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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP-22-057 - Decision - 0002 Baldwin Avenue - SP-22-057_2 Baldwin Ave_SBSD_FFD#SP-22-057 CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING SOUTH BURLINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 BALDWIN AVENUE SITE PLAN APPLICATION #SP-22-057 FINDINGS OF FACT AND DECISION Site plan application #SP-22-057 of South Burlington School District to modify a previously approved site plan for an educational facility. The amendment consists of constructing a 6,300 sf expansion, including four modular classrooms and an adjoining enclosed hallway, 2 Baldwin Avenue. The Development Review Board held a public hearing on December 6, 2022. Rani Philp, Jeff Hodgson, Paul Boisvert, and Julia Ginorio represented the applicant. Based on testimony provided at the above-mentioned public hearing and the plans and supporting materials contained in the document file for this application, the Development Review Board finds, concludes, and decides the following: FINDINGS OF FACT 1. This project consists of Site Plan application #SP-22-057 of South Burlington School District to modify a previously approved site plan for an educational facility. The amendment consists of 6,300 sf expansion, including four modular classrooms and adjoining enclosed hallway, 3 Baldwin Avenue. 2. The subject property is located in the Municipal Zoning District and the Transit Overlay District. 3. The owner of record of the subject property is South Burlington School District. 4. The application was received on October 14, 2022. 5. The plans submitted consist of the following: Sheet No. Description Prepared By Last Revised Date C0.0 Cover Sheet Engineering Ventures 10/31/2022 C1.0 Existing Conditions Plan Engineering Ventures 10/31/2022 C2.0 Site Plan Engineering Ventures 10/31/2022 C2.1 EPSC Plan Engineering Ventures 10/31/2022 C3.0 & C3.1 Details Engineering Ventures 10/31/2022 SW1, SW2, SW3 Stormwater Plans Engineering Ventures 10/31/2022 A1.1 Overall & Demo Plan Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 A1.2 Floor Plan & RCP Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 A1.3 Roof Plan Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 A1.4 Exterior Elevations Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 A1.5 Finish Plan, Finish Schedule, Doors Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 AG.1 Abbreviations, General Notes Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 #SP-22-057 AG.2 Wall Types, Typical Details, Partition Notes Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 G-0 Cover Dore & Whittier 10/14/2022 L202 Planting Plan Wagner Hodgson 11/16/2022 ZONING DISTRICT & DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS Municipal Zoning District Required Proposed 3Min. Lot Size N/A 13.56 acres (no change) 3Max. Building Coverage 30% 11% 3Max. Overall Coverage 70% 27% 3Min. Front Setback 40 ft. 250 ft. (no change) 3Max Front Setback Coverage 30% (no change) 3Min. Side Setback 15 ft. 25 ft. 3Min. Rear Setback 30 ft. 275 ft. (no change) 3 Building Height (flat roof) 35 ft. (no increase) 3 Meets requirement 7.03 Municipal Zoning District (MU) The purpose of the Municipal Zoning District is to provide for public schools, municipal services including but not limited to administration, police, fire, water, street, and sewer services, landfills, operations of other municipal corporations as set forth in 24 VSA [municipal corporations such as CSWD], and other municipal uses, excluding public recreation. D. Additional Standards. All applications within this District shall be subject to the following additional standards (1) The proposed use will provide an affirmative public benefit to the City and its citizens. The proposed expansion to the existing elementary school will provide additional classroom space for the growing number of students enrolled at Orchard School. The Board finds the enhancement of existing educational facilities to constitute an affirmative public benefit to the City of South Burlington and its citizens and considers this criterion met. (2) The proposed use will be compatible with and protect the ability to preserve public recreational use and planned open spaces and natural areas on the project site. The proposed expansion will be located on the southern side of the existing school in an area where the existing detached temporary office trailers are located. These trailers are proposed to be removed, as they will be replaced in place and in function by the proposed addition. Existing fields, playgrounds, and open spaces are located to the north of the school, and the existing wooded natural area is located to the north and east of the school. As such, the proposed expansion will have no adverse effect on the existing public recreational uses that this site provides. The Board finds this criterion met. SITE PLAN REVIEW STANDARDS 14.06 General