HomeMy WebLinkAboutSD-21-19 - Supplemental - 0600 Spear Street (3)
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4106 |
www.southburlingtonvt.gov
TO: South Burlington Development Review Board
FROM: Marla Keene, Development Review Planner
SUBJECT: #SD-21-19 600 Spear Street Preliminary Plat Application
DATE: December 7, 2021 Development Review Board meeting
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Preliminary plat application #SD-21-19 of 600 Spear FJT, LLC for a planned unit development on an
existing 8.63 acre lot developed with 7,000 sf storage building and single family home. The planned unit
development consists of one 6.68 acre lot containing 32 dwelling units in four-family buildings, a 1.24
acre lot containing the storage building and existing single family home proposed to be converted to a
duplex, and a third lot containing proposed city streets, 600 Spear Street.
CONTEXT
The Board held a hearing on this application on July 20, 2021. The Board continued the hearing for the
purpose of addressing a number of issues identified on that date, summarized herein. The applicant has
made significant modifications to the layout since the last hearing. Instead of completing a full set of
revised plans, the applicant has provided a sketch-level concept drawing of the revised layout in order to
obtain Board feedback on whether they are heading in the right direction. Staff has, accordingly,
prepared a sketch-level evaluation of revised layout, including a reminder of issues remaining to be
addressed from the July 20 hearing.
Staff considers the Board should provide feedback on the revised design and then continue the hearing
to allow the applicant to respond to that feedback and prepare a full revised preliminary plat application
package. Staff will prepare a full review of a revised package, which, in consideration of the major
modifications since the original submission and in order to facilitate interdepartmental review, should
be submitted no later than three weeks before the continued hearing.
The project is subject to the 12/28/2020 Land Development Regulations since it was submitted prior to
the warning date for the draft regulations.
Numbered items for the Board’s attention are in red.
COMMENTS
The below screen shots show first the previously-reviewed layout and second the currently proposed
layout.
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4106 |
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Figure 1: Layout Reviewed by Board on 7/20/2021
Figure 2: Currently Proposed Layout
Significant changes include the removal of a private street network, creation of a double-loaded public
road (homes on both sides), and organization of the majority of the homes around a central common
element. The applicant has shown the proposed ground mounted solar array on the revised plans,
though the solar array is not subject to local review. Of relevance to the Board, however, the applicant
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4106 |
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has agreed as part of their solar array project to incorporate a walking path around the entire array for
use by residents of the proposed neighborhood.
The applicant received interim zoning approval #IZ-20-02 four 36 dwelling units in four family buildings.
That approval was predicated on the following partial list of characteristics for the project, selected for
consistency with the draft Land Development Regulations.
• buildings are arranged to face directly onto a street and create a neighborhood-scale
streetscape1
• a centrally located civic space is accessible from all homes via a sidewalk
• class II wetland and wetland buffers are not impacted
The applicant’s responsibility is to maintain adherence to the characteristics described in the interim
zoning approval while also meeting the Land Development Regulations. The Board’s responsibility is to
the Land Development Regulations in effect.
A) ZONING DISTRICT AND DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS
Standard front setbacks are 30 feet in the R4. The applicant has proposed 10-foot front setbacks for the
new buildings, which will require a waiver. With the double-loaded public street, Staff considers the
reduced setbacks contribute even more strongly to a neighborhood feel and supports the request. That
being said, the appearance of the front setbacks is much larger than 10-ft due to the relatively narrow
street cross section. The cross section of the street is discussed below.
B) SITE PLAN REVIEW STANDARDS
14.06 General Site Plan Review Standards
General site plan review standards speak to relationship to the comprehensive plan, relationship of
structures to the site (including height, parking location, and circulation), relationship to the adjoining
area.
Relationship to Adjoining Area
Though the applicant has reduced the amount of roadway infrastructure, they have continued to
provide a pattern of development which is both self-contained and able to extended on adjoining
parcels should the adjoining parcels be developed.
One element of the project the Board provided feedback on was that the applicant should give more
consideration to the aesthetics of the site as viewed from the north should the adjacent UVM parcel be
developed. No such feedback was provided pertaining to the south property, in part because it is
1 at the time the Council reviewed the project, the concepts focused on buildings being orient onto a street within
a planned neighborhood. The draft now permits buildings to be oriented a street, civic space, or courtyard (LDR
13.17C(1)).
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4106 |
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separated from the proposed homes by a private road. In the current configuration, both the north and
south are separated by a driveway and parking area. Screening is proposed to the north but not the
south. The proposed parking area is separated from the southern property line by approximately 2 feet.
Staff considers that if the adjoining properties are developed, the applicant’s proposed configuration
would allow for the applicant to enter into an agreement to expand the parking area by adding a row of
parking on the south (making the parking area double-loaded) and repeating the development pattern.
With the proposed separation and landscaping to the north, this is less simple a task at the north.
