HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP-24-20 - Supplemental - 0200 da Vinci DriveCITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD
SP-24-20_200 Davinci Dr_BSD Aviation Tech_2024-06-
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DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING
Report preparation date: May 29, 2024
Plans received: May 1, 2024
200 da Vinci Drive – Burlington School District
Site Plan Application #SP-24-20
Meeting date: June 4, 2024
Owner
City of Burlington
Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport
1200 Airport Drive
South Burlington, VT 05403
Applicant
Tom Flanagan, Burlington School District
Superintendent
150 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
Property Information
Tax Parcel ID: 2000-00000
Airport Industrial Zoning District
Engineer
McFarland Johnson
426 Industrial Avenue, Suite 146
Williston, VT 05495
Location Map
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PROJECT DESCRPTION
Site plan application #SP-24-20 of Burlington School District to amend a previously approved plan
for an airport complex. The amendment consists of renovating an existing hangar for the use of
Burlington School District’s Aviation Technical Center, including reconfiguration of the parking and
site circulation, 200 Davinci Drive
CONTEXT
The project area is at the south end of the airport property immediately adjacent to the recently
approved Beta manufacturing facility on Davinci Drive. The project involves lands within the airport
PUD as well as within the Beta Master Plan area. Therefore the project is being considered in two
parts.
The subject application is a site plan for the portion of the project located within the airport PUD.
The application has also submitted a minor Master Plan amendment application for the portion of
the project within the Beta Master Plan Area, which will be reviewed by the Board on June 18, 2024.
The proposed changes consist of installation of a significant amount of doors and windows on the
existing building façade, removal of a smaller number of doors, interior renovation, and
modifications to the site access and circulation at the south end of the site.
COMMENTS
Development Review Planner Marla Keene and Director of Planning and Zoning Paul Conner
(‘Planning Staff’) have reviewed the plans submitted on 5/1/2024 and offer the following
comments. Numbered comments for the Board’s attention are indicated in red.
A) ZONING DISTRICT & DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Airport Industrial Zoning District
(AIR-I)
Required Proposed
Min. Lot Size 3 acres No change
Max. Building Coverage 30% No change
Max. Overall Coverage 50% 36.5%
Max Front Setback Coverage 30% Unknown
Max Front Setback 50 ft. No change
Min. Side Setback 35 ft. No change
Min. Rear Setback 50 ft. No change
Building Height (flat roof) 35 ft. No change
Meets requirement
Airport Industrial Zoning District
The purpose of the Airport Industrial Zoning District is to provide sufficient land area for Airport-
related uses, support facilities, and commercial activities that may be incompatible with general
residential or commercial uses. The standards and regulations for the Airport Industrial District
recognize the importance of these facilities and uses to the operation of the City and regional
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economies while providing appropriate setbacks and buffering to offset their impacts on adjacent
land uses.
Applications involving new or expanded buildings within the AIR-I district must comply with the
regulations pertaining to airport approach cones. No building construction or expansion is
proposed.
B) SITE PLAN REVIEW STANDARDS
14.06 General Review Standards
A. Relationship of Proposed Structures to the Site.
(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.
Staff considers the applicant is proposing to improve the street presence of the structure by
adding glazing to the street facing and side facades.
The applicant is proposing to add a flush pedestrian walkway from the proposed expanded
parking area west of the building to the improved main entrance.
1. There is no safe pedestrian access to the building from Davinci Drive either existing or
proposed, though there is a sidewalk along Davinci Drive. Given the proposed use of the
building for students, and the City’s prioritization of personal mobility (ie biking and walking),
Staff recommends the Board discuss with the applicant how to improve access to the site for
users that are not arriving in cars or buses.
Adequacy of planting is discussed elsewhere in this document.
(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.
(b) The Development Review Board may approve parking between a public street and one
or more buildings if the Board finds that one or more of the following criteria are met.
The Board shall approve only the minimum necessary to overcome the conditions
below.
(viii) The building, or a portion thereof, being served by the parking area is
contained within the Security Identification Display Area of a publicly-owned and
operated airport.
Staff considers that the front side of this building is Davinci Drive, since the City has an
irrevocable offer of dedication for the street.
The applicant is proposing to reconfigure and expand existing parking areas to the front of
the adjacent hangar buildings to the west. Those buildings are not the subject of this
application, though they and the subject buildings are within the airport security fence.