Review Standards A. Relationship of Proposed Structures to the Site. #SP-22-057 (1) The site shall be planned to accomplish a desirable transition from structure to site, from structure to structure, and to provide for adequate planting, safe pedestrian movement, and adequate parking areas. The proposed expansion consists of four additional classrooms, which will be connected to the existing school building via an enclosed hallway. As such, the transition between these areas will be completely internal since the proposed expansion simply serves to expand the existing structure. Transitions from structure to site are considered by the Board to be adequate. Adequacy of planting and pedestrian movement are discussed elsewhere in this document. The Board finds the quantity of parking areas to be adequate. (2) Parking: (a) Parking shall be located to the rear or sides of buildings. Any side of a building facing a public street shall be considered a front side of a building for the purposes of this subsection. No modifications to the existing parking are proposed. (3) Without restricting the permissible limits of the applicable zoning district, the height and scale of each building shall be compatible with its site and existing or anticipated adjoining buildings. The footprint of the building is proposed to increase by approximately 8% and the expansion is proposed to be 11.5 feet tall and one story. The Board finds the scale and height of the proposed structure to be compatible with the rest of the adjoining school building. B. Relationship of Structures and Site to Adjoining Area. (1) The Development Review Board shall encourage the use of a combination of common materials and architectural characteristics (e.g., rhythm, color, texture, form or detailing), landscaping, buffers, screens and visual interruptions to create attractive transitions between buildings of different architectural styles. (2) Proposed structures shall be related harmoniously to themselves, the terrain and to existing buildings and roads in the vicinity that have a visual relationship to the proposed structures. The proposed expansion is an addition to the existing school building. The addition to the existing structure will be constructed of different materials, and has a notably different design, and/or architectural style when compared to the rest of the existing school. Color is not indicated on the provided plans. However, the proposed addition is only slated to serve Orchard School for between five and ten years. Due to this temporary nature, the applicant has prioritized function, cost, speed of construction, and energy efficiency over the visual relationship between the addition and the school. Furthermore, the proposed addition will be screened from the west and north by the form of the existing school and screened from the east and south by the existing trees and landscaping features. The Board finds that given the temporary nature of the proposed addition and the limited visual impact of the proposed addition, the relation between the addition and the existing school building is harmonious enough, and finds this criterion met. (3) To accomplish (1) and (2), the DRB shall consider: #SP-22-057 (a) Pattern and Rhythm. Update or maintain or extend the overall pattern of development defined by the planned or existing street grid, block configurations, position and orientation of principal buildings, prevalence of attached or detached building types. The proposed addition will be recessed behind the existing school building and will be completely screened from the west and north by the form of the existing school. There is no formal public access on the subject property to the east or south of the proposed addition on, and the addition will be screened by existing trees and landscaping features from those directions. The Board finds the position of the proposed addition minimizes its visual impact and considers that this project serves to maintain the overall pattern of development at this property. (b) Architectural Features. Respond to recurring or representative architectural features that define neighborhood character, without adhering to a particular architectural style. The Board finds that the proposed addition fails to adhere to the architectural features that define this neighborhood’s character. The Board further finds that the structure does adhere to a particular architectural style, namely that of an industrial shipping container. However, the level of screening offered by both the existing vegetation and the form of the existing school building will nearly eliminate all visual impacts of this proposed addition. (c) Privacy. Limit impacts and intrusions to privacy on adjoining properties, including side and back yard areas through context sensitive design. The proposed addition is in the side yard of the subject property, which is adjacent to the back yards of several residential lots to the south. The