ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA County Board Agenda Item Meeting of July 15, 2017 DATE: July 7, 2017 SUBJECT: U-2808-94-1 USE PERMIT AMENDMENT for the addition of a relocatable classroom and increase in design capacity with modification to parking regulations at Claremont Elementary School; located at 4700 S. Chesterfield Road. (RPC 28-002-071). Applicant: Arlington County School Board By: John Chadwick Assistant Superintendent, Facilities and Operation 1426 N. Quincy Street Arlington, VA 22207 C.M. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the use permit amendment for a relocatable classroom and increase in design capacity for up to 767 students, with a modification to parking requirements subject to the conditions of the staff report. ISSUES: This is a use permit amendment for a relocatable classroom, increase in design capacity for up to 767 students, and a modification to parking requirements. No issues have been identified. SUMMARY: Student enrollment is growing at a faster rate than APS can provide new schools and classrooms. APS requests to add one relocatable classroom at to increase the design capacity by 24 students for a total of seven relocatable classrooms and total design capacity of the existing school and relocatable classrooms to 767. A use permit amendment is required for increases in design capacity for schools and modification of parking requirements. There are no issues with the use permit amendment, therefore staff recommends approval of the use permit amendment for the addition of relocatable classrooms and increase in County Manager: ##### County Attorney: ***** Staff: Michelle Stahlhut, DCPHD, Planning Division Robert Gibson, DES, Transportation Division 8. A.
design capacity up to 767 with modification of parking regulations, subject to the proposed conditions of the staff report. BACKGROUND: was constructed in 1951. An addition was constructed in 1963. The facility functioned as an elementary school until June 1983. From the fall of 1985 until July 1993, the building was leased as a training facility by the Northern Virginia Police Academy. In 1994, APS was granted a use permit to convert the facility back to an elementary school with a design capacity of 550 students. In 2000, a use permit amendment was issued to reconstruct and expand the school to increase the design capacity to 600 students. There are currently six relocatable classrooms providing an additional 144 seats for a total existing design capacity of 744. The following provides additional information about the site and location: Site: The approximately 15-acre parcel is developed with the existing school, six relocatable classrooms, 72 parking spaces, and play area. The site is bounded by single-family homes to the southwest along South Buchanan Street, and by heavy vegetation adjacent to the Four Mile Run watershed to the north and east. Wakefield High school is located west of the site. Zoning: S-3A Special District Land Use: The site is designated on the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) as Public. Neighborhood: The site is located within the Claremont neighborhood. APS staff has conducted outreach to the Claremont PTA and the Claremont Civic Association. Staff has followed up with the civic association regarding the proposal and the civic association has not responded as of the date of this report. DISCUSSION: APS has installed relocatable classrooms at to support increasing student enrollment. The existing six relocatable classrooms expand the design capacity of the school by 144 students. APS would like to add one additional relocatable classroom, for a total of seven. A use permit amendment is required due to the increase in design capacity for the elementary school. Table 1: Capacity Existing Building Capacity 599 Existing Relocatable Capacity 144 Total 743 Proposed Building Capacity 599 Proposed Relocatable Capacity 168 (144 existing + 24 new) Total 767 Increase in Overall Capacity 24 U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 2 -
Table 2: Parking Existing Staff (1 Space per 7.5 99 Capacity) Existing Visitor (1 Space per 40 19 Capacity) Total Existing Required 118 Proposed Staff (1 Space per 7.5 Capacity) Proposed Visitor (1 Space per 40 Capacity) Total Required without Parking Modification 102 20 122 Existing On-Site Parking 72 Required Parking with an 72 approved Parking Modification Student Bicycle Parking: has bicycle parking for six (6) bikes currently. APS has agreed per condition #10 to add additional bike racks by September 2019 to provide a minimum of 30 bicycle parking spaces for students. This will provide a minimum of one space for every 20 students of design capacity for the existing school building, consistent with the student bike parking required with recent use permit approvals for schools. Transportation Demand Management (TDM): A TDM plan is required for this use permit because the modification reduces the number of on-site parking spaces required. APS currently implements transportation demand management strategies and incentives across the school system, extending to all schools including, as part of the APS GO program. As part of a parking modification to reduce the amount of on-site parking for schools, the Zoning Ordinance Section 14.3.7.C, requires the provision of a TDM plan. Staff recommends and the applicant agrees that the TDM for programs at Claremont Elementary will include the elements listed in Condition #11, which provide for mitigation of traffic and parking impacts of the school. These elements include appointment of a school transportation coordinator (STC) whose responsibility is to oversee implementation of the TDM, including development of measures to educate staff and students about travel alternatives, and incentivize travel by both staff and students by modes other than single occupant and single student vehicles. The TDM also includes performance monitoring requirements so that the County can track the effectiveness of the TDM program, which will be used both to measure the success of the programs at the campus and to inform future school TDM program recommendations. APS has until September 1, 2019 to implement the TDM program for the school. Modification of Parking Regulations: Section 14.3 of the Zoning Ordinance requires one (1) parking space for every 7.5 students of design capacity for employee parking at elementary and middle schools, plus one (1) space for every 40 students of design capacity for visitor parking. Based on the proposed design capacity of 767 students, the Zoning Ordinance would require approximately 102 employee parking spaces and 20 visitor parking spaces for a total of 122 U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 3 -
