed. They are not counted toward the number of parking spaces provided with this proposal. 5

11 Given the number of units proposed and the resulting number of parking spaces, City staff are evaluating the need for a second entrance to the parking garage to improve the level of service for vehicles leaving the garage, as mentioned above, and improve public safety access to the site. It should be noted that an entrance on Chain Bridge Road would need to be evaluated for potential impacts on signal timing along that corridor. Pedestrian Circulation: Sidewalk improvements are proposed on both the University Drive and Chain Bridge Road frontages. Streetscape design standards for the Transition District would be applicable to this site, including brick sidewalks and gas light fixtures. The applicant is consulting with staff on sidewalk widths, street tree locations and other specific design elements. In the current design, no pedestrian cross access is proposed through the site in a north-south direction or in an east-west direction. Staff has indicated a desire to allow for pedestrian cross-access due to the overall size of the block on which the site is located. The applicant has expressed concerns with allowing for north-south cross access which would bisect the site, but is exploring opportunities to allow for east-west cross-access along the northern or southern property lines. Bicycle racks are proposed to serve guests of the building along the University Drive and Chain Bridge Road frontages. Staff has also requested that secure and enclosed bicycle facilities be provided within the building to serve residents. Environmental Considerations: The proposed plan increases the overall amount of impervious area on the site from approximately 20% to 74%. The maximum permitted coverage in the RPD is 50%, though hardscape for pedestrian areas may be excluded from the calculation, which results in a request to permit lot coverage of 65.86%. A special exception is being requested to allow for this increase. Impacts to stormwater management on the site and in the surrounding area are discussed under utilities below. Since there are no requirements for tree cover under the Old Town Redevelopment Option, the applicant has not supplied information on existing or proposed tree cover aside from the new trees as shown on the landscape plan. Staff has requested this information for comparison purposes. Utilities: This project would be required to meet new Virginia Stormwater Management Regulations and stormwater requirements of the City of Fairfax Public Facilities Manual, which call for a reduction in phosphorous discharge from existing conditions for redeveloping sites. The site plan identifies preliminary locations for both below-ground and above-ground stormwater holding and treatment facilities. There are no stormwater controls on the existing site. As a result, stormwater generally flows in two directions, one toward Chain Bridge Road and the other toward the southeast corner of 6

12 the site where it runs into the University Drive gutter. Stormwater improvements would control flow by capturing and treating it per state regulations and directing it to an underground system. The applicant is exploring options to connect to an existing stormwater pipe under Breckenridge Drive rather than University Drive to avoid directing the flow toward the University Drive/Armstrong Street intersection, which has capacity concerns. Per City Code, all existing and proposed on-site utilities would have to be relocated underground through this redevelopment effort. There are no above ground utilities along the University Drive frontage for this property. There is one pole on site along the Chain Bridge Road frontage. This pole provides connections across Chain Bridge Road. One mast arm traffic signal pole is also located within the property along the Chain Bridge Road frontage. This pole would need to be replaced if any alterations to it are proposed through the development. Architecture: The building is designed with different architecture styles to reflect that of the surrounding properties on each frontage. The University Drive frontage has a more residential appearance with a lower building height, gabled roofs, window shutters and a lighter masonry color. The Chain Bridge Road frontage has a more commercial appearance with a flat roof, fewer architectural details and darker masonry. In general, the architectural designs for both faces are in keeping with that of the Old Town area with traditional elements and masonry as the primary façade material. The shape of the lot, combined with the concept of U-shaped buildings at the east and west ends results in a building scale along the frontages that is generally in keeping with the goals of the Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines. Despite this, the overall height along both frontages is not consistent with surrounding properties. In addition, when viewed from the north or south, the building has a more monolithic appearance that is not consistent with existing structures in the Old Town area or the goals of the Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines. Along the north façade, the partial screening of the parking garage is insufficient to blend in the utilitarian structure with existing uses within Old Town Fairfax. In particular, the highest points of the garage, which are the most visible, remain un-screened. This application will be subject to approval by the Board of Architectural Review, whose decision is partially based on the criteria set forth in the Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines. Potential Proffers: Though staff has not discussed specific proffers with the applicant at this time, there are several proffers that are likely to be included in the final proposal that merit input from City Council at this stage. Following is a summary of these proffers: Inclusion of Affordable Dwelling Units: No provisions for affordable dwelling units were included in the initial application package, though the applicant has indicated that they are aware of the City s affordable housing policy. Following this policy, this proposal would include 19 units provided at rents affordable to 60% of the area median income. 7

13 Parks and Recreation: This development is expected to impact the Department of Parks and Recreation in two ways; one based on location, and the other based on use. Regarding location, the site is within close proximity to Providence Park, Old Town Square and Ratcliffe Park, and with minimal on-site open space, is expected to increase user demand on those facilities. Existing needs are identified in the Parks and Recreation Strategic Master Plan. Regarding use, the proposed redevelopment is expected to attract a relatively higher proportion of singles and non-family households, a demographic that is underserved in the existing City park system. Improved City recreational facilities may be needed to serve this demographic. Transportation Demand Management Plan: As with any development project of this scale, a Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM) will be required to convey the applicant s efforts in reducing vehicle trips generated by the development. The site is well situated to take advantage of its proximity to Old Town and George Mason University, in addition to existing transit service, and walking and biking trails. Staff will work with the applicant to develop a plan to enhance transit and pedestrian infrastructure and encourage residents to use alternative transportation modes. Schools: Contributions to schools are typically offered based on the number of additional school children anticipated compared to that of existing conditions, or to that of a by-right development on the same site. Other Proffers: Potential proffers which could be included in the rezoning application based on recent concerns within the City as well as the specific context of the subject site and proposed development may include the following: 1. Wayfinding and cycling signage 2. Public Art 3. Energy Efficiency 4. Architectural survey and Phase I Archeological Study 8

