Department of Community Development

Staff Report

PROPERTY OWNERS: Dreamweaver Holding Company, LLC; Vint Hill Entertainment, LLC;
Building 2500, LLC; Impact Area #8, LLC; Farm Station, LLC;
Fauquier County; Triumph Baptist Church; and Building 2400, LLC

APPLICANT: Vint Hill Village, LLC

LOCATION: Intersection of Aiken Drive and Kennedy Road at Vint Hill

DISTRICT: Scott

PIN(S): 7915-45-3347-000, 7915-65-5274-000, 7915-65-5084-000, 7915-74-

0847-000, 7915-75-5373-000, 7915-74-7317-000, 7915-74-8920-000,
7815-54-0780-000, 7915-74-8663-000, 7915-64-2507-000, 7915-44-
5729-000, 7915-74-6958-000, 7915-55-1560-000, 7915-53-3758-000,
7915-55-3486-000, and 7915-55-8048-000

ACREAGE: 102.07 acres

ZONING: Planned Commercial Industrial Development (PCID) and Planned

Residential Development (PRD)

SERVICE DISTRICT: New Baltimore

LAND USE: Planned Industrial Development

MEETING DATE: May 18, 2017

REQUEST: COMA-16-004478 Vint Hill Village: The Applicant is seeking

approval of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to change the
designation of 61.89 acres from Planned Industrial Development to
Medium Density Residential (up to 6 Units Per Acre); adjust the
boundary and location of the Village Center containing 40.18 acres; and
remove the school site previously designated in accord with Section 13-
202.4 of the Zoning Ordinance.

OUTSTANDING ISSUES: There are several outstanding issues with this application which are
identified throughout the staff report. Currently staff does not believe
the amendment has been justified. The Applicant has requested
postponement to allow time for the application to be refined.

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RECOMMENDATION: Staff advises the Planning Commission to hold the public hearing on
Comprehensive Plan Amendment COMA-16-004478 and grant an
extension as requested by the Applicant.

Topic Description:

The Applicant is seeking approval of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the New Baltimore
Service District. The application proposes the following: (1) change the designation of 61.89 acres
in Vint Hill from Planned Industrial District to Medium Density Residential; (2) provide a specific
location for the Village Center; and (3) remove the previously designated school site. The Applicant
states the purpose of such an amendment would be to create a residential area linking existing
residential neighborhoods in the area to the proposed Village Center.

The application and supporting materials are attached. There are unanswered questions regarding, but
not limited to, density, design, demand, adequacy of utilities, impact to the surrounding area, public
facility needs, suitability, adequacy of road network, changes in trip generation, and fiscal impact
associated with the request. Currently, staff does not believe the amendment has been justified. Staff
and the Applicant continue to work together on refining the proposal and its justification. The
Applicant has requested the Planning Commission postpone action on the application to allow time to
revise the application. The intent of the May 2017 agenda review and public hearing is to initiate
discussions and provide input related to the key issues surrounding this project.

Vint Hill Village has filed companion Rezoning and Zoning Ordinance text amendment applications.
The Rezoning application seeks to rezone the 61.89 acres from Planned Commercial Industrial
Development (PCID) to Planned Residential Development (PRD) for the development of a residential
area. The Rezoning application also includes revision to the Concept Development Plan to allow retail
uses in the newly proposed Village Center which runs along Aiken Drive. Currently, retail is restricted
to Land Bay N unless a Special Exception is obtained.

The companion Zoning Ordinance text amendment seeks to allow a mix of attached residential units,
including apartments, above commercial or as standalone buildings, in the Planned Commercial
Industrial Development zoning district. These applications would be heard following Board of
Supervisors action on the Comprehensive Plan.

Staff would note that the companion applications could likely change as the Comprehensive Plan
Amendment progresses through the public hearing process. Any Rezoning requiring a Comprehensive
Plan Amendment cannot be processed until the Comprehensive Plan Amendment has been approved.

Project History:

Under Section 15.2-6300 et seq. of the Code of Virginia, the Vint Hill Economic Development
Authority was created for the purpose of redeveloping the former military base for economic
development to the publics benefit, and to help replace the 2-3,000 jobs which existed when the
Federal Government owned the base. Below is a brief history of the Vint Hill Farms Station property.

