Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAbout2002_07_22 Council Work Session July 22, 2002 Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, 7:30 p.m. Mayor Umstattd presiding. Councilmembers Present: Frank Buttery, Mervin Jackson, Melinda Kramer, Marty Martinez, David Schmidt, Robert Zoldos and Mayor Umstattd. Councilmembers Absent: None Staff Members Present: Town Manager Bob Noe, Town Attorney William Donnelly, Deputy Town Manager Phil Rodenberg, Director of Engineering and Public Works Tom Mason, Director of Planning, Zoning and Development Susan Swift, Director of Human Resources Dona Wolf, Chief of Police Joe Price, Director of Parks and Recreation Kaj Dentler, Deputy Director of Utilities Aref Etemadi, Acting Director of Economic Development Marantha Edwards, Traffic Engineer Calvin Grow, Chief of Plan Review Paul Gauthier, Assistant Zoning Administrator Kevin Lawlor, Chief of Comprehensive Planning Randy Hodgson, Capitol Projects Administrator Nagi Elsewaissi, Planner Nancy Kitchens, Capital Projects Engineer Renee Lafollette, Capital Projects Engineer Mike Baumgardner, Assistant to the Town Manager Nicole Ard, Management Intern Adam Brown, and Clerk of Council Judy Ahalt. AGENDA ITEMS Councilmember Zoldos commented that he would like to add an item at the end of the agenda - Citizen Corp. 1. Agenda for Council Meeting of July 23, 2002. a. TCA-02-01 - Considering the Zoning Administrator's interpretation of the Neighborhood Retail Convenience Center for ZM-90 - Greenway Farm Planned Residential Neighborhood Bob Sevila, representing the applicant, outlined their appeal of the Zoning Administrator's interpretation. Mr. Sevila stated that since the appeal has been filed the applicant has removed the contingency on the purchase of the site. He cited lack of available office space in the town. Further, he is appealing the implication that the uses have to be phased, since the proffer is silent on the issue of phasing. He added the homeowner's association supports this application. Mayor Umstattd suggested a convenience store in the bottom level of the proposed office space and that the architectural details be compatible with the barn and the Bredimus house. Mr. Sevila stated the applicant would be willing to seek approval of the Zoning Administrator for architectural details and would submit plans to the Board of Architectural Review for approval. Councilmember Martinez questioned when the second phase for development would occur? Mr. Sevila commented that it would be market driven. Town Council Worksession Minutes for Julv 22, 2002 Paqe 2 Council member Buttery verified that in the original rezoning there was no delineation made about the amount of retail and the site plan was silent on phasi ng. Councilmember Schmidt stated he would endorse overturning the Zoning Administrator's interpretation and submittal of drawings to the BAR. Councilmember Zoldos asked how the applicant would justify the office use in reducing traffic? Mr. Sevila stated he didn't know whether there would be an appreciable reduction in traffic. Councilmember Zoldos stated no neighborhood centers in Planned Residential Neighborhood's have been developed since their adoption in 1984. Vice-Mayor Jackson suggested a decrease in the size of the building. Mr. Sevila stated they need at least 8,000 square feet. Mayor Umstattd suggested an amendment to say the applicant will agree to ensure the building will be architecturally compatible with the existing structures in the area or to submit the architectural plans to the Board of Architectural Review for approval of architectural compatibility. b. TCA-02-02 - Considering the Zoning Administrator's interpretation of the sign detail plan for ZM-145 - Edwards Landing Planned Residential Neighborhood. Jim Baish, with Land Planning and Design Group, addressed Council outlining the appeal of the signage for Edwards Landing Planned Residential Neighborhood. He further discussed the signage for the historic Civil War site at Edwards Landing. He stated Richmond has a protocol for certain signage design standards that would have to be followed and they will determine the appropriate location for the signage. Mr. Baish briefly discussed the location of signage in the neighborhood and identified the locations and sign renderings. c. SE-2001-07 Tires Plus - deferral request Bill Keefe, representing the applicant, discussed a request for a two- month deferral on this application. This would allow the applicant to present a consensus of all the traffic data to Council. Council discussed this request for a deferral. Vice-Mayor Jackson stated he was confused by the traffic data provided. Councilmember Schmidt stated there were some confusing aspects of the presentation and the applicant should be allowed to make its best case. Councilmember Martinez stated he understood the