20 November 12, 2014 Public Hearing APPLICANT:

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1 20 November 12, 2014 Public Hearing APPLICANT: PROPERTY OWNER: CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH CHESAPEAKE BEACH VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE REQUEST: Conditional Use Permit Craft Brewery STAFF PLANNER: Graham Owen ADDRESS / DESCRIPTION: 2444 Pleasure House Road GPINS: ELECTION DISTRICT: BAYSIDE SITE SIZE: 0.79 acres AICUZ: Less than 65 db DNL BACKGROUND / DETAILS OF PROPOSAL Background The applicant requests a conditional use permit to operate a craft brewery from the vacant Chesapeake Beach Volunteer Fire and Rescue center on Pleasure House Road. Craft Breweries were approved by City Council on October 7, 2014 as a conditional use in the B-2 and I-1 Zoning Districts, and this is the first submitted application for this use category. The applicant would use the existing building, while increasing transparency on the east façade and renovating the interior to accommodate a production area and tasting room. Craft breweries are defined in the City Zoning Ordinance as the following: A facility, other than a farm brewery, that produces and distributes beer or other fermented malt beverages in quantities not exceeding fifteen thousand barrels (15,000 BBL) per year and at which beer, Page 1

2 ale or other fermented beverages are served to customers for on-premises consumption and at which meals are not served. In the City Zoning Ordinance, Craft Breweries are distinguished from Beverage Manufacturing Shops by the allowance of on-premises consumption, as well as the restriction on annual production volume. The chart below demonstrates the variety of related establishments permitted by-right and conditionally in the City. Zoning Lot Size Restrictions Production restrictions On-site alcohol consumption Production for off-site consumption Use Categories for the Production and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages Craft Brewery B-2, I-1 with CUP Per zoning district 15,000 barrels per year of fermented malt beverage Beverage Manufacturing Shop B-2 B-4C, I-1, I-2, CBC byright 3,000 SF max in B-2 B4C No restrictions Eating and Drinking Establishment/ Restaurant B-1 B-3, I-1, I- 2, CBC, OR (mixed-use and commercial building types) by-right, OR (row house and detached house building types) with CUP Per zoning district Wine manufactured on site cannot exceed 18% alcohol by volume Bar or nightclub B-2 B4K, I-1, I-2, CBC, OR (mixed-use and commercial building types) with CUP Per zoning district N/A Farm Winery AG-1 and AG- 2 by-right 2 acre minimum None Allowed Not allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Not allowed Allowed in accordance with Code of Virginia 4.1 Food Not allowed Food can be served if used in conjunction with eating and drinking establishment Food must be served to qualify as the use Food must be served No commercial kitchen allowed The applicant would use the existing structure as a brewing and production space with an adjoining tasting room. The production area in the northern half of the building would house fermentation tanks, lautering tuns (vessels) for separating the liquid wort from the grain, as well as a bottling area. The production area would also handle shipping and receiving through the existing fire station doors. Beverages would be available for on-site consumption in the 1,780 square foot tasting room, which would Page 2

3 only serve beers produced by Commonwealth Brewing Co. The brewery would also have a small game room, which would also function as an area for private parties. The only addition to the existing structure would be a 440 square foot cooler addition in the rear of the building. The brewery would operate on the following schedule: Monday Friday: 3pm 12am Saturday: 12pm 12am Sunday: 12pm 8pm Per the requirements of the Craft Brewery ordinance, amplified music is only permitted indoors and only until midnight. Details Site Design The site is located at the southeast corner of Pleasure House Road and Lake Drive. Northampton Boulevard is located immediately behind the site, although the road is a raised, limited access arterial along this section and cannot be accessed from the site. There is also no access to Northampton Boulevard from Lake Drive, which dead ends at Northampton Boulevard. The fire station is setback 32 feet from Pleasure House Road, 36 feet from Lake Drive, and 28 feet from the southern property line, which abuts a nonconforming residence. The building contains a varied roofline that divides the façade roughly in half. The northern half contains fire engine maintenance bays, which would function as the brewery production space and tasting room. The southern half currently contains the vacant office space for the fire station. The site plan also shows curb and gutter improvements along Pleasure House Road, as well as a five foot sidewalk. Access and Circulation Vehicles would access the site from Lake Drive, as well as a proposed cub cut along Pleasure House Road. Vehicles would park behind the building in the rear of the site, as well as on the north side of the building. The submitted plan depicts 31 parking spaces on the site, which exceeds the required 25 spaces. The site plan show a two-way, twenty-two foot drive aisle in the rear, as well as a one-way, thirteen and one-half foot drive aisle to bring vehicles into the site directly from Pleasure House Road. A three-foot wide row of planters would separate the angled parking spaces along the northern property line from Lake Drive. There is no curb currently separating the site from Lake Drive which, due to its width and termination at Northampton Boulevard, currently has the character and function of an unstriped parking lot. The applicant has offered to place three parallel parking spaces in the right of way to further define the property from the street. An existing gravel drive along the southern property line would be closed off, and this side yard would be re-seeded with grass. Signage The rendered building elevations (A2.1) depict limited building signage above the shop entrance along Pleasure House Road. The sign would display Commonwealth Brewing Company in 10- inch block letters painted black on the building. No other signage is proposed for the development at this time. Architectural Elevations The Chesapeake Beach Fire Station is a one-story, 9,804 square foot building constructed of concrete masonry unit. The applicant would retain the building, and add large windows along the front façade to provide increased transparency and day-light the tasting room. The bay doors in the rear would be removed, and a 440 square foot cooler room would be added to the existing structure. Landscaping The conceptual plan depicts foundation landscaping along the northern façade of the building facing Lake Drive, as well as several trees in the parking area. The applicant has proposed a six-foot wood privacy fence along the southern property line to screen the site from the adjacent nonconforming residences, and would retain an existing hedge along a portion of this property line. Also, Page 3

