Town of Cary, North Carolina

Mixed Use Sketch Plan Staff Report to the Planning and Zoning Board

07-MU-010 Alston Ridge Elementary School Mixed Use Sketch Plan

Request

The applicant is requesting Town Council approve an amendment to a previously approved mixed use sketch plan to allow an elementary school use on approximately 18.99 acres (subject site) located in the southwest corner of the intersection of Alston Avenue and Kit Creek Road, and within the Village at the Park Neighborhood Mixed Use Overlay District.

The purpose of the Mixed Use Overlay District is to enable the development of lands in areas designated as mixed use centers on the Land Use Plan Map in accordance with the guidance of Comprehensive Plan and individual mixed use sketch plans. It is intended to promote higher-density, mixed-use developments of varying sizes, as an alternative to lower-density separate-use suburban sprawl-type development.

Mixed use sketch plans are conceptual documents that address the general density, mix of uses, and development patterns within a mixed use center. They are less detailed than the site plans required for full site plan review. The intent is to provide sufficient information to determine consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and the Town’s Design Guidelines. Specific development issues must be addressed for compliance with existing requirements specified in the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) when the site plan is submitted.  All such requirements can be found at http:vic.townofcary.org.

Background Information

Changes Since the Town Council Public Hearing

The applicant has added the extension of Kit Creek Road along the northern boundary of their property. An access driveway has been provided off of Kit Creek Road to replace the previously proposed driveway off of Alston Avenue. This change was recommended by both Town Staff and the Department of Transportation. Traffic flow within the site has also been changed to accommodate direction given to the applicant from the Department of Transportation.

Changes Since the Planning & Zoning Board Meeting

The following notes were added to the mixed-use sketch plan:

1.       The conceptual portion of this Mixed-Use Sketch Plan, including but not limited to proposed uses, are required to comply with all applicable sections of the Land Development Ordinance.

2.       The Wake County Public School System will be responsible for the design and construction of all of the following identified road improvements prior to a CO being issued unless other agreements with the Town are made prior to that time. Construction plans for these improvements will be submitted prior to obtaining a building permit or the Wake County Public School system will provide some assurance to the Town as to the fact that the plans will be submitted in a timeframe that would allow ample review by the Town and ample construction time to ensure that the improvements are in place prior to a request for CO.  The road improvements are as follows:

·         Install appropriate length left and right turn lanes on Alston Avenue at the site driveway. 

·         Widen Alston Avenue to the CTP requirements.

·         Realign Wake Road to form the fourth leg of the existing Alston Avenue/Kit Creek Road intersection along the school’s northern property boundary.  The property owner to the north has verbally agreed to dedicate the necessary right-of-way for the westward extension of Kit Creek Road.  With this right-of-way dedicated, the school would be required to construct 2 lanes of the ultimate 4 lane median divided roadway. 

·         A signal warrant analysis should be performed at the intersection of Kit Creek and Alston Avenue.  This is identified in the PDD.  The signal should be installed when warranted.”

A note was changed to accurately reflect the draft transportation plan.  A note was added to state that the alignment just below where the new Kit Creek Road would be located is shown conceptually, but it has to be designed to meet engineering standards.

Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan

A. Land Use Plan: 
This mixed-use sketch plan request conforms to the adopted Land Use Plan.  The parcel in question is located within a Neighborhood Mixed Use Center.  According to Section 6.2.2 of the Land Use Element, “a Neighborhood Activity Center (now call Mixed Use Center) should provide the commercial and institutional uses necessary to support the common day-to-day demands of the surrounding neighborhood for goods, services and facilities”.  An elementary school is one of the basic neighborhood institutional needs and thus appropriate for location within a Neighborhood Mixed Use Center.  Further, public school sites are in short supply within Wake County and the Town of Cary supports the County’s effort to identify appropriate sites for schools. 

