APPLICANT

OWNER

Mulkey Engineering & Consultants

Town of Cary

Location:

Map:

Thomas Brooks Park is located south of Green Hope School Road, east of Green Level Church Road, and west of the proposed I-540 expressway, at 100 Brooks Drive.  The Phase Two section of development would be located in the northeast area of the Park.

Development Review Group Recommendation:

Staff recommends approval of the plan with the following conditions:

1.         That the 100’ Thoroughfare Corridor Buffer District (TCBD) be allowed to vary in width, providing the average overall buffer width maintained is 100’;

2.         That the applicant install evergreen plantings within all Thoroughfare Buffer encroachment areas to achieve an opaque screen;

3.         That all Phase Two ball field lighting utilize a glare control package to minimize off-site glare;

4.         That the streetscape adjacent to Green Level Church Road be reforested to its original state;

5.         That an evergreen tree screen be installed along Green Level Church Road ;

6.         That widening of the Parks’ eastern Green Hope School Road frontage be delayed until completion of I-540 across Green Hope School Road; and

7.         That modifications to the riparian buffer area be allowed by utilizing proposed land banking at a 3:1 ratio.

Note that roadway widening along the eastern side of Green Level Church Road is incorporated into this plan.  The ultimate roadway section is to be determined by the Town Council as a part of the Southwest Area Plan.

Planning and Zoning Board Recommendation:

The Planning and Zoning Board voted to approve the plan as recommended by the staff.  The vote also included installing a glare control package on existing ball field lighting within the existing Phase One area of the park.  The vote to approve the plan was 9 to 0.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The applicant, Mulkey Engineers & Associates, representing the Town of Cary , has requested approval of a site plan to construct four new baseball fields, a clubhouse building, a maintenance building, ticket booths, restroom buildings, and associated parking in the northeastern portion of Thomas Brooks Park.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION (Continued)

The Phase Two area of Thomas Brooks Park would be accessed by one drive from Green Hope School Road and by an internal drive connecting the existing Phase One area of development to the proposed Phase Two area of the Park.  The Park contains 149.53 acres and is located at 100 Brooks Park Lane .  The plans propose a 20’ reduction of the two eastern-most ball fields into the 100’ Thoroughfare Corridor Buffer District (TCBD).  The plans also propose to compensate for the reduction by providing additional buffer area at other locations along the eastern side of the Park, thereby providing a TCBD that would average at least 100’ in width.  In addition, the plans include roadway widening along Green Hope School Road at the entrance into the Park and along Green Level Church Road for the length of the Park Frontage.  The Land Development Ordinance (LDO) requires that all TCBD reductions be approved by the Town Council.  The LDO also provides for Town Council consideration on averaging buffer and streetscape widths, provided that the overall average width is equal to the required streetscape/buffer width.  The LDO supports the proposed TCBD reduction proposed in the Phase Two area of Thomas Brooks Park.  The actual area of reduction is 4,839; square feet and this area is being replaced with 5,417 square feet of buffer area.  Additionally, the required landscape screening proposed within the TCBD would be doubled in areas where the TCBD width is less than 100'.  The Council has approved similar buffer reductions for previous site plans when the applicant has provided additional buffer area in excess of the area being disturbed.  Examples of similar past considerations include the RDU Center and the North Cary Water Reclamation Plant.  In addition, the applicant is required to provide the appropriate landscaping to achieve a type “A” opaque buffer.  In this case, the applicant is providing additional buffer area and landscape screening that exceeds Cary ’s opaque buffer standards.

Due to the proposed design of the four fields, relocating the fields out of the TCBD is problematic.  The four fields proposed in phase two could not be moved without encroaching into southern and western riparian buffer areas.  (Grading would have disturbed a significant amount of riparian buffer area south and west of the fields.)  The staff has concluded that there would be less overall impact if the four fields were to remain at the proposed locations.

Progress Energy has also agreed to locate 55’ of a proposed future 70’ wide overhead electrical transmission line easement within the TCBD adjacent to I-540.  At least 15’ of the easement would be located in the proposed I-540 roadway right-of-way, leaving 45’ of the 100’ TCBD available for planting.

PARCEL INFORMATION

Parcel #

Realid #

Area

0734.13-04-9820

0734.01-25-1988

0734.01-15-7421

0734.01-15-7747

0734.01-16-7192

0030959

0310507

0099981

0099980

0099979

126.80 acres

  10.27 acres

    3.40 acres

    4.53 acres

    4.53 acres

Total Park Acreage:

149.53 acres

ZONING AND LAND USE PLAN COMPLIANCE

Current Zoning: Resource/Recreation District (R/R) & Residential-40 District (R-40)

Town Limits: Excluding approximately 22.73 acres located in the northeast area, the Park is inside Cary 's town limits.  An annexation petition has been submitted for the area currently outside Cary ’s town limits, and the property would be annexed prior to construction of the Phase Two area of development.