presentation. Councilmember Zoldos stated he could only grant a two-week extension. Town Council Worksession Minutes for Julv 22, 2002 Page 3 Council member Buttery stated he could support a deferral. Councilmember Kramer stated she is prepared to go forward. Mayor Umstattd stated she supports going forward with this application and that there is no legal requirement by Council to defer this vote. Bill Donnelly stated it is Council's decision whether or not to defer. Bob Noe stated it would be the strong preference to vote tomorrow night whether to grant the deferral or denial. Vice-Mayor Jackson asked for clarification on how many hours the full time employees would work. Councilmember Zoldos asked staff to clear up any other outstanding issues in this application. Ms. Kitchens stated that clarification needs to be made with reference to the level of service. Calvin Grow stated that information has been received from Kellerco and Associates with relation to traffic circulation within the site. He stated there are outstanding questions regarding the trip generation numbers. Further, he stated that the level of service would probably improve with the proposed improvements. 2. Residential Traffic Committee Report - Traffic and transit issues Liz Whiting and Rick Knight, with the Residential Traffic Committee provided a recommendation from their committee on the following issues: (1) all way stops at Meade Drive, (2) Saturday service for Loudoun Transit, (3) Kincaid Boulevard Speed limit increase and (4) cut-thru traffic in Silver Oaks. The committee also provided recommendations that can be constructed and are fully funded for this fiscal year. They were as follows: (1) dedicated bike parking area along South King Street, (2) improvement to the stop sign at Catoctin Circle and Edwards Ferry Road intersection, and (3) landscaped island north of the intersection of Fairfax and S. King Streets. 3. Southeast Leesburg Transportation Alternatives Terry Laycock, John Clark and Supervisor Mark Herring were present from Loudoun County. Mayor Umstattd discussed why we are looking at Southeast Leesburg traffic alternatives: the cuts in state funding to transportation and the frequent gridlock in the Southeast quadrant and Sycolin Road. Paul Gauthier discussed interim solutions that may get us through the next five years. The solutions discussed were: (1) improving Sycolin Road by paving; (2) building Battlefield Parkway/Greenway interchange: (3) widening Route 7/15 Bypass; (4) building Battlefield Parkway from Kincaid Forest to Route 7; (5) building Town Council Worksession Minutes for July 22, 2002 Paqe 4 Sycolin Road flyover at Route 7/15 Bypass; (6) converting Lawson Road Creek crossing to pedestrian/bike trail. Mr. Gauthier verified that the alignment of Battlefield Parkway intersects Evergreen Mill Road at the intersection of Masons Lane. Terry Laycock, Assistant County Administrator for Loudoun County, advised Council that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors have accelerated funding for the Sycolin Road project. The County plans to have two paved lanes of Sycolin Road from Ashburn to Leesburg. This project will start construction in four years. Councilmember Zoldos asked what funds are provided to the Town of Leesburg. Ms. Laycock said the County has provided a significant amount of gasoline tax funds for the Leesburg portion of Sycolin Road. John Clark, with Loudoun County, discussed the need for a new park and ride lot to accommodate approximately 300 spaces. 4. Shellhorn Property and Town Policy on Utility Extensions Aref Etemadi, Deputy Director of Utilities, addressed Council on this issue. He advised Council that it would cost approximately $10,000,000 to extend the Lower Sycolin Sewer Shed to the serve the entire lower Sycolin area. Further it is unclear whether the current sanitary sewer system will have the capacity to serve the 92- acre site and the Shellhorn property. Bob Noe stated the current policy is to not extend utilities outside the Town without a boundary line adjustment. He recommended against amending this policy. Mayor Umstattd suggested measures to get the burn center what it needs to operate without setting a precedent. Mr. Etemadi stated the Shellhorn Property is located south of the 92-acre site. Also there is a parcel of land within Tavistock that may have to be included in a boundary line adjustment. Following a discussion by Council, it was the consensus to require a boundary line adjustment before extending any water and sewer to these properties. Councilmember Zoldos suggested engineering studies to see if the current force main will handle additional flows. 