parking spaces. The proposed use permit amendment accommodates 72 existing parking spaces on-site. Additional on-site parking is not proposed. APS has requested that the on-site parking required per the Zoning Ordinance be reduced and the modification be mitigated through the continued use of available on-street parking that is both contiguous and non-contiguous to the school, and through provision of a TDM as discussed above. Section 14.3.7.C.1 of the Zoning Ordinance permits parking for schools to be modified where the County Board finds that such modifications will preserve or create recreational facilities located either within the school development project or at approved off-site locations, and a TDM plan submitted by the applicant demonstrates that the potential adverse impacts of parking demand and any potential disruption of parking patterns within affected neighborhoods that could result from the modification will be mitigated by utilizing available on-street parking abutting the site, and through the implementation of measures such as, but not limited to: 1. Utilizing, by written agreement with another party in terms acceptable to the County, offstreet parking spaces at a site owned or controlled by that same party; and/or 2. Utilizing a managed or shared parking program at times when parking demand is highest; and/or 3. Implementing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies for the use, and/or demonstrating that transit or other transportation options exist that may offset parking demand. Due to site constraints, staff finds that accommodating all the parking required by the Zoning Ordinance on-site could have a negative impact on open space and recreational facilities. By utilizing available on-street parking that is both contiguous and non-contiguous to the school, and by requiring the project to maintain the existing 72 on-site parking spaces, the project would accommodate the proposed student capacity of 767 students. On May 18, 2017 staff observed parking utilization on the streets adjacent to the school and within a short walk of the school and found that there should be more than enough available onstreet parking to support the proposed increase in student capacity at the school from 743 to 767 students. Furthermore, the impacts of the proposed modification are mitigated by the TDM program that includes incentives to reduce demand for parking at the school and the availability of on-street parking in close proximity to the school. Staff supports the parking modification. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan: Per Virginia Code 15.2-2232, public facilities shall not be constructed unless they are found to be consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan or part thereof. The General Land Use Plan (GLUP), an element of Arlington County s Comprehensive Plan designates the subject site as Public. This designation allows for parks (local, regional and federal), schools (public), parkways, major unpaved rights-of-way, libraries and cultural facilities. Staff determined that the public facilities proposed are consistent with Arlington s Comprehensive Plan, and at its July 5, 2017 meeting, the Planning Commission confirmed the recommended finding that the proposed public facilities are consistent with the Arlington County Comprehensive Plan. The entire Planning Commission recommendation and votes are outlined in the Planning Commission letter dated July 12, 2017. Claremont Elementary U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 4 -
School was constructed in 1951 which pre-dates the 1961 adoption of the Comprehensive Plan and GLUP. CONCLUSION: The increase in design capacity provides relief to school overcrowding. There are no issues associated with the increase in enrollment and modifications to parking. Therefore, staff recommends that the County Board approve the use permit amendment with a modification to parking regulations, subject to the conditions of the staff report. Proposed Conditions (): The following conditions apply solely to the relocatable classrooms as described on the plans submitted by the applicant, dated June 9, 2017. Previous Condition 1-7 do not apply: 8. Arlington Public Schools agrees that the temporary classroom located on the property at 3600 N. Harrison Street will remain as shown on the plan dated June 9, 2017 Claremont Immersion Elementary School. The applicant agrees that minor changes to the location of the relocatable classroom shall be approved by the County Manager or designee if the County Manager finds that the size and number of the relocatable classrooms do not increase the approved design capacity and the changes are not inconsistent with the approval of this use permit. 9. Arlington Public Schools agrees to comply with all requirements set forth in all applicable ordinances and regulations, including, by way of illustration and not limitation, those administered by the Zoning Office, Community Code Enforcement Office, Inspection Services Division, Fire Marshal s Office, and the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). 