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In June 1993, it was announced that Vint Hill Farms Station was scheduled for closure as part of a
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Program. Following this announcement, the Fauquier County
Board of Supervisors established a Task Force to address the base closure. The Office of Economic
Adjustment of the Department of Defense provided funding to hire a full-time Executive Director of
the Task Force and a consultant to prepare a Base Reuse Plan.

In June 1995, a report entitled Vint Hill Farms Station Preferred Reuse Plan was completed by the
consultants and adopted by the Task Force. Two months later this Preferred Reuse Plan (PRP) was
adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

The PRP outlines a land use program for Vint Hill that balanced facility reuse and new construction
opportunities within the Countys overall employment and economic objectives for Vint Hill, which
are job and tax base creation. It was intended to create a community of sufficient diversity and
resources to provide an attractive adjunct to the adjacent New Baltimore Service District. It established
a mixed use community with primary emphasis on innovative technology. The design of the
employment area was to be a campus-type setting. Other uses on the site included research and
development, office/service, retail, golf course, recreational facilities, and a small residential
component.

In 1999, the Board of Supervisors approved the 695-acre tract known as Vint Hill for a combined
zoning of Planned Commercial Industrial Development (PCID) District and Planned Residential
Development (PRD) District. The principal elements of this approval were approximately 3.1
million square feet of Industrial/Employment uses, 250 Continuing Care Units and 300 single-family
detached units. Currently, the residential component has been completed.

In 2011, the Vint Hill Farms Economic Development Authority filed an application to rezone
approximately 106.45 acres from Planned Commercial Industrial Development District (PCID) to a
newly proposed Planned Village District (PVD) in order to create a Village Center. The application
also included a rezoning amendment of 27.07 acres from Planned Residential Development (PRD) to
Planned Commercial Industrial Development District (PCID) and proposed amending uses on 179
acres of the approved Concept Development Plan. That application never received action.

In 2014, Vint Hill Village, LLC acquired a large portion of Vint Hill from the EDA. In June 2016,
Vint Hill Village, LLC submitted the applications outlined in the Topic Description section of this
report. Those applications were reviewed by various local and state agencies and comments were
issued. In March 2017, staff received a resubmission of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment (COMA-
16-004478) component of the Vint Hill applications, which is the subject of the May 18, 2017 public
hearing.

Location, Zoning and Current Land Use:

The properties are located in Vint Hill, south of Brookside/Vint Hill Parkways, north of Aiken Drive
and west of Kennedy Road (Route 652) in the New Baltimore Service District. The properties are
used for a variety of commercial, industrial, institutional and open space purposes.

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Surrounding Zoning and Current Land Use:

Property to the north and south of Vint Hill is zoned Rural Agricultural (RA) and used for rural
residential purposes. Land to the east within Vint Hill is zoned Planned Residential Development
(PRD) and has previously been developed with 300 single-family attached residences. Property
located along the Prince William county line is zoned Rural Agricultural (RA) used for rural
residential purposes. Brookside residential subdivision is located to the west and is zoned a
combination of Residential (R-1) and Planned Residential Development (PRD). Also to the west are
Grapewood Estates Subdivision and Lakewood Subdivision, both zoned Residential (R-1).

Location/Zoning Map

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Current Comprehensive Plan/Land Use:

The purpose of the New Baltimore Service District Plan is to provide a template for managed growth
which is appropriate to the community and can be supported by existing and planned public utilities.
One of the major features of this plan is that higher density residential and commercial uses are
restricted primarily to only those areas north of South Run, with the exceptions being Vint Hill and
the Brookside communities. Vint Hill is intended to be a mixed-use planned community with
commercial office, retail, residential and continuing care components on a large park or campus-type
setting. A second major feature of the New Baltimore Service District plan is the retaining of lands,
located outside and to the northeast of the Service District, as rural agriculture lands.

Due to the Brookside Parkway corridor which links Route 605 to Route 215, the New Baltimore
Service District Plan envisions Vint Hill to include a Village Center. This neo-traditional hub is
expected, for example, to include restaurants, theater, retail and office space, mixes of 2nd and 3rd floor
apartments and condominium units, single-family attached units (with some provision for workforce
housing), a stream valley park connected to the overall Vint Hill park and open space elements, linked
to internal and perimeter trails as well as to the Brookside community trail system. This village core
will require multiple access points to the Brookside Parkway and Route 602.

