2 January 13, 2010 Public Hearing APPLICANT: AUTOBELL CAR WASH, INC

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1 REQUEST: Conditional Use Permit (car wash) 2 January 13, 2010 Public Hearing APPLICANT: AUTOBELL CAR WASH, INC PROPERTY OWNER: MESSER 1060 INDEPENDENCE BOULEVARD STAFF PLANNER: Carolyn A.K. Smith ADDRESS / DESCRIPTION: 1060 & 1064 Independence Boulevard GPIN: ELECTION DISTRICT: BAYSIDE SITE SIZE: 0.8 acre AICUZ: Less than 65 db DNL The applicant requests a Conditional Use Permit to allow SUMMARY OF REQUEST development of the site for an automated car wash within a 2,260 square foot building. The application states that hours of operation are proposed as 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week. The existing site, which consists of two recorded lots, utilizes a single vehicular access on Independence Boulevard, and the submitted plan depicts this ingress-egress point to remain as the only access on Independence Boulevard. The location of the approximately 2,000 square foot building is proposed along the northern property line. There is a single lane for vehicles to queue for the car wash drive-through and up to 15 parking spaces for customer and employee parking. The site is almost entirely impervious. The photograph of the proposed structure depicts brick columns spaced equidistant along a façade of storefront windows with EIFS along the top. Horizontal ribbons of red and blue stripes separate the glass from the EIFS above. An entry feature, with a large, faux, yellow bell is depicted under a standing seam metal roof. Based on Staff s opinion that the bell feature is not consistent with the design guidelines of the Comprehensive Plan or with the Zoning Ordinance s provisions for retail design, the applicant also provided an alternative design that eliminates the yellow bell but retains a slightly altered tower feature. Page 1

2 LAND USE AND ZONING INFORMATION EXISTING LAND USE: Vacant buildings (former fast-food restaurant) and asphalt parking lot. SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING: North: Restaurant, financial institution / B-2 Community Business District South: Retail Uses / B-2 Community Business District East: Medical Offices / B-2 Community Business District West: Independence Boulevard Mixed Retail / B-2 Community Business District NATURAL RESOURCE AND CULTURAL FEATURES: The sites are located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The majority of the property is impervious, as it is developed with buildings and parking lot. There does not appear to be any significant environmental or cultural features. IMPACT ON CITY SERVICES MASTER TRANSPORTATION PLAN (MTP) / CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP): Independence Boulevard is a six-lane divided major urban arterial. The MTP proposes a divided facility with bikeway within a 150-foot wide right-of-way. Currently, this segment of roadway is functioning over-capacity at a Level Of Service F. There is a proposed but unfunded Roadway CIP project in the vicinity of this site. Independence Boulevard (CIP 2-045) is for construction of a six-lane divided highway within a 165-foot wide right-of-way along Independence Boulevard from Northampton Boulevard to Haygood Road. This project will also include full improvements along Independence Boulevard at the Haygood Road/Wishart Road and Northampton Boulevard intersections. If this project is funded in the future, the subject site may be impacted by the Independence Boulevard/Haygood Road/Wishart Road intersection improvements. TRAFFIC: Street Name Independence Boulevard Present Present Capacity Volume 51,685 ADT 1 26,300 ADT 1 (Level of Service C ) 48,200 ADT 1 (Level of Service E ) Generated Traffic Existing Land Use ADT Proposed Land Use ADT 1 Average Daily Trips 2 fast-food restaurant 3 automated car wash WATER: This site is connected to City water. There is an existing 6-inch and 12-inch City water line along Independence Boulevard. SEWER: This site is currently connected to City sanitary sewer. Analysis of Pump Station #341 and the sanitary sewer collection system may be required to ensure future flows can be accommodated. There is an 8- Page 2

3 inch City gravity sanitary sewer line to the site that crosses the adjacent property to the east within an existing 15-foot wide utility and drainage easement. There is also an existing 36-inch force main along Independence Boulevard. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of this request with the conditions below. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION Comprehensive Plan: The land use planning policies and principles for the Suburban Area focus strongly on preserving and protecting the overall character, economic value, and aesthetic quality of the stable neighborhoods located in this area. The established type, size, and relationship of land use, both residential and nonresidential, in and around these neighborhoods should serve as a guide when considering future development. Relevant to this proposal is the Comprehensive Plan s General Community Appearance Guidelines. Overall, the proposed building is consistent with the guidelines; however, of concern is the size of the bell tower feature, as it is disproportionate to the main building, primarily due to the scale of the tower. The Guidelines note the following regarding the importance of proportion to good design: Proportion is the relationship of one dimension to another. If proportion is correct, order seems to prevail. Each component of a building should have good proportion (height to width of a door, for example), the relationship of each component to each other (wall to window, for example) should express good proportion, and the ratio of building mass to the spaces around it should possess good proportion. Evaluation: The Conditional Use Permit request for a car wash at this location is deemed appropriate and recommended for approval; however, the design of the bell tower feature as submitted cannot be supported. Staff had initial concerns about the size and appearance of the entry feature with the large, yellow bell and met with the applicant to discuss ways to modify this feature. Staff s initial recommendation was to simply eliminate the tower, which is not acceptable to the applicant. As a compromise, Staff recommended a reduction to the size of the bell tower and a change in the roof color from bright red to a neutral color. Other than this single issue, the proposal will be a good redevelopment of an otherwise vacant and deteriorating site. Unfortunately, the applicant does not wish to remove or reduce the tower feature, but has instead offered to remove the yellow bell from within the tower and alter the design of the tower to resemble the outline of the bell, as the shape is an intentional component of the applicant s branding. The shopping center on the west side of Independence Boulevard, opposite this site, has recently completed a substantial renovation one worthy of a Planning Commission Design Award. This renovation will likely contribute to additional redevelopment of this aging retail corridor. In Staff s opinion, the large bell tower does not reflect the significant upgrades to aesthetics that have occurred and are desired in this area. Simply removing the bell and leaving the rest of the tower as shown at this size is not acceptable. As such, Staff advises approval but only subject to the recommendation in Condition 2, below, that requires either removal of the tower feature or a reduction of the size of the tower feature by one-half. Page 3