proposed addition will be set back 25 feet from this side property line, which is ten feet behind the allowed minimum setback for this zoning district and will be screened from the adjacent residential lots by existing vegetation. As such, the Board finds the proposed addition to adequately limit impacts on privacy. C. Site Amenity Requirement This non-residential expansion will add 7,016 square feet to the building area. As such, the Site Amenity requirement does apply to this project. The minimum required area for a such a Site Amenity is six percent of the non-residential gross floor area, which is 421 square feet for this project. The Board finds that the applicant may receive site amenity credit for the existing playground that is approximately 8,000 square feet in size. The playground Site Amenity type has a minimum size of 1,500 square feet and no maximum size, and typically includes features such as playground equipment, small accessory structures like shelters or pagodas, and seating. The Board finds that the existing playground meets these requirements and has not been previously designated as a Site Amenity. As such, the Board finds this criterion met. 14.07 Specific Review Standards In all Zoning Districts and the City Center Form Based Codes District, the following standards shall apply: A. Environmental Protection Standards. All proposed development shall be subject to the applicable requirements of Article 12, Environmental Protection Standards. #SP-22-057 The project site is within the Wetland Advisory Layer, as there is a Class II wetland on the eastern side of the property. Article 12.06.B(2)(a) says that the buffer area for a Class II wetland located in the Municipal Zoning District are measured fifty (50) feet in horizontal distance from the boundary of the wetland. All proposed work for this application is taking place outside of that 50-foot buffer. As such, there are no proposed changes that affect this or any resource area. B. Site Design Features. All proposed development shall comply with standards for the placement of buildings, parking and loading areas, landscaping and screening, open space, stormwater, lighting, and other applicable standards related to site design pursuant to these Land Development Regulations. These standards are contained in Article 13 and are discussed below. C. Access and Circulation. All proposed development shall comply with site access and circulation standards of Section 15.A.14. There are no changes to site access or site circulation as part of this application. F. Streetscape Improvements. A proposed new construction or extension/expansion of an existing structure exceeding the thresholds listed in either (a) Section 14.09(B) or (b) Section 8.11(D) within the City Center Form Based Code, or Section 3.11(D) in all other zoning districts, shall be required to upgrade adjacent sidewalks, greenbelts, and related street furniture (trees, benches, etc.) to the standards contained within the applicable Street Type and Building Envelope Standard. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit requirements for additional upgrades as necessary to meet the requirements of these Regulations. The Board finds no upgrades to be required. G. Access to Abutting Properties. The reservation of land may be required on any lot for provision of access to abutting properties whenever such access is deemed necessary to reduce curb cuts onto an arterial or collector street, to provide additional access for emergency or other purposes, or to improve general access and circulation in the area. See 13.02F below for discussion of access. H. Utility Services. Electric, telephone and other wire-served utility lines and service connections shall be underground insofar as feasible and subject to state public utilities regulations. Any utility installations remaining above ground shall be located so as to have a harmonious relation to neighboring properties and to the site. Standards of Section 15.A.18, Infrastructure, Utilities, and Services, shall also be met. The South Burlington Water Department Director reviewed the plans on 11/19/2022 and offers the following comments: 1. Plans must include a note stating “All water lines and appurtenances shall be installed in accordance with the Champlain Water District Specifications and Details for the Installation of Water Lines and Appurtenances, current edition.” 2. Record Drawings prepared by a VT licensed Professional Engineer shall be provided to the South Burlington Water Department in pdf. and Auto-CAD format. Drawings shall include ties to all gate valves and curb stops to sub-meter accuracy. #SP-22-057 3. Connection must be on internal plumbing downstream of existing water meter. If existing water service entry does not included appropriate backflow prevention device, then one must be installed immediately downstream of existing water meter. 