Town of Cary , North Carolina
Development Plan Staff Report
09-SP-022 – College Park Baptist Church
Town Council Meeting
March 23, 2010

REQUEST
The applicant has requested Town Council consideration of a site plan for development of a 5,600 square-foot church on a 4.3 acre parcel located at the intersection of Twyla Road with Green Hope School Road. This request is accompanied by a request for a special use permit to allow establishment of a religious assembly use on a residentially-zoned parcel less than 20 acres in size as required by Section 5.2.2(E) of the Land Development Ordinance.

Location: 910 Twyla Road; northeast quadrant of the intersection of Green Hope School Road with Twyla Road

Within Town Limits: No; this application is accompanied by an annexation petition (10-A-02)

Within ETJ: Yes

Proposed Use: Religious Assembly

Associated Applications: 09-SU-003 – Request to allow religious assembly on a residentially-zoned property of less than 20 acres; 10-A-02 – Voluntary annexation petition

SUBJECT PARCEL

SCHEDULE

Town Council Action: March 23, 2010

contact Information

Applicant/Agent
Tim Stall
Site Technologies, Inc.
P.O. Box 1612
Oxford, NC 27565
(919) 693-2927
tastall@earthlink.net

Staff Contact
Kevin A. Hales, Senior Planner
Town of Cary Planning Department
316 North Academy Street
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 462-3944
kevin.hales@townofcary.org

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant is proposing to construct a 5,600-square-foot church on property located in the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Twyla Road with Green Hope School Road. The existing single-family detached dwelling is proposed to be retained and utilized as offices for the church. The parking lot would be located adjacent to the intersection and would be screened, in part, by a bio-retention area being utilized to treat a portion of the site’s stormwater. The plan also includes an area for future expansion of the church that would bring the total square footage on the site to approximately 10,500 square feet.

SITE DATA

Land Use Plan Designation: Very Low Density Residential (VLDR)
Zoning District: Residential 40 (R-40)
Zoning Overlay District: Jordan Lake Watershed Protection Overlay
Existing Land Use: A Single-family Detached Dwelling and Agricultural uses

Surrounding Land Uses:
North - Single-family detached residential dwellings
South - Single-family detached residential dwellings and agricultural uses
East - Single-family detached residential dwellings
West - Single-family detached residential dwellings

Streams: According to the Town of Cary’s GIS maps, there are no streams located either on or in the immediate vicinity of the property.

Floodplain: According to the Town of Cary’s GIS maps, there is no floodplain or flood hazard area either on or in the immediate vicinity of the property.

Wetlands: According to the applicant’s site plan, there are no wetlands located on the property.

Topography: The property elevation varies 10 to 15 feet from either end to the center of the parcel.

Consistency with the comprehensive plan

Southwest Area Plan
The subject parcel is located within the boundary of the Town of Cary’s Southwest Area Plan and its land use designation is Very Low Density Residential (VLDR). This land use category is reserved for single-family detached residential dwellings having lot sizes of at least two to three acres. Institutional uses such as churches, schools, libraries, and daycare facilities that are compatible and complementary to the surrounding neighborhood may be considered. The parcel is also covered by Note 19 of the Southwest Area Plan, which states that the Twyla Road residents may wish to revisit this land use designation upon construction of the proposed I-540 interchange at Morrisville Parkway Extension.

Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Facility Master Plan
According to the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Master Plan, there are no issues related to this site.

Growth Management Plan
The Growth Management Plan contains the following Guiding Principles related to this project:

1. R1 Guiding Principle: Ensure that adequate infrastructure and services are available concurrently with new development.
2. Q1 Guiding Principle: Continue Cary’s leadership role in quality growth and development.
   
   

Affordable Housing Plan
The Affordable Housing Plan is not applicable to this request.

Comprehensive Transportation Plan

Green Hope School Road is designated as a Thoroughfare
Existing Section: 2-lane major thoroughfare within approximately 60 feet of right-of-way
Future Section: 3-lane major thoroughfare within 70 feet of right-of-way; a waiver was granted by the Town Council not to require curb & gutter.
Sidewalks: Required on both sides
Bicycle Lanes: 14-foot-wide outside lanes
Transit: No transit planned along this corridor
Status of Planned Improvements: No improvements are currently scheduled by the Town.