1. Staff recommends the Board discuss the overall pattern of development. if the Board ultimately
considers the presented configuration to be viable and the applicant refines the provided plans, Staff
recommends the Board revisit the relationship between the proposed parking areas and landscaping
and adjoining properties to the north and south, particularly in light of development potential on
those properties.
Relationship of Structures to Site
The applicant has organized the buildings around a central civic space, accessible via sidewalks from all
units and separated from them by vegetation and walkways. The civic space is accessed via the public
street and creates a unifying east to west view corridor through the property.
Two areas of significant staff focus in discussions with the applicant on this revised concept were the
orientation of the buildings towards the street & civic space, and the transitions between the buildings
and Civic Space and functions of that Space.
For building orientation, staff provided feedback that these dwellings should be considered as a form of
courtyard design, where what is perceived as the “front” of the buildings is either (a) facing the public
street or (b) facing onto the civic space. That “front” should have the function of being the “main
entrance.” The Kirby Cottages on Kirby Road are a single-family home version of this.
For transition of space, staff provided feedback on the importance of the transition between private but
visually accessible space (a deck, stoop or porch), semi-private space (plantings, yard area that would be
used predominantly by a unit’s residents), and common space (the civic space) and how to assure that
the Civic space truly functions as a space that residents of the entire neighborhood have equal access to
and “comfort” of using.
2. Staff believes the applicant has largely achieved these in their plan but invites the Board to discuss
these design elements as they are critical to the operation of the neighborhood.
The applicant has proposed a row of plantings on the eastern side of the developed area.
3. Staff recommends the Board discuss the planned landscaping in that area and confirm that the
mature height of the vegetation will not impede the proposed view corridor.
The Board also provided feedback to the applicant that they needed to provide more information about
the metal building to remain. The project is located in the R4 zoning district and there are very few
allowable uses. The use of the building must be determined prior to final approval, and is suggested to
be determined prior to closing the preliminary plat. The Board was concerned about the appearance of
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4106 |
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the exterior of the building. It should not be hidden by landscaping but should be integrated into the
neighborhood. Staff considers this comment to be outstanding and needing to be addressed prior to
closing the hearing.
Parking
The applicant has proposed a parking area to both the north and south of the existing building to
remain. The southern parking area contains 17 spaces, a loading zone, and two unusually shaped
islands. Two of the proposed parking spaces are located to the front of all buildings and may not be
permitted.
4. Staff recommends the Board direct the applicant to re-work this parking area to meet the
regulations and needs of the project.
14.07 Specific Site Plan Review Standards
Specific site plan review standards pertain to access to abutting properties, utilities, waste disposal,
landscaping, low impact development/stormwater, and roadway design.
Access to Abutting Properties
5. As discussed above, the applicant has proposed a development pattern which supports expansion to
adjacent properties. Staff recommends the Board require the applicant to construct the proposed
north-south roadway to the property line to facilitate connection in the future.
Landscaping
Landscaping standards require one shade tree per five parking spaces. Staff notes this criterion must be
met as the plans are finalized.
Low Impact Development/Stormwater
The applicant’s previous plan proposed a highly distributed stormwater management system. The
applicant and Board agreed at the July 20 hearing to reduce the number of stormwater treatment
practices to a smaller number of centralized treatment systems.
6. Staff recommends the Board ask the applicant how they currently propose to treat stormwater, as it
does not appear there are any areas reserved in the current configuration.
Finally, snow storage must be provided, and must not conflict with landscaping or stormwater
management. This must be addressed as plans are finalized.
Roadway Design
The public roadway is proposed with a 50-ft right of way (ROW) and no parking. There are ample off-
street parking spaces provided to meet the minimum requirement in the LDR for multifamily homes.
Table 15-1 requires, local roads with a 50-ft ROW are required to have 28-ft of pavement width,
including parking on one side.
7. Staff recommends the Board require the applicant to modify the public roadway cross section to
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4106 |
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include one lane of on-street parking, with appropriate bump outs at intersections and pedestrian
crossings.
The LDRs prohibit more than 19 units from being accessed via a private road with two points of access
on to a public street. Not discussed on July 20 but relevant to the current plan, the 15.12D(3) also
prohibits more than 9 units from being accessed via a private road with only a single point of access
onto a public street. Staff considers the revised layout meets these criteria.
C) PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
PUD criteria pertain to water and wastewater capacity, grading and erosion control, traffic and
circulation, wetland protection, visual compatibility, open spaces, fire safety, roadway and infrastructure
design, compatibility with the comprehensive plan, and stormwater management.
Water/Wastewater
The South Burlington Water Department provided an extensive list of comments for the July 20 hearing.
Staff notes these comments must be addressed as the plans are finalized.
Other Planned Unit Development Standards are either echoed in review of the site plan review
standards above, are more appropriate to consideration at final plat, or Staff considers them to be met.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Board work with the applicant to address the issues identified herein.
Respectfully submitted,
Marla Keene, Development Review Planner