10. Arlington Public Schools agrees to submit to, and obtain approval for a minimum 30 Class III bicycle parking spaces (for a design capacity of 599 students for the existing school) located throughout the site but visible to main entrances and exits, under weather cover (Class II) where feasible. All bicycle parking spaces (products, materials, layouts, locations, and installations) shall meet the Arlington County Bicycle Parking Standards in place on the date of approval, or be substantially equivalent, as determined by the County Manager or designee. Arlington Public Schools agrees to have installed a minimum of all required bicycle parking spaces prior to September 1, 2019. 11. Transportation Management Plan Arlington Public Schools (APS) agrees to submit to, and obtain review and approval from the County Manager of a Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM Plan), prior to September 1, 2019, in order to achieve the following: The desired results of the Arlington County Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program; Mitigation of the potential adverse impacts of parking demand and disruption of parking patterns within affected neighborhoods that could result from the approved parking count and locations; U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 5 -
Mitigation of traffic impacts generated by users of the School, including staff, students, parents of students, and other visitors. Arlington Public Schools further agrees to implement the TDM Plan for the life of the use permit. Arlington Public Schools agrees to develop, with the assistance of County staff, an Arlington Public Schools-division-wide TDM Master Plan ( TDM Master Plan ) for district-wide use, to serve as a framework for individual TDM Plans at each facility. TDM Strategies. The TDM Plan shall include, but not be limited to, the strategies set out below, provided, however, that the County Manager may, through the Administrative Change process, amend these strategy provisions to conform to the TDM Master Plan if he determines the amendments would achieve the goals noted above: (a) General. i. APS agrees to maintain an ongoing relationship with Arlington Transportation Partners ( ATP ). ii. APS agrees to appoint a School Transportation Coordinator (STC) to be a primary point of contact with the county and undertake the responsibility for coordinating and completing all TDM obligations for this use permit. The STC responsibilities will include overseeing the operation of the TDM, including the issuance of school parking permits, providing information on and establishing carpools, developing incentives for alternative transportation, and coordinating with DPR. The STC shall work actively with the School s Principal, staff, students and their parents/guardians, and visitors to maximize the use of non-single occupant vehicle transportation to and from the school, including by bus, bicycle, walking and car/vanpools, and shall maintain records of employee Motor Free transportation options (bike/walk to work). Arlington Public Schools shall provide, and keep current, the name and contact information of the STC to Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) or successor. The STC shall be appropriately trained, per the Knowledge Standards for Appropriately Trained School Transportation Coordinators (April 2014) or subsequent version, to provide rideshare, transit, and other information provided by Arlington County intended to assist with transportation to and from the site. (b) Incentive Programs and Policies. i. All dollar denominated rates shall be adjusted annually for inflation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) Inflation Calculator from the date of use permit approval. U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 6 -
ii. Provide an information display(s), the number/content/design/location of which shall be approved by ACCS / ATP, to provide transportationrelated information to staff and visitors. Arlington Public Schools shall keep display(s) stocked with approved materials at all times. iii. Each employee who participates in a carpool or vanpool will be entitled to such incentive as established by the Superintendent of Schools for the subject school specifically, or based on the TDM Master Plan, and preferred/reserved parking, except two-person pools, whose employee participants will receive a 50% incentive. iv. Each employee who participates in a carpool with a non-aps employee and who does not use APS parking facilities will be entitled to an incentive as established by the Superintendent of Schools for the subject school specifically, or based on the TDM Master Plan. v. Each employee who participates in a carpool with non-aps employees and who uses a parking space at the subject school will be entitled to a monetary incentive equal to a 2-person carpool and will be entitled to preferred/reserved parking. Non-APS employees will be required to register with the STC. vi. Employees who participate in carpools and vanpools will be informed of the Guaranteed Ride Home program to assist with rides home when personal emergencies or emergency work requirements make using the carpool or van pool arrangements impossible. vii. Metrorail, Metrobus, and ART bus incentives as established by the Superintendent of Schools for the subject school specifically, or based on the TDM Master Plan, will be issued monthly to participating employees on the first day of each month in the form of a SmarTrip card or equivalent fare media provided by APS or issued in the employee s name. To the extent permitted by law, such incentives will be paid for by APS and/or drawn from pre-tax funds issued to or paid by the employee. viii. APS shall report on usage of the incentive programs to the Arlington Public Schools Human Resources Department, which will be responsible for maintaining payroll records sufficient to compensate persons enrolled in incentive programs and arranging for the U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 7 -