4 an existing fifteen foot-tall hedge screens the site from Northampton Boulevard, and would be retained with this development. LAND USE AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EXISTING LAND USE: Vacant fire station and rescue squad center SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING: North: Offices / B-2 Community Business District Lake Drive South: Nonconforming Single Family Homes / B-2 Community Business District East: Northampton Blvd (no access to the site) West: Single Family Condominiums / Planned Development PDH-2 District Pleasure House Road NATURAL RESOURCE AND CULTURAL FEATURES: The site is located in the Resource Management Area of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area. There does not appear to be any cultural features on the site. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan designates this site as being within the Suburban Area. The general planning principles for the Suburban Area focus on preserving and protecting the overall character, economic value, and aesthetic quality of stable neighborhoods. Achieving the goals of preserving neighborhood quality requires that all new development or redevelopment, whether residential or non-residential, either maintain or enhance the overall area. This is accomplished through compatibility with surroundings, attractiveness of site and buildings, environmental responsibility, livability, and effective buffering of residential from other residential and non-residential with respect to type, size, intensity, and relationship to the surrounding uses. Ensure that all new development and redeveloped proposals/projects preserve the quality of our natural environment by adhering to established environmental planning principles. This includes minimizing impervious cover of such features as buildings, roads and parking areas. (pp. 3-1 to 3-3) IMPACT ON CITY SERVICES MASTER TRANSPORTATION PLAN (MTP) / CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP): Pleasure House Road in the vicinity of this application is considered a two-lane undivided minor suburban arterial. The Master Transportation Plan proposes a four-lane facility within an 80 foot right-ofway. Currently, this segment of roadway is functioning under capacity at a Level of Service C or better. Page 4

5 There is a roadway Capital Improvement Program project slated for this area. Pleasure House Road Street Improvements Phase II (CIP ) will provide street and safety improvements along Pleasure House Road, including new curb and gutter, drainage, bike accommodations, and a 5 foot sidewalk, from Shore Drive to Lookout Road. The street improvements include full roadway reconstruction with pavement widening. Construction is currently scheduled to begin April No funding has been appropriated to date. TRAFFIC: Street Name Present Volume Present Capacity Pleasure House Rd 8,666 ADT 1 13,600 ADT 1 (Level of Service C ) 16,200 ADT 1 (Level of Service E ) Generated Traffic 5 Morning Peak Hour Vehicles 36 Evening Peak Hour Vehicles 1 Average Daily Trips WATER AND SEWER: This site is already connected to City water. The existing 5/8-inch water meter (City ID # ) can be used or upgraded to accommodate the proposed development. This site is already connected to City sanitary sewer. Sewer and pump station analysis for pump station #302 is required to determine if future flows can be accommodated. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION This request for a conditional use permit to allow the site to be developed as a craft brewery is acceptable. The applicant has worked with Traffic Engineering to improve the right-of-way along Pleasure House Road to include a curb and gutter, as well as a sidewalk. Also, the proposed three-foot row of planters and parallel parking spaces along the northern property line will help define Lake Drive, creating a clearer indication of the areas of the site that are appropriate for parking. The applicant would also remove an existing gravel driveway along the southern property line and re-seed the area with grass, which would eliminate an unsafe line-of-sight for vehicles exiting the site onto Pleasure House Road. In addition to the proposed right-of-way improvements, the site plan depicts several enhancements that will have included several amenities to accommodate multiple modes of transportation. Bicycle parking is depicted in the front of the site, which will help customers take advantage of the bicycle lane on Pleasure House Road. The site will also include motorcycle parking in the rear. These accommodations, along with the vehicle parking wrapped around two sides of the building, should provide for a highly accessible site. The planning principles for the Suburban Area are reinforced by the Special Area Development Guidelines for site and building design in the Comprehensive Plan s Reference Book. The following principles can be applied to this request. Site Landscaping - Developments that incorporate a carefully designed landscape package are more attractive, safer and retain higher economic value than those that do not. Landscaping can play many roles, both functional and aesthetic, in promoting a quality physical environment. Within reason, existing Page 5