4. Curb box to proposed ZEM classrooms must be placed inside gate valve box top with two-inch paving rider to be set to final grade. The Board finds that the applicant must comply with the comments of the Water Department Director as a condition of approval. The South Burlington Director of Public Works reviewed the plans on 12/1/2022 and had no further comments to offer. I. Disposal of Wastes. All dumpsters and other facilities to handle solid waste, including compliance with any recycling, composting, or other requirements, shall be accessible, secure and properly screened with opaque fencing to ensure that trash and debris do not escape the enclosure(s). Small receptacles intended for use by households or the public (ie, non-dumpster, non-large drum) shall not be required to be fenced or screened. There are no proposed changes to the location or screening of the existing dumpster, which meets this criterion. SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONS 13.02 Off Street Parking and Loading G. Design requirements for Parking Spaces, Parking Aisles, Lighting and Landscaping (3) Provision shall be made for access by police, fire and emergency vehicles. The South Burlington Fire Marshal reviewed the plans on 11/17/2022 and offers the following comments: FMO has had extensive discussions on the Orchard School design team on design, fire alarm, 3rd party inspection. Our access is very poor at the school as an existing condition, so our access to the West driveway by the gym is critical. ‘No parking’ signs at the ellipse will be required. The Board finds that the applicant must modify the plans to provide ‘no parking’ signs as requested by the Fire Marshal as a condition of approval. 13.03 Bicycle Parking and Storage. Short-term bicycle parking standards are applicable to any application for development that requires site plan approval. The minimum requirement for short-term bicycle parking facilities for an educational use is 1 space for each 20 students of planned capacity. Long-term bike storage requirements only apply to new buildings. As this project is an expansion of an existing building that requires site plan approval, the short-term bicycle parking standards apply, while the long-term bicycle storage standards do not. As this is the first application for this property since the adoption of these regulations, the applicant is only required to propose and install 50% of the required number of bicycle parking spaces, or 1 space for each 40 students of planned capacity. The current capacity of the school is 454 students, so the minimum short-term bicycle parking requirement is 23 spaces. 50% of that requirement is 12 spaces. The applicant has indicated a location for installation of the required number of bicycle parking spaces. The Board finds that the bicycle parking spaces must meet the requirements of LDR Article 13.03B(2). #SP-22-057 13.04 Landscaping, Screening & Street Trees (4) Landscaping Requirements (a) Landscaping shall include a variety of trees, shrubs, grasses and ground covers. All planting shall be species hardy for the region and, if located in areas receiving road runoff or salt spray, shall be salt-tolerant. The South Burlington City Arborist reviewed the plans on 11/17/2022 and offers the following comments: Tree and Shrub Planting Details should be included in the plan but otherwise the landscaping looks fine. The Board finds that the applicant must modify the plans to provide planting details, to the satisfaction of the City Arborist, prior to issuance of a zoning permit. (b) At least one (1) major deciduous shade tree shall be provided within or near the perimeter of each parking area, for every five (5) parking spaces. The trees shall be placed evenly throughout the parking lot to provide shade and reduce glare. Trees shall be placed a minimum of thirty (30) feet apart. Of the thirteen trees proposed, four are located near the perimeter of the existing parking area. As such, the proposed landscaping plan reduces the property’s level of non- compliance with this criterion. The Board finds that site conditions, including existing boulders, power lines, and other vegetation, preclude the applicant from placing any more trees within the perimeter of the parking lot. As such, the Board finds this criterion met. (c) Trees shall have a caliper equal to or greater than two and one-half (2 ½) inches when measured on the tree stem, six (6) inches above the root ball. All proposed trees are measured appropriately and meet this criterion. (d) Where more than ten (10) trees are installed, a mix of species is encouraged; the species should be grouped or located in a manner that reinforces the design and layout of the parking lot and the site. 14 trees are proposed, representing three species of tree, which are located appropriately across the site. As such, the Board finds this criterion met. (e) Within the City Center FBC District, landscaping required within this section shall not count towards meeting minimum