Twyla Road is classified as a Local road
Existing Section: 2-lane shoulder section within approximately 50 feet of right-of-way
Future Section: 2-lane shoulder section within 50 feet of right-of-way; a waiver was granted by
the Town Council not to require widening or curb & gutter.
Sidewalks: Required on one side
Bicycle Lanes: None required
Transit: No transit planned along this corridor
Status of Planned Improvements: No improvements are currently scheduled by the Town.
Note however, that the Turnpike Authority will slightly relocate the intersection of Twyla Road and Green Hope School Road with the Western Wake Freeway project.

Open Space and Historic Resources Plan
There are no significant natural or historic resources identified on this parcel in the Open Space and Historic Resources Plan.

Overall Staff Analysis
This site plan is generally consistent with the Town of Cary Comprehensive Plan.

CONSISTENCY WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE (LDO)

Traffic
Using the ITE trip generation rate for church uses (code 560), an 8,497-square-foot church would generate approximately five AM and five PM peak hour trips. This does not exceed the LDO threshold of 50 peak-hour trips; therefore, a traffic study is not required for this development plan.

Open Space
The development plan does not propose providing additional protected open space beyond the areas required by the LDO.

Buffers and Streetscapes
The proposed plan provides the buffers and streetscapes required by the LDO. A 40-foot Type A (opaque) buffer would be provided along the northern and the eastern property lines adjacent to single-family residential properties. The streetscapes along Green Hope School Road and Twyla Road would be 30 feet wide.

Architectural
The proposed structure would be two stories in height and would utilize a pitched, metal roof. The façades would be predominantly red brick and would be accented by brown brick and white EIFS. The proposed building complies with the Architectural Design standards of the Town of Cary.

CONSISTENCY WITH THE CARY DESIGN GUIDELINES

Create Human Scale
The proposed building façades would incorporate architectural elements scaled to 12 inches or less to reinforce the human scale of the building. The parking lot would contain islands planted with upper-story trees and with many of the existing trees retained to create a canopy providing shade and human scale on the site.

Create a Sense of Place
The proposed church would establish a presence at the intersection and would provide a sense of place for the community. The existing building is proposed to be retained, creating a connection between the new development and the existing character of the community.

Connect Uses
The surrounding rural development patterns are not conducive to creating pedestrian connections between the proposed institutional use and the surrounding residential properties. Sidewalk would be provided along the northern side of Green Hope School Road to provide safer pedestrian mobility along the thoroughfare corridor. Pedestrian connections would also be provided to bring pedestrians into the site from the public sidewalk along the road.

Provide Transitions
The proposed church would require the establishment of a 40-foot Type A (opaque) buffer along the northern and the eastern property lines. The design of the proposed building also contributes to a transition between the residential neighborhood and the institutional use through the incorporation of residential building elements, such as a pitched roof.

Reduce Parking Impacts
The proposed parking lot would be located to the side of the building adjacent to Twyla Road. The parking lot would contain planted islands to break up the mass of the parking and to reduce the visual impacts of the parking lot.

Plan for Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and Transit Users
The proposed plan would provide sidewalk along the northern side of Green Hope School Road with no improvements along Twyla Road. The Comprehensive Transportation Plan indicates 14-foot-wide outside lanes for cyclists on Green Hope School Road. There are neither pedestrian nor bicycle requirements on Twyla Road. There are currently no plans for transit service along this corridor.

Provide Open Space
The proposed development plan would provide perimeter buffers and streetscapes required by the LDO. No additional protected open space would be provided; however, the eastern portion of the site is not currently proposed for development.

APPROVAL CRITERIA FOR SITE AND/OR SUBDIVISION PLANS
Section 3.9.2(I) of the LDO establishes criteria that must be considered in reviewing Site and/or Subdivision Plans:

1. The plan is consistent with Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives.

2. The plan complies with all applicable requirements of this Ordinance, including the development and design standards of Chapters 7 and 8 as well as the dedication and improvements provisions of Chapter 8 (Note: Plans within Planned Developments may be subject to different requirements based on approval).

3. The plan adequately protects other property, or residential uses located on the same property, from the potential adverse effects of the proposed development;

4. The plan provides harmony and unity with the development of nearby properties;

5. The plan provides safe conditions for pedestrians or motorists and prevents a dangerous arrangement of pedestrian and vehicular ways; and

6. The plan provides safe ingress and egress for emergency services to the site.

Staff Recommendation
Staff feels that the proposed development plan is consistent with the land use designation on the parcel and that it would complement the existing development pattern in the area. The church building would be consistent with the architectural design standards and the site would comply with the requirements of the LDO. Staff recommends approval of the plan as proposed.