5. Audiovisual Upgrade of Council Chamber - Nelson Hoyt, Onyx Engineering Phil Rodenberg stated staff is recommending Onyx Engineering, Inc. as the vendor to upgrade the Council Chamber audiovisual system. He added the cost is 100 percent funded by Adelphia Cable. The Cable and Information Technology Commissions endorse this recommendation. Michel Agujia, Information Technology Director, addressed Council stating that the proposed upgrades are more than adequate for the Council Chamber. Nelson Hoyt, Onyx Engineering, explained the proposed upgrades and outlined the details of their proposal. Town Council Worksession Minutes for July 22, 2002 Paqe 5 Councilmember Martinez discussed the possibility of hooking up to the town's website and conferencing capabilities. Councilmember Kramer asked if the sound issues would be resolved? Mr. Hoyt said the increased number of speakers would resolve the sound issues as well as a direct broadcast feed to Adelphia. Further, Mr. Hoyt addressed concerns with maintenance, partner information, and software upgrades This item will return to Council for action on August 13th. 6. Downtown Business Development Strategy Marantha Edwards advised Council that the MCA Urban Planning Group is in Leesburg conducting stakeholder interviews as the first element in developing a Downtown Business Development Strategy. They were present to answer any questions. Council member Schmidt asked that the consultants be briefed on the downtown work plan. Ms. Edwards added interviews are planned with the Chairman of the Board of Architectural Review and the Downtown Committee. Mayor Umstattd asked that the South Street area be looked at. She stated the River Walk area of downtown Frederick, Maryland would be a good example to look at. Also, a possible solution for stopping the flooding in two yards adjoining Town Branch is to put a concrete channel in from King Street to Raflo Park. If we fund that kind of project, we should use textured concrete panels similar to those used in Frederick. 7. Downtown Charrette Bob Noe commented that if Council wishes to proceed with the charrette simultaneously with the Downtown Consultant Study; it would be difficult for staff to support both at the same time. Karen Jones on behalf of the Economic Development Commission stated they are excited with the overall process. However, the EDC believes the downtown study will provide goals for the charrette. Therefore, it would be more helpful to have a charrette in the spring. It was the consensus of Council to postpone the charrette until Spring. Mayor Umstattd suggested "the gateways to Leesburg" as a good focal point to pursue for the charrette. 8. Fairview Street Bike Trail Nagi Elsewaissi gave a brief overview of the status of the Fairview Street Bike Trail. He recommended that the trail be constructed according to the current design. Town Council Worksession Minutes for Julv 22. 2002 Paqe 6 He discussed a proposal by residents to reroute the trail behind Normandy Village and a reduction in the trail width from eight feet to six feet. Kaj Dentler, Director of Parks and Recreation, recommended against a new alignment of the trail. Further, a six-foot trail would not accommodate two-way traffic. Councilmember Jackson stated that a narrow trail could cause some liability issues. Mr. Elsewaissi commented that a reduction in the trail width would increase the cost of the project. Mayor Umstattd commented that an eight-foot wide trail is a shock to an older neighborhood. Councilmember Zoldos commended Tom Mason and Nagi Elsewaissi for their excellent job in explaining all of the issues to the residents of Fairview Street at a recent site visit. Councilmember Buttery stated he would abstain from comment on this issue, as he owns property on Fairview Street. It was the consensus of Council to continue with the approved alignment and the eight-foot width of the Fairview Street Trail. 9. Discussion of Council Retreat Mayor Umstattd suggested postponing a Council retreat until the Downtown Business Development Plan and charrette have been completed. Council members Zoldos and Schmidt commented that a retreat could be very helpful if all members attend. It was decided to revisit this issue after the charrette and downtown business development plan have taken place. 10. Preview items for August 12, 2002 Town Council Worksession a. Town Zoning Ordinance revisions - schedule Planning Director, Susan Swift, advised Council a schedule will be provided in August. 11. New Business Citizen Corps Councilmember Zoldos discussed a Citizen Corp that has been established by President Bush. He will be providing information to Council and would ask that it be discussed at a future worksession. Councilmember Zoldos asked for an update on the Old Waterford Road water tank site and whether the special exception has expired. Town Council Worksession Minutes for Julv 22, 2002 Paqe 7 He asked for the proposed date of the Catoctin Circle completion and the northeast street openings are scheduled? The meeting adjourned at 10: 10 p.m. w. (J ~Ld-