2. Staff recommends the Board ask the applicant to demonstrate that the parking is the
minimum necessary and discuss whether they will allow this exemption for parking.
(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.
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No changes to the height of the building are proposed. The applicant is proposing to add a
canopy at the new main entrance to the building, but the canopy will be contained within the
width and height of the existing 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.
Staff comments pertaining to buffering and screening are included in 14.07 below. The
applicant is proposing to paint the building but otherwise not to modify the materials of the
building.
(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.
Staff considers the proposed modifications to the structure to be sufficiently related to setting
given the magnitude of the modifications.
(3) To accomplish (1) and (2), the DRB shall consider:
(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.
No modifications affecting compliance with this standard are proposed.
(b) Architectural Features. Respond to recurring or representative architectural
features that define neighborhood character, without adhering to a particular architectural
style.
The proposed modification to architectural features include addition of an entrance canopy
and glazing.
(c) Privacy. Limit impacts and intrusions to privacy on adjoining properties, including
side and back yard areas through context sensitive design.
No changes to privacy of adjoining properties are proposed.
C. Site Amenity Requirement
This criterion is only applicable to expansions and new residential conversions.
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.
There are no impacts to resources considered in Article 12 proposed as part of this project.
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,
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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.
The applicant is proposing to modify the access and circulation in front of the existing
hangars to the west of the subject building by formalizing one parking area, expanding
another, and realigning and widening the driveway at the east end of the parking areas. They
are not proposing modifications to the access and circulation in front of the subject building.
Relevant standards of 15.A.14 include those pertaining to safe pedestrian access and to
minimizing curb cuts by providing shared vehicular access. Davinci Drive is not currently a
public street, but there is an irrevocable offer of dedication to the City therefore it should be
treated as a public street for the purposes of layout and design.
3. Staff recommends the Board ask the applicant to demonstrate that the proposed pavement
is minimized near the entrance to Davinci Drive. Too wide open a pavement area with
multiple (four in this case) non-perpendicular locations for cars to come from can lead to
safety issues. The driveway at the west end is narrow, so it does not appear this area is
needed for large vehicle circulation.
D. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) [reserved]
E. Building Form. Development within the City Center Form Based Code District, the Urban
Design Overlay District, and other districts with supplemental building form standards shall
adhere to the standards contained therein.
Not applicable.
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.
Staff considers 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.
13.02F requires driveway connections between adjacent commercial lots. The airport is
generally one large lot. Driveway connections between buildings are generally provided
and not reduced by this application.
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.
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The property is currently served by overhead utilities. The applicant is proposing to
remove the existing transformer at the building, but it is unclear how the utilities are
proposed to be routed to the replacement transformer.
4. Staff recommends the Board ask the applicant to explain at what point the existing
overhead utilities will be located underground, and consider requiring the utilities to be
located underground at the upstream most pole that is impacted by the work.
The South Burlington Director of Public Works reviewed the plans on 5/23/2024 and offers
the following comments:
The applicant will need to work with the wastewater superintendent to confirm that the
project has a sufficient wastewater allocation for the change in use.
The wastewater pump station will remain privately owned.
Does the property have an existing oil / water / grease / grit separator? Will the change
in use require that one be installed?
Are any water (or other) easements proposed to be transferred to the City?
5. Staff recommends the Board ask the applicant to verbally answer the questions of the
Director of Public Works and include conditions for any necessary modifications.
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.
C) SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONS
13.02 Off Street Parking and Loading
G. Design requirements for Parking Spaces, Parking Aisles, Lighting and Landscaping
(1) Design requirements for off-street parking and loading are provided in Table 13-2 and
Figure 13-1, Section 13.04, Landscaping , Screening, and Street Trees, and Section 13.07,
Exterior Lighting. All paved parking spaces shall be striped or otherwise physically
delimited.
Sections 13.04 and 13.07 are discussed below. Parking is proposed to meet the required
dimensional standards.
(2) The location of parking areas and loading docks shall prevent conflicts with entering
and existing traffic onto a public street and prevent conflicts between vehicles and
pedestrians. The distance between access points and parking areas shall be adequate to
minimize blockage and prevent back-ups onto the public street.
Staff considers this criterion met.
(3) Provision shall be made for access by police, fire and emergency vehicles.
The Fire Marshal reviewed the project on 5/22/2024 and indicated there were no comments
pertaining to the Development Review Board’s review of the project.