establishment of taxable and no-tax incentive payments to employees. Supervisors of employees will be responsible for the enforcement of employee honesty in completing enrollment forms. APS agrees to report on usage of the incentive programs for the school to the County Manager annually upon request. ix. APS agrees to encourage students to use alternative transportation to travel to and from the subject school, striving to achieve goals for student mode split which may be set out in the TDM Master Plan. x. APS agrees to provide website hotlinks to the most appropriate Arlington County Commuter Services web page under a transportation information heading, or other heading as approved by the County Manager, from the school s website. Arlington Public Schools further agrees to post the approved TDM Plan on the web page as well. xi. APS agrees to distribute a new-employee package which includes sitespecific ridesharing and transit-related information provided by Arlington County to each new employee no later than the first day of employment at the school. xii. APS agrees to cooperate with and assist Arlington County Commuter Services ( ACCS ) in implementing a transit-advertising program that distributes information four times per year to all employees, students and/or their parents, and visitors. xiii. APS agrees to participate in regionally sponsored clean air, transit, and traffic mitigation promotions by posting notice of such promotions in locations within the school building. (c) Performance Monitoring. Arlington Public Schools agrees to participate in a transportation performance monitoring study at two (2) years, five (5) years, and (at the County s option) every subsequent fifth year after September 1, 2019. The County may conduct the study, in which case Arlington Public Schools agrees to reimburse the County for the cost of the study within 30 days of notice of cost, or request that Arlington Public Schools conduct the study. In the latter case, the County would specify the timing and scope of the study, which may include average vehicle occupancy, daily vehicle trips to and from the site, parking availability by time of day for the site, pedestrian traffic, a seven (7) day count of sitegenerated vehicle traffic, and a voluntary mode-split survey. Arlington Public Schools agrees to notify, assist, and strongly encourage participation by students, parents, faculty, U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 8 -
and employees to participate in mode-split surveys, which may be on-line or by email. Arlington Public Schools agrees to produce and submit to the County a report in the form specified by the County for every transportation performance monitoring study it undertakes. Approved Conditions: May 31, 2000 (U-2808-94-1) 1. The applicant agrees to submit a final site development and landscaping plan to be approved by the County Manager or his designee prior to the issuance of any applicable permit. This plan shall include the location and dimension of curb cuts to be eliminated. This plan shall also include the design, location, dimensions, and materials for the new addition to the building, existing and proposed signs, on-site lighting, trash receptacles, and storage enclosures, as well as the location, quantity, size and species of plant material for street trees and landscaping per the drawings and designs dated December 7, 1999 and January 28, 2000, and as presented to and approved by the County Board at the June 10, 2000. County Board Meeting. 2. The applicant concurs that the design capacity of the school is 520 students. The design of the new school building, including the façade treatment for the building and the materials to be used on the facades shall be as specified and shown on the submitted drawings dated December 7, 1999 and January 28, 2000 and as presented to the County Board and made a part of the public record on June 10, 2000, and shall be approved before the issuance of the Excavation /Sheeting and Shoring Permit. 3. The applicant agrees to meet the requirements of the Inspection Services Office, Community Code Enforcement Office, the Bureau of Environmental Health, the State Department of Education, and the Fire Marshal s Office, including the installation of smoke detection/alarm systems. 4. The applicant agrees to identify a person who will serve as liaison to the community throughout the duration of construction. This individual shall be on the construction site throughout the hours of construction, including weekends. The name and telephone number of this individual shall be provided in writing to the president of the Claremont Citizens Association and residents whose property abuts, adjoins or is adjacent to the site, and to the Zoning Administrator, and shall be posted at the entrance of the project. 5. The applicant agrees to submit a detailed final site development and landscape plan at a scale no larger than 1/16 inch = 1 foot before the issuance of the Excavation/Sheeting and Shoring Permit and the plan shall be approved by the County Manager or his designee before the issuance of the Final Building Permit. In order to facilitate comparison with the final site engineering plan the landscape plan shall be at a scale of 1 inch = 25 feet; the County may require more detailed plans appropriate to landscape installation at a larger scale (1/16 inch = 1 foot, 1/8 inch = 1 foot, or 1/4 inch = 1 foot). The County may permit minor changes in building, street and driveway locations and other details of design as necessitated by more detailed planning and engineering studies if such changes are consistent with the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance governing administrative approval and with the intent of the use permit approval. If applicable, the landscape plan shall include a Street Tree Plan which shall be reviewed by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources and shall be U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 9 -