The New Baltimore Plan does not change the fact the Vint Hill Farms Station Preferred Reuse Plan
(PRP) is adopted in concept, and not in detail. Even today, the specifics of the plan are changing.
However, this Service District Plan does recognize that the focal point of New Baltimore has been
redirected in the long term to be the Vint Hill Village Center. This hub has resulted from the fact that
the Vint Hill PRP incorporated a village core which is characterized by a neo-traditional development
form, meaning, a more compact development pattern and a mix of residential and office/retail
commercial uses within approximately a one-half mile radius. This core is in addition to commercial,
industrial and residential areas already existing or planned within Vint Hill.

Five types of commercial areas are planned within the New Baltimore Service District. One of those
areas is Village Center. This designation marks the area envisioned to serve the New Baltimore Service
District in the Vint Hill environs as presented in the Land Use Plan. This land use category is more
neo-traditional in design with a pedestrian orientation and is expected, for example, to include a
grocery store, restaurants, cinema, neighborhood styled shops, retail and office space, mixes of 2nd and
3rd floor apartments and condominium units, single-family attached units (with some provision for
workforce housing), with a mix of parkland and other civic uses and activities.

The New Baltimore Service District Plan contains several objectives related to Vint Hills
development:

Establish Vint Hill as a Village Center for the New Baltimore Service District.
Promote development that increases the non-residential tax base and does not
impose a fiscal burden on New Baltimore or the County.
Provide local retail at Vint Hill, and neighborhood business uses in a manner which
precludes the creation of a destination retail concentration or big box store
within the Service District.

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The New Baltimore Service District Plan has much to say about sewer for Vint Hill. The EDA
transferred ownership, operation and maintenance of the 0.246 mgd Vint Hill wastewater treatment
facility to the WSA. A new replacement facility has been constructed. The Fauquier County Water
and Sanitation Authority (WSA) now owns, operates and maintains this facility. The current capacity
is 950,000 gallons per day. The County and the WSA do not envision expanding this facility beyond
its planned capacity of 950,000 gpd, due to Occoquan Watershed discharge, design and performance
requirements that entail elevated treatment requirements that result in extraordinary capital,
maintenance and operational costs.

The allocation of sewage treatment capacity was based on the Countys goal to increase the non-
residential tax base by providing public sewer service to the U.S.15/29 business community and the
redevelopment of Vint Hill.

The WSA Wastewater Treatment facility is obligated to provide 400,000 gpd of the 950,000 gpd
facility capacity to the Vint Hill EDA. Added residential units could also be accommodated within
Vint Hill, depending on the resulting sewer demand for its approved mix of business and residential
development. In the remaining area outside Vint Hill and within the sewered area of the Service
District, approximately 200,000 gpd is available to both business and residential development in the
second expansion module. This phase has not been designed, state approved nor funded at this time.

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 Adopted Land Use Plan

Proposed Comprehensive Plan / Land Use:

As previously mentioned, this amendment seeks to change the designation of 61.89 acres from Planned
Industrial Development to Medium Density Residential (Up to 6 Units Per Acre); adjust the boundary

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and location of the Village Center containing 40.18 acres; and to remove the school site previously
designated.

While the New Baltimore Service District Plan clearly anticipates a Village Center at Vint Hill, the
size, scope and location of that Village Center are vague. What the approved plan does not contemplate
is the conversion of 61.89 acres from Planned Industrial Development to Medium Density Residential.
The applicant has stated that the additional residential density is needed to make the long planned
Village Center successful. There are certain aspects of the project that require further discussion and
refinement.

The proposed changes to the land use plan are shown below. The proposed changes to the text of the
New Baltimore Service District Plan are attached to this report in a red lined version.

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Proposed Land Use Plan

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With any Comprehensive Plan Amendment, the Planning Commission and ultimately the Board of
Supervisors must consider whether a case is made for any of the following circumstances:

a. Creative Concepts - presentation of innovative approaches to land use not currently

contemplated in the Comprehensive Plan.

b. Oversights - the subject property was omitted or misinterpreted in the original plan review
process.

c. Change in Circumstances - there has been a significant change in surrounding land use since
the original plan review process.

d. Goals - the goals of the plan would be better met with the proposed modification, or better
implemented if such amendments are adopted.

e. Hardship - an applicant has a unique hardship on the subject property not identified in the
original plan review process.