landscape budget requirements as detailed in Section 13.04(G). This property is not located within the City Center FBC District and therefore this criterion does not apply. (7) Snow storage areas must be specified and located in an area that minimizes the potential for erosion and contaminated runoff into any adjacent or nearby surface waters. The applicant testified that the proposed addition will not affect existing snow storage areas, which will remain the same. The Board finds that the applicant must modify the plans to show the location of these snow storage areas as a condition of approval. C. Screening or buffering. The Development Review Board will require landscaping, fencing, land shaping and/or screening along property boundaries (lot lines) whenever it determines that a) #SP-22-057 two adjacent sites are dissimilar and should be screened or buffered from each other, or b) a property’s appearance should be improved, which property is covered excessively with pavement or structures or is otherwise insufficiently landscaped, or c) a commercial, industrial, and multi- family use abuts a residential district or institutional use, or (d) a parking or loading area is adjacent to or visible from a public street. The Board finds that the proposed site is not dissimilar enough from the adjoining properties to require additional screening beyond that discussed in 14.06.B(3) above. G(3) Landscaping Budget Requirements. The Development Review Board shall require minimum planting costs for all site plans, as shown in Table 13-4 below. In evaluating landscaping requirements, some credit may be granted for existing trees or for site improvements other than tree planting as long as the objectives of this section are not reduced. The costs below are cumulative; for example, a landscaping budget shall be required to show a planned expenditure of three percent of the first $250,000 in construction or improvement cost plus two percent of the next $250,000 in construction or improvement cost, plus one percent of the remaining cost over $500,000. The landscaping budget shall be prepared by a landscape architect or professional landscape designer. The cost of the proposed building addition is $1,529,775, requiring $22,797 in plantings. The applicant has proposed 11 deciduous trees, 2 evergreen trees, 45 shrubs, and 36 perennial ornamental grasses. If the Board finds the other provisions of the landscaping criteria to be met, they may allow the applicant credit for landscaping elements other than trees and shrubs. The applicant has proposed the following elements be counted towards the required minimum landscaping budget: Item Cost Trees $16,280.00 Shrubs and Grasses $6,615.00 Total $22,895.00 Minimum Requirement $22,797.00 The Board finds that the proposed landscaping budget meets the minimum requirements and finds this criterion met. 13.05 Stormwater Management Stormwater standards apply when one-half acre or more of impervious surface exists or is proposed to exist, and where 5,000 sf of impervious is created or reconstructed. The City Stormwater Section reviewed the proposed plans on 11/28/2022 and offers the following comments. 1. The DRB should include a condition requiring the applicant to regularly maintain all stormwater treatment and conveyance infrastructure. The Board finds that the applicant must comply with the comments of the City Stormwater Section, including adhering to the standard condition which dictates that the applicant must regularly maintain all stormwater treatment and conveyance infrastructure. 13.07 Exterior Lighting Lighting requirements are summarized as follows. (1) Fixtures must be downcast and shielded #SP-22-057 (2) Illumination must be evenly distributed (3) Fixtures must be placed to minimize lighting from becoming a nuisance (4) Poles shall be rustproof metal, cast iron, fiberglass, finished wood or similar structural material, with a decorative surface or finish (5) Poles & building mounted fixtures may be no higher than 30-ft (6) Poles must be located in safe locations Specific requirements for maximum illumination levels are included in Appendix A and are limited to 3- foot candles average at ground level. The applicant has indicated no changes to existing exterior lighting are proposed, and that existing fixtures are downcast and shielded. The Board finds this criterion met. DECISION Motion by Mark Behr, seconded by Stephanie Wyman, to approve Site Plan application #SP-22-057 of South Burlington School District, subject to the following conditions: 1. All previous approvals and stipulations shall remain in full effect except as amended herein. 2. This project shall be completed as shown on the plan submitted by the applicant and on file in the South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning as conditioned herein. 