Land Use Compliance: The Land Use Plan allows for low density residential development and parks.

LANDSCAPE

As previously mentioned, the plans propose a 20’ encroachment of the two eastern-most ball fields into the TCBD.  The actual area of reduction of the TCBD is 4,839 square feet, and this area is being replaced with 5,417 square feet of buffer area.

Additionally, the landscape screening required would be doubled in areas where the TCBD width is less than 100' as follows:

1.   Northeastern signature field:

·   Staggered row of Nellie Steven Holly spaced 8’ on center (15’ -25’ high, 10’-15’ spread)

·   Single row of Magnolia spaced 20’ on center (40’-60’ high, 25’-30’ spread)

·   Hardwood combination of Maple, Oak and Sweet-gum spaced 20’ on center (60’-80’ high, 30’-40’ spread)

2.   Southeastern practice field:

·   Single row of Red Cedar spaced 8’ on center (40’-50’ high, 8’-20’ spread)

·   Double off-set row of Loblolly Pine spaced 10’ to 12’ on center (70’-90’ high, 30’-40’ spread)

·   Double off-set row of Hardwood combination of Maple, Oak and Sweet-gum spaced 20’ on center (60’-80’ high, 30’-40’ spread)

3.   A grouping of 30 Long Leaf Pine is proposed between the two ball fields at 15’-18’ on center (80’-100’ high, 30’-40’ spread)

Tree height and tree spread shown represent plant sizes at maturity.

Normal required plantings would consist of upper-story trees spaced 20’ on center and an under-story evergreen screening hedge of plants spaced 5’ on center and maintained at a minimum height of 6’.

All proposed plantings would be located out of the proposed Progress Energy overhead electrical transmission line easement and in the remaining 45’ of TCBD area.

As required by the Land Development Ordinance, staff has recommended that the western streetscape area along Green Level Church Road be upgraded to a natural forest setting to replace the existing forest removed to construct the Phase One area of development.  The Green Level neighborhood has also requested that an evergreen tree screen be installed along Green Level Church Road .  The evergreen tree screen is needed to help reduce the amount of glare from ball field lighting in the Phase One area of the Park and to help reduce off-site noise from the Park.

BUILDING ELEVATION

Building Height: Clubhouse: 22’, all other buildings: 16’

Building Size: Total building square footage proposed: 23,750 square feet.

Proposed buildings include a Clubhouse building, two ticketing booths, a retail sales storage building, a concessions building, a first aid building, a press box building, two restroom buildings, and a maintenance building.

Building Materials & Colors: Excluding the Clubhouse, which would utilize a patina green standing seam metal roof system, all other buildings would utilize a flat roof.  The flat roof building wall would terminate at the top of the parapet with a cast stone coping.  Dark beige split-faced masonry units would be the primary field material utilized on the exterior walls.  The exterior walls would also contain light beige vertical trim masonry units with light green tinted glass.  All door and window framing would be clear anodized aluminum.  A tensioned cream colored fabric canopy would be located over the seating area at the signature field.

SITE LIGHTING

Interior roadway lighting and general parking area lighting would utilize a standard shoebox 400 watt fixture on a 30’ pole.  The signature ball field would utilize ball field lighting mounted on a pole 120’ to 140’ high.  The three practice fields would utilize lighting that varies in height from 80’ to 90’.  Six lighting locations would be provided for each field, comprising 190 individual lights per field.  Cary ’s Community Appearance regulations require that all ball field lighting utilize a glare control package to minimize off-site glare.

Based on concerns expressed by the Green Level neighborhood regarding off-site glare, staff has recommended that a glare control package be installed on both the existing ball field lighting and the proposed ball field lighting.  Funding does not appear to be available to install a glare control package at the existing fields, and no commitment has been made to install a glare control package at the proposed fields.  Glare control is needed and is recommended by the staff.

Staff Contact:  Bob Benfield, 462-3937, Email:  bob.benfield@townofcary.org

TRAFFIC

A Traffic Impact study was prepared by Town traffic consultant Wilbur Smith Associates and dated October 2003. All intersections studied meet Town of Cary APF standard of levels service “D” or better.