In this case, the Applicant believes it satisfies the requirements of criteria (c) and (d) above. The
application states that since Vint Hill was originally zoned in 1999 the following changes have
occurred: the Brookside community was rezoned to PRD and has been constructed, the road network
has been improved and connected, pedestrian trail completed, adjoining lands have developed into
thriving residential neighborhoods, and a change in ownership pattern has occurred. The complete
Statement of Justification is attached.

Consistent with the five criteria cited above that the Planning Commission must consider when
evaluating Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Section 13-210 of the Zoning Ordinance provides the
following guidance for any amendments:

Proposed amendments shall be considered with reasonable consideration of the existing use and
character of the area, the suitability of the property for various uses, the trends of growth or change,
the current and future requirements of the County as to land for various purposes as determined by
population and economic studies and other studies, the transportation requirements of the community
and the County and the requirements for schools, parks, playgrounds, recreation areas and other
public services; for the conservation of natural resources and preservation of floodplains, and for the
conservation of properties and their values and the encouragement of the most appropriate use of land
throughout the County. These considerations shall include, but not be limited to, Comprehensive
Plans or parts thereof, capital improvements programs, relation of development to roads or road
construction programs, proximity to development to utilities and public facilities, the existence of an
Agricultural and Forestal District created pursuant to Chapter 36 of the Code of Virginia, and any
applicable standards contained in Article 5.

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Staff and Review Agency Comments:

Staff and the appropriate referral agencies have reviewed this request for conformance with the Zoning
Ordinance, Comprehensive Plan and other relevant policies and regulations. Review of this project
will occur in several phases; therefore, new issues may be identified as additional information is
provided. Outside agency comments are not a request, suggestion or demand for a proffer from the
County should the application progress to the Rezoning stage.

All of the comments below have been provided to the Applicant. The Applicant has requested the
Planning Commission postpone action on the application to allow time to address the outstanding
issues and strengthen the application; therefore, no analysis is being provided at this time.

Current Planning:

1. Staff does not believe sufficient justification has been provided to warrant the amendment as
proposed. The amendment is really two-pronged in that it proposes to create a Village Center,
which has long been envisioned at Vint Hill; however, it also proposes to create a new 60 acre
residential area. The Planning Commission and ultimately the Board will have to determine if
this change is warranted. The adopted plan, as well as the proposed plan, both state that
careful consideration must be given to the public sewer limitations and plan recommendations
regarding land use when considering future rezoning applications which this would warrant
if approved.

2. The applicant submitted the required Traffic Impact Analysis (13-202.4.A(c)3.H) and Fiscal
Impact Analysis (13-202.4.A(c)3.F.) with the first submission of the Vint Hill application
materials; however, it was not updated or revised with the second submission. The Code of
Virginia requires VDOT approval of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment. VDOT has indicated
they need updated trip generation figures in order to provide further analysis. The June 2016
TIA indicates 3743 new weekday daily trips with the new residential development.

Long Range Planning:

1. Application addresses Section 13-202.4.A(c)(2) of the Fauquier Zoning Ordinance, but

fails to address the points outlined within the Comprehensive Plans description of the
Amendment Process (Vision pg 5).

2. Application references the Vint Hill Village Green as the focal point of the community yet it
is not proposed to be included within the Village Center according to the mapping.

3. If the Village Green is the focal point, it should be encircled by the village center in addition
to the proposed village center extension along Main Street.

4. This proposed amendment should not be included in the description of the County-
initiated update of the New Baltimore Service District Plan (pg 5). It could be noted as an
applicant initiated amendment in the same location.

5. The proposed language on page 14 states that, This Village Center is to be a small and
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 distinct community serving the Vint Hill and New Baltimore areas. The word destination
may be a more appropriate term than community in this context.

6. The proposed new language on page 15 does not appear appropriate for inclusion here
and should not include this amendment.

7. Analysis should be shown as to how the WSA and Buckland Water and Sanitation Assets
Corporation will accommodate the increased density and intensity of development in
accordance with the allocations identified on page 29. It should be noted that in footnote 7a
on page 29 the language assumes an individual dwelling unit sewer usage of 260 gpd. The
WSA has recently been using a figure of 400 gpd per unit so this may impact the remaining
capacity if the pre-purchased amount increases from 48,490 gpd to 74,400 gpd. This could
also play into 7c.

