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Home My Public Portal About2012_tcwsmin0326Council Work Session March 26, 2012 Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street,7:35 p.m. Mayor Kristen C. Umstattd presiding. Council Members Present: David S. Butler, Thomas Dunn, Katie Sheldon Hammler, Marty Martinez, C. Terry Titus, Kevin Wright, and Mayor Umstattd. Council Members Absent: None. Staff Present: Town Manager John Wells, Town Attorney Jeanette Irby, Director of Planning and Zoning Susan Berry Hill, Economic Development Manager Marantha Edwards, Director of Public Works Tom Mason, Director of Plan Review Bill Ackman, Zoning Administrator Chris Murphy and Clerk of Council Lee Ann Green AGENDA ITEMS 1. Work Session Items for Discussion a. Form Based Code Direction Susan Berry Hill gave a presentation outlining the three options under consideration. Summary of Key Points: • Form based code as previously approved is embedded into the zoning ordinance with a regulating plan • Council Member Dunn's option that includes some form based code provisions and expands them beyond the crescent district into other areas of the town • These provisions include site design, building design and streetscape • Hybrid alternative puts those three provisions into the zoning ordinance but does not include a regulating plan • Road designations are controlled through the comprehensive plan in the hybrid approach • Council objectives include: • Traditional development form • Architectural control as part of the zoning ordinance, not the legislative process • Mix of residential and non - residential uses • Mindful of existing businesses • Increase development opportunities for property owners Alternative must be legally defensible Must minimize infrastructure cost to the town • Phases of alternative approach (hybrid) are: • Focus on a phase I area (crescent form based district area) • Amend the Comp plan to include revisions to the road network • Phase II would include expansion into other areas of the B -2 • First step would include looking at building envelope • Second step would look at design l�Pa,,e Council Work Session March 26, 2012 • Streetscape plans • Road reservations requested at site plan stage • Incentives encourage road reservations/ infrastructure • Parking incentives • Reduced or eliminated buffering and screening • Process would be administrative rather than legislative • Time line • Key provisions would be developed through April /May • Staff return in June with updates /for guidance • Public input in September • Planning Commission on September 6 • Council public hearing early in October • Final action on October 23 Council Comments/ Questions: • Support for including the entire original Crescent district • Keep Planning Commission and Steering Committee closely involved • Form based development promotes economic value • Impact of eminent domain amendment is lessened by the removal of the regulating map, which would make it more prescriptive • Process needs to be legislative, not administrative • Incentives are not large enough • Basic level is design features that can be used throughout town and would not need incentives • What are the incentives that can be offered? Staff answer: Reduced parking requirements, additional height and density • Currently design can be influenced through the legislative process • Proposed phasing works against form based code • Start with design of buildings and move towards streetscape • Tools to achieve this can be found in the state code • Greenfield development will most likely be proffered rezoning and have design guidance from the town plan. • Better design controls are needed for the H -2 Overlay District • Council needs to decide what it wants and make a decision • Alternate plan has significant cost to the taxpayer • Increased density will put strain on utilities • There is a difference between being business friendly and being developer friendly • Moving from a legislative to an administrative process cuts out the public Staff Comments: • Form based code is the implementation of the Crescent District Master Plan • Form based code does not contain design guidelines, rather design elements that must be included 21Page Council Work Session March 26, 2012 b. Dulles Rail — Resolution of Support Summary of Key points: • County will make a decision whether to participate this summer • State has committed to participate • Gas tax money that goes to Loudoun will be used for participation • The town's portion of gas tax money is about $1 million yearly Council Comments: • Economic benefits may outweigh lost gas tax revenues • Dulles Airport wants the rail to continue into Loudoun • Loss of gas tax money does not affect operations, only capital projects • Will the extension of rail make bus unnecessary? 2. Additions to Future Council Meetings Council Member Hammler: • Timing of light at Battlefield and Rt. 15 • Arts and Cultural District action at the Board of Supervisors • Design Issues in industrial districts Council Member Dunn • Sale of water to Raspberry Falls 3. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 9:33 p.m. Clerk ofA6o 2012 tcwsmin0326 3 1Panc