accompanied by the site engineering plan and the two plans shall be compared to ensure that there are no conflicts between street trees and utilities; neither plan shall be approved until the landscape plan and the site engineering plan agree. The installation of all plant materials shown on the final landscape plan shall take place before the issuance of the first Certificate of Occupancy. The final site development and landscape plan shall include the following details: a. The location and dimensions of traffic signal poles and control cabinets, utility meters, utility vaults and boxes, transformers, mechanical equipment, fire hydrants, standpipes, storm water detention facilities, the location of all existing and proposed utility lines and of all easements. The location of traffic control cabinets shall be shown on the final site-engineering plan and placed so as not to obstruct pedestrian travel or be visually obtrusive. Traffic control cabinets shall not be located in the public sidewalk. Transformers shall not be placed in the setback area between the building and the street; b. The location, dimensions, and materials for driveways, driveway aprons, parking areas, interior walkways and sidewalks as well as for address indicator signs; c. The location and types of light fixtures for streets, parking and walkways; d. Topography at two (2) foot intervals and the finished first floor elevation of all structures; e. Landscaping for raised planters and surface parking areas, including a listing of plant materials, and details of planting, irrigation and drainage; f. The location and planting details for street trees in accordance with Department of Public Works Standards and Specifications for planting in public rights-ofway and as shown on the approved final site engineering plan; 6. Landscaping shall conform to Department of Public Works Standards and Specifications and to the following requirements: a. Planting materials shall be of good nursery stock and a nursery guarantee shall be provided by the developer for two years including the replacement and maintenance (to include but not be limited to pruning, feeding, spraying, mulching, weeding, and watering) of all landscape materials following the issuance of the master certificate of occupancy; b. Plant materials and landscaping shall meet the American Standard for Nursery Stock Z60.1-73, and shall also meet the following standards: (1) Major deciduous trees (shade or canopy trees such as Oaks, Maples, London Plane Trees, Japanese Zelkovas, etc.) - a height of 12 to 18 feet with a minimum caliper of 3 to 3 1/2 inches. (2) Evergreen trees (such as Scotch Pines, White Pines, Hemlocks, etc.) - a minimum height of 8 to 10 feet. (3) Ornamental deciduous trees (such as Cherries, Dogwoods, Serviceberries, Hornbeams, etc.)- a height of 10 to 14 feet with a minimum caliper of 1 1/2 to 2 inches. (4) Shrubs - a minimum spread of 18 to 24 inches. (5) Groundcover - in 2" pots. U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 10 -
c. All new lawn areas shall be sodded; however, if judged appropriate by the County Manager or his designee, based on accepted landscaping standards, seeding may be substituted for sod. All sod and seed shall be state certified; d. Exposed earth not to be sodded or seeded shall be well mulched or planted in groundcover. Areas to be mulched may not exceed the normal limits of a planting bed; e. Soil depth shall be a minimum of four (4) feet for trees and tall shrubs and three (3) feet for other shrubs. This requirement shall also apply to those trees and shrubs in raised planters. Soil depth for raised planters shall be measured from the bottom of the planter to the top of the planter wall. The walls of raised planters shall be no higher than seat-wall height (2 1/2 feet, maximum) above the finished grade adjacent to them; f. Finished grades shall not exceed a slope of three to one or the grade that existed before the site work began. g. The applicant agrees to maintain the site in a clean and well-maintained condition before the issuance of the Clearing, Grading and Demolition Permit and agrees to secure and maintain the site throughout the construction and phasing process. Further, the applicant agrees to submit a maintenance plan, which shall ensure that landscaped areas are kept in a clean and wellmaintained condition, and to follow the terms of that maintenance plan approved for that purpose by the Zoning Administrator. 7. Sidewalks along all street frontages of this development shall be concrete and as approved by the Department of Public Works. The sidewalks shall be shown on the final site development and landscape plan in accordance with applicable urban design standards approved by the County Board and in effect at the time of the use permit approval. Street trees may be located behind the sidewalk. Street trees shall be guaranteed by the applicant for two (2) years after maintained thereafter by the applicant. U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 11 -
PREVIOUS COUNTY BOARD ACTIONS: May 7, 1994 May 31, 2000 Approved use permit for operation of a public school with capacity up to 550 students. Approved use permit amendment to reconstruct and expand up to 599 students. U-2808-94-1 Use Permit Amendment - 12 -
S BUCHANAN ST RA14-26 RA14-26 S COLUMBUS ST R-6 S-3A CHESTERFIELD RD S COLUMBUS ST S BUCHANAN ST R-6 S CULPEPER ST S DINWIDDIE ST RA14-26 U-2808-94-1 4700 S Chesterfield Rd RPC # 28-002-071 Scale: ICase Location(s) 1:3,600 Note: These maps are for property location assistance only. They may not represent the latest survey and other information. Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development County Use Only Date Placard Posted By Removed