8. Proposal should show implications to the transportation network and ideally show
connections to surrounding land uses to help spread a grid network of streets. This would also
serve to aid in connecting the village center to the area surrounding it and better enabling it to
serve its desired function.

9. Proposal would be strengthened if it included/referenced a market study indicating a demand

for additional residential development in the Vint Hill area.

10. Proposal would be strengthened if it included a build-out analysis of the New Baltimore
Service District that showed remaining capacity of undeveloped/underdeveloped land within
the district.

11. Proposal would be strengthened by the inclusion of renderings and/or design guidelines
for typical development within the Medium Density Residential and Village Center.

12. Proposal would be strengthened by identification of appropriate transitions to the Village

Center from other land uses. Presently the medium density residential is referenced as an
appropriate buffer and transition from the existing residential development but there is no
discussion as to how that transition occurs or what it entails.

Fauquier County Water and Sanitation Authority:

1. The proposed C omprehensive Plan Amendment will revise the existing districts from
commercial/industrial to residential adjacent to the Authority's industrial parcels in Vint
Hill. This raises concerns as the residential district now encroaches less than 800 feet
from the existing Vint Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The residential
community will be subject to the odor emitted from the WWTP, which could potentially
become a serious nuisance and generate numerous complaints especially with higher
density residential development such as townhomes, duplexes, and multi-family housing
units. The cost of retro-fitting the plant with odor control systems can be significant,
both in terms of capital investment and operating cost. In addition, the FCWSA
administration building and connecting storage lot are potentially accessed 24-hours a
day, 7 days a week by staff and commercial buildings, which could be a disturbance to

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 adjacent residents. The sites surrounding the WWTP and FCWSA Headquarters are best
suited for commercial/industrial use to be compatible with the existing industrial uses.

2. Revising the commercial/industrial land use to residential and constructing homes

immediately adjacent to the FCWSA Headquarters located at 7172 Kennedy Road restricts
expansion of the existing parcel to meet future growth and demand. In addition, this former
U.S. Army building would be unable to comply with current Zoning Ordinance regulations
if rebuilt or remodeled should the facility cease protection under the grandfather clause.
A portion of the existing Administration Building is located on the parcel boundary and
does not meet County setback requirements. The propane tank and access road used by
Columbia Gas to supply this building with heat is located off-site. Modifying parcel
identification number 7915-53-3758-000 in the comprehensive plan to Planned
Residential District in Vint Hill would inhibit FCWSA from expanding, upgrading, or
renovating the old, existing administrative building and lot size.

Soils

In the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Statement of Justification, it is not clear why the medium
density residential is needed to assure the success of the Village Center. Applicant needs to clarify
and substantiate. Given the number of households in the surrounding subdivisions (1500 in Brookside,
Grapewood and Broken Hills) plus the approximately 260 proposed within the Village Center, it is
not clear why the rezoning to PRD is essential to the success of the Village Center.

Fauquier County Public Schools

A change of 61.89 acres from planned industrial to medium-density residential will create an
impact on schools serving this area.

New development creates an impact on both operating and capital costs. At such time as a
development is planned, the developer should demonstrate how they will mitigate this impact on
schools.

With reference to the removal of the school site from the Land Use Plan, the school division
concurs that the site was moved to another site in New Baltimore.

Parks and Recreation:

Park land dedication Using state standards of 10 acres of local parkland per 1,000 population, and a
projection of 589 units x 2.89 persons per unit and 250 units x 1.5 persons (Vint Hill Village
Retirement), which comes to a total of 2031 population. This equates to a need of approximately 20.3
acres of new parkland (regardless of any other trades or reimbursements that might be related to this
proposal).

Trails/Greenway corridors for these parcels are identified in the Connections Plan in the County
Comprehensive Plan.

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Recreational facilities Using county standards the impact to facilities is specifically defined for each
facility on the attached spreadsheet. Major impacts of new development identified by citizens in that
area include (in order of preference): playground, larger/indoor pool, trails, dog park, food services,
gym, additional courts, restrooms, movie/community theater, picnic shelters/areas.

Parcel 7915-55-8048-000 has previously been committed to the County but is treated differently
within this application.

All previous comments should still be considered applicable.

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