4 The Trip Generation volumes provided in the Traffic section of this report for both the existing and proposed land uses are based on a very limited number of studies available through the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation manual. The car wash land use has the potential for generating enough traffic to meet the warrants for a right-turn lane; however, definitive numbers are not available to make an accurate determination. Based on this, Staff recommends requiring improvements to the entrance that will help ensure unimpeded traffic flow into the site without requiring a right-turn lane. These conditions are listed under number 2 below. Also, other comments will be forthcoming during final site plan review addressing issues such as, but not limited to, stormwater quality and quantity control and parking lot interior and streetscape landscaping. CONDITIONS 1. When the property is redeveloped, it shall be in substantial conformance with the exhibit entitled, Preliminary Sketch AUTO BELL, 1060 Independence Boulevard, Virginia Beach, Virginia, prepared by Commercial Site Design, dated 10/28/09, which has been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council and is on file in the Planning Department, with the exception of modifications required by the Department of Public Works and any other City departments in order to comply with City regulations and policies. 2. When the building is constructed, it shall be in substantial conformance with the exhibit entitled, Auto Bell Elevation #2, which has been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council and is on file in the Planning Department. The applicant, however, shall provide a revised architectural plan to the Current Planning Division of the Planning Department for approval prior to the submission of the Site Plan to the Development Services Center; said plan shall either eliminate the bell tower or reduce that feature in scale by at least one-half. The standing seam metal roof capping the tower shall be a neutral color instead of the red. 3. The site shall be allowed one freestanding sign, which shall be constructed as depicted on the exhibit entitled, Auto Bell, Car Wash, dated December 20, 2009, with the exception that said freestanding sign shall be limited in height to eight (8) feet. Any deviations to the design or appearance of the sign shall be submitted to the Planning Department for approval prior to the issuance of a sign permit. There shall be no electronic display components (LED and similar) installed on the sign or on the building. 4. The signage shown on the exhibit in Condition 2 above is subject to review by the Zoning Division during the sign permit process and shall not be permitted as shown unless it meets the provisions of the City of Virginia Beach Zoning Ordinance. No additional signage shall be permitted on the building. 5. No window or outdoor advertising banners, pennants, streamers or other such visual devices beyond those permitted by the City Zoning Ordinance shall be permitted on the property. 6. Unless otherwise permitted by the Department of Public Works/Traffic Engineering, the following shall be depicted on the Site Plan submitted to the Development Services Center: a) Development of the site shall include a 25 foot curb line radius for the vehicular access with a right-in/right-out pork-chop island to physically separate the entering and exiting vehicles. Page 4

5 b) Development of the site shall include a median that extends from the vehicular access island into the site approximately 50 feet, directing entering vehicles away from stationary vehicles parked in the towel drying stations. c) Development of the site shall locate the vehicular access as close to the southern property line as possible without overlapping the property line. d) Development of the site shall include a 30 foot throat length for the vehicular access in accordance with the City of Virginia Beach Public Works Specifications and Standards. 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 5

6 AERIAL OF SITE LOCATION Page 6

7 PROPOSED SITE PLAN Page 7

8 PROPOSED BUILDING ELEVATION - 1 Page 8

9 MODIFIED BUILDING ELEVATION - 2 Page 9

10 PROPOSED FREESTANDING SIGN Page 10

11 /28/06 CUP (fuel sales) 2 09/25/95 05/25/99 08/03/66 CUP (communication tower) CUP (recreation facility) Change of Zoning (RS 1, RS 3, & RS 4 to CG 3 General Commercial) CUP (dance studio) CUP (childcare) CUP (fuel sales) CUP (mini-warehouses) 09/29/69 06/18/73 12/08/75 09/26/ /26/96 Change of Zoning (B-2 to O-2) 4 01/10/95 11/17/86 11/17/86 Change of Zoning (O-2 to A-12) CUP (home for the aged) Change of Zoning (B-2 to O-2) 5 07/12/05 CUP (fuel sales) 6 09/09/85 CUP (auto service) 7 03/28/88 12/02/85 Reconsideration of Conditions Change of Zoning (R-4 to O-1) 8 12/18/89 CUP (auto repair) Denied ZONING HISTORY Page 11

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