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(4) Pedestrian safety. Insofar as practicable, pedestrian and bicycle circulation shall be
separated from motor vehicle circulation. Safe and convenient pedestrian circulation,
including appropriate sidewalks, shall be provided on the site and its approaches. The
pedestrian circulation on site shall be designed to minimize adverse effects of vehicular
traffic on sidewalks and recreation paths.
6. The applicant is proposing an on-grade striped pathway from the parking area to the
building. Staff recommends the Board consider requiring the pathway to be raised by a
curb and consider requiring a sidewalk connection and crosswalk to Davinci Drive, as
alluded to above.
(5) Bicycle parking or storage facility.
Bicycle parking is discussed under 13.03 below.
(6) Stormwater management strategies that facilitate infiltration including but not limited
to recessed planting islands, bioretention facilities, and pervious parking spaces are
encouraged in the design of any off-street parking or loading area.
The applicant is proposing a bioretention area between the two sections of parking lot.
Infiltration is not proposed. Stormwater management is discussed under 13.05 below.
13.03 Bicycle Parking and Storage.
7. The building is 34,445 sf and is proposed to be used by 12 employees and 100 students.
One short term space is required for each 20 students of planned capacity, or five spaces.
It does not appear the applicant has proposed any bicycle parking. Staff recommends the
Board require the applicant to add short term bicycle parking to the plan proximate to a
student entrance.
As an existing building, long-term bicycle parking requirements do not apply.
13.04 Landscaping, Screening & Street Trees
B. Except for parking spaces accessory to a one-family or two-family dwelling, all off-street
parking areas subject to review by the Development Review Board shall be curbed and
landscaped with appropriate trees, shrubs, and other plants including ground covers, as
approved by the Development Review Board. Sections of recessed curb are permitted if their
purpose is to allow stormwater runoff from the adjacent parking area to reach stormwater
collection, treatment and management infrastructure. The Development Review Board shall
consider the adequacy of the proposed landscaping to assure the establishment of a safe,
convenient, and attractive parking area and the privacy and comfort of abutting properties.
The applicant is proposing to reconfigure and add parking so that there are 68 parking spaces
west of the building. Staff considers these standards apply to those 68 spaces.
(1) All off-street parking areas shall be landscaped around the perimeter of the lot
with trees, shrubs and other plants. Perimeter planting shall be set back from the curb
sufficiently to allow for snow storage. The purpose of perimeter planting shall be to
mitigate the view of the parking lot from the public way and from adjacent uses and
properties, and to provide shade and canopy for the parking lot. In some situations it may
be necessary, both for surveillance purposes and for the perception of safety, to install the
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size and type of plants that leave visual access between the parking lot to the public way
or other pedestrian areas.
8. No parking lot landscaping is proposed. Staff recommends the Board require the applicant
to revise their plans to provide landscaping to screen the proposed and reconfigured
parking from the future public street.
(2) In all parking areas containing twenty-eight (28) or more contiguous parking
spaces and/or in parking lots with more than a single circulation lane, at least ten percent
(10%) of the interior of the parking lot shall be landscaped islands planted with trees,
shrubs and other plants. Such requirement shall not apply to structured parking or below-
ground parking.
9. Staff recommends the Board require the applicant to demonstrate compliance with this
criterion by providing a figure showing the parking area and the fraction landscaped.
(3) All interior and perimeter planting shall be protected by curbing unless specifically
designed as a collection and treatment area for management of stormwater runoff as per
13.04(B)(5)(c) below. Interior planted islands shall have a minimum dimension of six (6)
feet on any one side, and shall have a minimum square footage of sixty (60) square feet.
Large islands are encouraged.
10. No curbing is proposed. Staff considers curbing will be required to protect adjacent
landscaping except where the adjacent area is specifically designed as a stormwater
collection or treatment area.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
These criteria apply to parking lot landscaping and should be used in designing the
proposed landscaping for the revised and expanded parking lot.
(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).
Not applicable.
(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.
Snow storage areas have been specified. Staff considers this criterion met.
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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) 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.
(1) There shall be sufficient landscaping, walls, or fencing of sufficient height (minimum of three
(3) feet) and opacity to effectively screen the parking or loading area year-round from adjacent
public streets.
(2) Screening of a parking or loading shall be provided where headlights from vehicles on site may
be visible and project parallel to a public street.
These two criteria should be taken into considering in the design of the parking lot landscaping.