6 trees and groundcover that are healthy should be preserved and integrated into the overall design of development, especially in highly visible areas of the site. In the absence of existing vegetation, the type, size and location of new plant material should be added to achieve a high quality physical environment. The applicant is proposing to retain an existing tree and shrub buffer to screen the site from Northampton Boulevard. Also, the required foundation landscaping along the northern façade has been pushed to the northern property line to physically separate the site from Lake Drive. Five new canopy trees will be planted in the rear parking area, and foundation landscaping will be planted along the front façade where practical. Finally, an existing five-foot hedge along the southern property line will be retained to buffer the site from the adjacent nonconforming lot. All development should incorporate environmentally sensitive design that protects the integrity of existing neighborhoods, complements adjacent land uses, included crime prevention principles, and enhances the overall function and visual quality of the street, neighboring properties and community. The applicant s proposal offers a low-intensity adaptive reuse of a structure. Craft breweries are restricted to an annual production of 15,000 barrels, which limits the intensity of the brewing on site in terms of distribution and truck traffic. The proposed hours of operation have been limited to respect the surrounding neighborhood, and are more restricted than the hours that could reasonably be expected for a by-right eating and drinking establishment. The proposal enhances the quality of the streetscape along Pleasure House Road by introducing curb and gutter, as well as a sidewalk, which will help pedestrians and cyclists access the site and the existing sidewalk immediately across Lake Drive. These improvements will provide a safer pedestrian experience in this corridor. The proposal also eliminates an existing access point along the southern property line with a poor line-of-sight. This area will be reseeded with grass, which should help manage stormwater on the site. Also, the southern-most portion of the rear parking area will remain as a gravel bed to help drain the site. All signs should be consistent in color and theme with the primary building. The applicant is proposing a building-mounted sign to read Commonwealth Brewing Company with teninch black block lettering. In Staff s opinion, this signage complements the submitted elevations, and provides an appealing front façade. The applicant has met with representatives of the Chic s Beach Civic League, and their representative has indicated that they are not opposed to this application. Based on the above evaluation, staff recommends approval of this request with the conditions below. Page 6

7 CONDITIONS 1. The site shall be developed in substantial conformance with the submitted plan entitled Site Plan Commonwealth Brewing Upfit, 2444 Pleasure House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA dated 11/04/2014, which has been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council and is on file with the Virginia Beach Department of Planning. 2. The building elevations shall be developed in substantial conformance with the submitted elevations entitled Rendered Building Elevations Commonwealth Brewing Upfit, 2444 Pleasure House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA dated 08/29/2014, which has been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council and is on file with the Virginia Beach Department of Planning. 3. Only one delivery truck shall be allowed on the site each week. The size of the truck shall be limited such that no portion of the truck shall encroach into the public right-of-way while parked on-site. 4. The existing trees and shrubs along Northampton Boulevard shall remain to screen the use from the highway. The existing row of evergreen shrubs along the southern lot line shall remain to screen the use from the adjoining residence. 5. Parking space #11 shall be used for motorcycle parking only. 6. All signage on site shall conform to the sign regulations of the City of Virginia Beach. NOTE: Further conditions may be required during the administration of applicable City Ordinances and Standards. Any site plan submitted with this application may require revision during detailed site plan review to meet all applicable City Codes and Standards. All applicable permits required by the City Code, including those administered by the Department of Planning / Development Services Center and Department of Planning / Permits and Inspections Division, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, are required before any uses allowed by this Use Permit are valid. The applicant is encouraged to contact and work with the Crime Prevention Office within the Police Department for crime prevention techniques and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concepts and strategies as they pertain to this site. Page 7

8 AERIAL OF SITE LOCATION Page 8

9 PROPOSED SITE PLAN Page 9

10 PROPOSED FLOOR PLAN Page 10

11 PROPOSED BUILDING ELEVATIONS Page 11

12 ZONING HISTORY # DATE REQUEST ACTION 1 10/12/2004 Subdivision Variance Approved 2 07/13/2004 Subdivision Variance Approved 3 11/26/2002 Change of Zoning from A-18 Apartment and B-2 Community Business Approved District to PD-H2 (A12) Planned Development District 4 11/23/1999 Change of Zoning from B-2 Community Business District to PD-H2 (R- 5R) Planned Development District Approved Page 12

13 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Page 13

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