Staff Contact:  Dick Moore, 462-3937, Email:  dick.moore@townofcary.org

ROADWAY DESIGN

Pursuant to the Town’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan, Green Hope School Road is designated to have an ultimate 33’ back-to-back cross section (1 lane in each direction, 14’ wide to accommodate bikes) centered within a minimum 55’ right-of-way.  Half-street improvements from the existing centerline are required along the park frontage.  The park has two +/- 170’ sections of frontage onto Green Hope School Road .  Improvements to the western frontage are proposed to meet the Town’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan requirements and, in addition, to provide enough pavement for a separate left turn lane into the park.  The applicant is requesting Town Council grant a delay of improvements to the eastern Green Hope School Road frontage due to the pending design and construction of I-540.  DOT is in the process of designing I-540 through this area, which will result in Green Hope School Road being straightened as it crosses over the new road.  Based on this information, it is very likely that any improvements done to the Parks’ eastern Green Hope School Road frontage would not remain when I-540 is constructed.  Staff recommends, therefore, delaying improvements to the parks’ eastern frontage until completion of I-540 across Green Hope School Road .

Pursuant to the Town’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan, Green Level Church Road is designated to have an ultimate 102’ back-to-back cross section (3 lanes each direction with a center median and 14’ wide outside lanes to accommodate bikes) centered within a 124’ right-of-way.  Half-street improvements from existing centerline are required along the Park frontage.  Although not yet included with the current plan set, design plans are underway and Green Level Church Road is proposed to be widened to one-half its ultimate section along the Park frontage in conjunction with development of the Phase Two area of the Park.  The improvements to Green Level Church Road are required as part of the Phase Two expansion of the Park and were specified during review and approval of Phase One of the Park.

Staff Contact:  Tammy Spivey, 462-3933, Email:  tammy.spivey@townofcary.org

UTILITIES

This development has access to Cary water and sewer and complies with Town utility policies and standards.

Staff Contact:  Shuyan Tian, 469-4381, Email: shuyan.tian@townofcary.org

STORM WATER

Thomas Brooks Park, PH II (Baseball USA) is located in the Jordan Lake watershed and is addressing the watershed protection ordinance through the low density option (impervious surface less than 24%). The project would address Cary 's nitrogen requirements by producing nitrogen at 2.5 Lb. /Ac. This is less than the allowable 3.6 Lb. /Ac.

Riparian buffers are proposed to be modified as follows:

The plans propose a modification from the riparian buffer requirement of the Town's Stormwater Management Plan for new development (Chapter 7, Part 3.7 of the Land Development Ordinance). The modification includes impacting 0.42 acres of riparian buffer area, and mitigating the riparian buffer loss through the installation of Best Management Practice (Wet Pond) and the creation of 1.31 acres of additional riparian buffer area. The Land Development Ordinance recognizes that there may be instances where the riparian buffer would create undue hardship and allows modifications to be granted. The modifications must be based on documentation of practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships and effects on water quality caused by development within the buffers. The elimination of the 0.42 acre of riparian buffer is based, in part, on the following criteria.

1)  The basic project purpose cannot be practically accomplished in a manner that would better minimize disturbance and protect water quality. Due to topographic constraints and the existing Thomas Brooks Park Complex access roads to this phase of the park could not be accomplished without impacts to the existing riparian buffers.

2)       The use cannot practically be reduced in size or density or redesigned to minimize disturbance and protect water quality. The unique layout of the baseball complex and the amount of surface area the complex requires cannot be reduced in size or redesigned to lessen these riparian buffer impacts.

3)  BMP's will be used if necessary to minimize disturbance and protect water quality. One wet pond has been designed to treat the first one-inch of impervious runoff and remove 85% total suspended solids from the parking area.

4)  Impact to Zone 1 must be minimized to the maximum extent practical. Approximately 0.14 acres of impacts zone 1, which would not otherwise be considered allowable, would be impacted with alignment of the roadway.

5)  Compensatory mitigation must be done on a 1:1 ratio on a square foot basis for any impacts to Zone 1. This mitigation may consist of planting of an un-buffered area or additional planting of a partially buffered area located on-site or nearby. Impacts to zone 1 are being mitigated with the creation of 1.3 acres additional riparian buffer.

6)  The applicant must receive written approval from the Town Manager acknowledging that these conditions have been met before any impacts to the riparian buffer shall occur. The applicant is attempting to receive this permission at this time.

Staff Contact:  Tom Horstman, 469-4347, Email:  tom.horstma@townofcary.org

PROPERTY OWNER NOTIFICATION AND CONCERNS

Adjoining property owners were notified during staff's initial review of this plan.  On February 4, 2004 , staff met with interested neighbors and provided a presentation of the proposed expansion plans for the Park.  Neighborhood concerns applicable to the park expansion included:

• Providing adequate screening to reduce off-site light glare and noise; and
• Ensuring that the storm drainage will be appropriate for the park and the surrounding area.