(3) There shall be sufficient landscaping, walls, or fencing of sufficient height and opacity to
effectively screen outdoor storage areas, refuse, recycling, and compost collection (excluding
on-site composting) areas.
Staff considers no additional outdoor storage screening to be necessary.
(4) The landscaping shall be designed to minimize erosion and stormwater runoff, and to protect
neighboring residential properties from the view of uses and parking areas on the site. The
landscaping shall be of such type, height, and spacing, as in the judgment of the Development
Review Board, will effectively screen the activities on the lot from the view of persons standing
on adjoining properties. The plan and specifications for such planting shall be filed with the
approved plan for the use of the lot
This criterion should be taken into considering in the design of the parking lot landscaping.
G(3) Landscaping Budget Requirements.
There is no minimum landscaping budget because no building addition is proposed.
I. Landscape Maintenance.
Maintenance and responsibility. All planting shown on an approved site plan shall be maintained
by the property owner in a vigorous growing condition throughout the duration of the use. Plants
not so maintained shall be replaced with new plants at the beginning of the next immediately
following growing season. Trees with a caliper of less than 5” may be replaced on an inch-by-inch
basis with trees of the same genus of at least 2” caliper each. No permit shall be required for such
replacements provided they conform to the approved site plan. Replacement of trees with a caliper
of greater than 5” shall require an amendment to the site plan.
The applicant is proposing to remove four (4) 8 to 10-inch caliper trees from the front of the
building. The applicant is proposing to plant seven shrubs and 32 ornamental grasses.
11. While Staff considers the proposed plantings to not be sufficient replacement for the removed
trees, as described above, the applicant must also provide parking lot landscaping, including
shade trees. Staff considers the combined resulting planting likely to be adequate to replace
the removed trees, and recommends the Board confirm once the proposed parking lot planting
plan is complete.
13.05 Stormwater Management
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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. At the time of this
writing, Staff had not yet received comments from the City Stormwater section.
12. Staff recommends the Board provide Staff an opportunity to provide an update at the time of
the hearing.
13.06 Airport Approach Cones
All applications for development within the Airport Approach Cones, as shown on the Overlay
Districts Map, involving new or expanded buildings or structures shall provide documentation
that either a Notice to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is not required, or an application for a
Determination of No Hazard has been submitted to the FAA. Where an application for
Determination of No Hazard has been submitted, no zoning permit for construction shall be
issued without demonstration of receipt of an issued Determination.
13. Staff recommends the Board require the applicant to demonstrate submission of an
application for Determination of No Hazard, and condition the approval on receipt of an issued
determination.
13.07 Exterior Lighting
Lighting requirements are summarized as follows.
(1) Fixtures must be downcast and shielded
(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 provided a photometric drawing but
has not indicated an average illumination level, though Staff considers it is likely to be below 3
foot candles.
14. Staff notes there is one “hotspot” of 15 footcandles near the eastern entrance of the building
and recommends the Board discuss whether to direct the applicant to reconfigure the
proposed lighting to reduce this hotspot to on the order of 8 – 10 footcandles.
13.11 Fences
The applicant has proposed to relocate 75 ft of airport security fence as part of this project. The
Board has typically considered airport security fence exempt from local regulation under 24 VSA
4413, and Staff recommends the Board do the same here.
13.12 Utility Cabinets and Similar Structures
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B. Specific Standards for Utility Cabinets and Similar Structures.
(4) There shall be sufficient landscaping or fencing of sufficient height and opacity to screen
effectively the facility year-round from streets and abutting unaffiliated properties.
15. Screening is proposed for the proposed generator but not for the proposed utility
transformer. Staff recommends the Board ask the applicant to describe the proposed
height of the generator in order to determine if screening is adequate.
16. Staff recommends the Board require the applicant to provide screening of sufficient height
to screen the transformer from the street.
(5) The location of the facility shall be shown on all relevant site plans.
(6) Utility cabinets and similar structures shall be located a minimum of five (5) feet from all
existing or planned public roads or rights-of-way.
Staff considers criterion #5 and 6 to be met.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Board work with the applicant to address the issues identified herein. The
related master plan application is scheduled to be reviewed on June 18. Staff considers if the applicant
can provide the required information prior to concluding the hearing on June 4 that the Board may
continue to June 18 and Staff will incorporate review of the revised materials into the June 18 packet.
Respectfully submitted,
Marla Keene, Development Review Planner