14 ATTACHMENT 2 Review of Applicable Citations from the Comprehensive Plan and Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines Comprehensive Plan: The subject site is designated as Mixed Use on the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map. The following description of Mixed Use is provided from the Land Use Chapter of the plan. Certain locations within the City call for a flexible land use category that will support development with a mixture of uses. The mixed use category supports a combination of commercial, residential and institutional development to be tailored to specific site conditions and transition needs. Residential uses are generally acceptable, but the intensity of residential uses should be moderated in areas where lower intensity development provides appropriate transitions, such as in portions of Old Town Fairfax for example. In addition, residential uses should not be the dominate ground floor use within any of the mixed use districts (Comprehensive Plan, page 164) Uses, or features of uses, that directly further a City goal or objective, such as those identified in this or other chapters of this Plan, should be encouraged and provided reasonable flexibility to achieve that goal or objective (Comprehensive Plan, page 164) In addition to having a Mixed Use designation, the site is located within the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District (TOD). Following are descriptions of preferred development forms and uses within that district as provided in the Land Use Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. Old Town Fairfax [Historic District and Transition District combined] should contain a variety of land uses, including retail shops, restaurants, offices, residential uses, shared or public parking facilities, and open spaces. The preferred mix of uses would include restaurants, retail, and personal services on the ground floor of buildings that are intermixed along street frontages with residential or office uses above. (Comprehensive Plan, page 165) The comprehensive plan further supports residential uses in the Transition Overlay District subject to certain conditions as described below: Residential development in the Transition Area is essential to the success of Old Town Fairfax and should be guided by the site-specific descriptions of the Land Use Plan. Upper floor-residences should be encouraged in the Historic Downtown, and additional residential units sited nearby to encourage evening and weekend activities to assure a viable setting for commercial uses. (Comprehensive Plan, page 167)

15 The applicant proposes to construct 315 multifamily apartment units on the 2.69 acre site, for an overall density of 117 dwelling units per acre (DUA) with no retail or commercial component. Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines: Located within the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District, certain aspects of the design of the site, particularly in regard to building scale and massing, are guided by the language of the Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines. Applicable citations from the Design Guidelines along with an analysis of the conformance of the proposal with those citations are provided below: The Old Town Fairfax Design Guidelines provide recommendations for building forms and architectural styles within Old Town Fairfax, consisting of the Old Town Fairfax Historic District and the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District. Specific recommendations are provided for larger structures that are located within the Historic District or the Transition Overlay District. Although they are referred to as multi-lot structures, their applicability applies to all larger scale residential building types as described below: Multi-lot building type: while this building type needs to respond to the various building conditions on the site, it also should employ design techniques to reduce its visual presence. The uses of the large buildings may be commercial, professional or residential or a mixture of any or all of these types. (page 44) Residential building type: While there is limited opportunity to construct many more residential structures, there is the possibility of new such developments within the transition district. These designs could be townhouses or multifamily larger scaled structures that could also contain other uses as well. These larger buildings containing multifamily uses should be treated as a multi-lot structure in terms of their designs. (pages 44-45) Based on the above descriptions, the proposed residential development should be considered a multi-lot structure and should be designed in accordance with the design guidelines intended for such buildings. Following is a summary of applicable guidelines for consideration in the building design of multi-lot structures. 1. Building Form: A. In areas with large multi-lot buildings, divide the façade to smaller and more traditionally scaled units. (page 46) B. Use forms in new construction that relate to those of existing neighboring buildings on the street (page 46)

16 C. Break up large monolithic box-like designs into more complex designs. (page 46) D. Most historic commercial buildings in downtown are twenty to thirty feet wide. If new buildings are wider than this size, their primary facades should be divided into bays to reflect the predominant width of the existing buildings. (page 48) E. Multi-lot buildings that are large scales should have a varied roof line to break up the mass of the design using gable and/or hipped forms. (Page 49) The proposed design breaks up the building mass and uses forms that relate to existing neighboring buildings for the Chain Bridge Road and University Drive street frontages. The north and south elevations have a more monolithic façade. 2. Building Height: A. Consider reducing the scale of the building at the streetfront façade and increasing the scale as the building steps back on the lot. (page 46) B. Because of the variety in building types and periods in Fairfax s Transition District, there is a corresponding variety in building heights of one to five stories and widths. (page 48) C. In order to reinforce the traditional Main Street wall of two to three stories of the neighboring historic district, consider stepping back the upper floor levels of larger multi-lot structures in the transition district. (page 48) In general, building heights of up to five stories are in keeping with existing structures in the TOD, though building heights of up to six stories may be acceptable in some portions of the site depending on adjacent land uses and frontages. The tallest portions of the building should be located near the center of the site with building heights tapering down to the two frontages. Building heights at the two frontages should be in harmony with existing development in proximity to the site along each street. Height step backs should be significant enough that the taller portions of the building do not counter the effect of the lower building heights along the frontages. The north and south elevations are visually prominent components of the building which should be considered when determining appropriate building heights. 3. Street Presence: A. Reinforce the scale of the Historic District in the Transition District by including elements such as porches, entrances, storefronts, and decorative features. (page 49) Although some decorative features are present in the elevations provided for the two facades with street frontages, only one of the four building facades that faces a street is depicted with a pedestrian building entrance, and none of the façades include store fronts.

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