3. The plans must be revised to show the changes below and shall require approval of the Administrative Officer. a. The inclusion of the existing snow storage areas, which are not proposed to be affected. b. The inclusion of the ‘No Parking’ signs, as required by the Fire Marshal. c. The inclusion of a ‘Tree & Shrub Planting Details’ sheet in the provided plan set. d. The revision of the latest iteration of the landscaping plan, showing all proposed landscaping features on one sheet. 4. A digital PDF version of the approved final plan set must be delivered to the Administrative Officer before issuance of a zoning permit. 5. Prior to issuance of a zoning permit, the applicant must post a landscaping surety for $22,895.00 in plantings in accordance with the methodology in LDR 15.15B ($16,447.50). This bond shall remain in full effect for three (3) years to assure that the landscaping has taken root and has a good chance of survival. 6. Temporary structures used in conjunction with construction work shall be permitted only during the period that the construction is in progress. 7. The applicant must comply with the comments of the South Burlington Water Department Director, including the following: a. Plans must include a note stating, “All water lines and appurtenances shall be installed in accordance with the Champlain Water District Specifications and Details for the Installation of Water Lines and Appurtenances, current edition.” b. Record Drawings prepared by a VT licensed Professional Engineer shall be provided to the South Burlington Water Department in pdf. and Auto-CAD format. Drawings shall include ties to all gate valves and curb stops to sub-meter accuracy. #SP-22-057 c. Connection must be on internal plumbing downstream of existing water meter. If existing water service entry does not include appropriate backflow prevention device, then one must be installed immediately downstream of existing water meter. d. Curb box to proposed ZEM classrooms must be placed inside gate valve box top with two- inch paving rider to be set to final grade. 8. The applicant must regularly maintain all stormwater treatment and conveyance infrastructure. 9. All exterior lighting must be installed or shielded in such a manner as to conceal light sources and reflector surfaces from view beyond the perimeter of the area to be illuminated. 10. The applicant must obtain a zoning permit within six (6) months from the date of this decision or this approval expires and is null and void. The applicant may submit a request for an extension to obtain a zoning permit under the terms outlined in Section 17.04 of the LDR’s, but the request must be submitted prior to the expiration of this approval. 11. The applicant must continue to maintain the approved landscaping in a vigorous growing condition throughout the duration of the use. 12. Pursuant to Section 15.13(E) of the Land Development Regulations, any new utility lines, services, and service modifications must be underground. 13. The proposed project must adhere to standards for erosion control as set forth in Section 16.03 of the South Burlington Land Development Regulations. In addition, the grading plan must meet the standards set forth in Section 16.04 of the South Burlington Land Development Regulations. 14. The applicant must obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Administrative Officer prior to use of the new uses. 15. Any change to the site plan shall require approval by the South Burlington Development Review Board or the Administrative Officer as allowed by the Land Development Regulations. 16. Bicycle racks must meet the minimum requirements of 13.03.B(2) and Appendix G. Dan Albrecht Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Mark Behr Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Frank Kochman Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Quinn Mann Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Dawn Philibert Yea Nay Abstain Not Present John Stern Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Stephanie Wyman Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Motion carried by a vote of 6 – 0 – 0. Signed this ____ day of December, 2022, by _____________________________________ Dawn Philibert, Chair Please note: An appeal of this decision may be taken by filing, within 30 days of the date of this decision, a notice of appeal and the required fee by certified mail to the Superior Court, Environmental #SP-22-057 Division. See V.R.E.C.P. 5(b). A copy of the notice of appeal must also be mailed to the City of South Burlington Planning and Zoning Department at 575 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403. See V.R.E.C.P. 5(b) (4)(A). Please contact the Environmental Division at 802-828-1660 or http://vermontjudiciary.org/GTC/environmental/default.aspx for more information on filing requirements, deadlines, fees and mailing address. The applicant or permittee retains the obligation to identify, apply for, and obtain relevant state permits for this project. Call 802.477.2241 to speak with the regional Permit Specialist.