The subject property was approved as part of the Village at the Park Activity Center Concept plan with a proposed use for 151 residential units. The opportunity cost that would be lost with this change is the reduction of the approved 151 residential units.  However, there remain over 700 residential units either built or planned for this mixed use center.  The Land Use Plan suggests a minimum of 1 residential unit for each 1000 sf of non-residential floor space in Neighborhood Mixed Use Centers.  The existing ratio of residential units to non-residential floor-space is in excess of 8 units per 1000 sf.  With the proposed change and the addition of floor space of the proposed school added to the non-residential floor area the ratio will become 3.3 residences per 1000 sf of non-residential floor area.  This is still in conformance with the guidelines of the Land Use Plan. 

B.  Growth Management Plan: 
The Growth Management Plan includes the following Guiding Principle which is relevant to this case: 

1.       R1 Guiding Principle: Ensure that adequate infrastructure and services are available concurrently with new development.

C. Affordable Housing Plan

Affordable Housing is not a requirement of this project.

D. Transportation

Alston Avenue
Existing Section:  Two (2) Lanes

Future Section:  Four (4) lane median divided

Road Improvements:  None Scheduled

Sidewalks Requirements: both sides

Bicycle Requirements: wide outside lanes

Transit Requirements: None

Traffic Analysis: A traffic study (07-TAR-258) was conducted by HNTB.  The study evaluated an elementary school building to accommodate 810 students and 50 faculty/staff.  The build out year is 2009. 

The following are preliminary recommendations from the study for this development:

• Conduct a signal warrant analysis at the intersection of Kit Creek Road and Louis Stephens Drive.  Pending the results of the warrant analysis, a signal installation may be required. (This location is outside of the Town’s Planning Area and thus the improvement is not required in order to obtain a Certificate of Adequate Public Facilities for Roads.)
• Conduct a signal warrant analysis at the intersection of Alston Avenue and NC 55.  Pending the results of the warrant analysis, a signal installation may be required. (This location is outside of the Town’s Planning Area and thus the improvement is not required in order to obtain a Certificate of Adequate Public Facilities for Roads.)
• Realign Wake Road to form the fourth leg of the existing Alston Avenue/Kit Creek Road intersection (also identified under the Village at the Park TAR).
• Install 200 ft NB left turn lanes on Alston Avenue at each of the site driveways (bus and car entrances).  Coordination should take place with DOT’s Municipal and School Transportation Assistance Group to ensure adequate on-site storage for school related traffic.
• Widen SB NC 55 to 3 thru lanes from Alston Avenue through O’Kelly Chapel Road. (NOTE:  CLH Design, on behalf of the Wake County School System has request that the Town participate financially in this improvement under the provisions identified in Section 3.23.5 (C)(3).)

These recommendations are based on staff comments from a draft study, and the TOC reserves the right to adjust these recommendations upon additional review.

PDD Conditions: 

• A signal warrant analysis should be performed at the intersection of Kit Creek and Alston Avenue.  This is identified in the PDD.  The signal should be installed when warranted.
• Kit Creek Road is required to be a 4 lane median divided roadway per the Town’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan.  The PDD document shows that the school parcel is responsible for completing the remaining two lanes and median of the ultimate 4 lane median divided roadway between NC 55 and Alston Avenue.  West of Alston Avenue, the schools’ northern property line and the southern right-of-way line for the Kit Creek Road extension are very close to being one-in-the-same (detailed design has not yet been done to confirm the exact location of the right-of-way line).  The property owner to the north has verbally agreed to dedicate the necessary right-of-way for the westward extension of Kit Creek Road.  With this right-of-way dedicated, the school would be required to construct 2 lanes of the ultimate 4 lane median divided roadway.  Staff also feels this westward extension is needed to ensure safe operation for the bus loop, as the bus loop access could then be full service onto the Kit Creek Road extension instead of a right-in/right-out access onto Alston Avenue.

E.  Parks & Greenways:  Greenways Map
According to the approved Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan, a 10’ wide public greenway trail is proposed along the west side of Alston Avenue.  According to the Open Space and Historic Resources Plan (OSHRP) this site was not designated as priority open space.

F.  Environmental:  
According to the Town of Cary GIS maps, there is a 100’ stream buffer located along the western boundary of this lot. The project will be required to comply with all buffer requirements of the Land Development Ordinance during the site plan approval process.

G.  Buffers: 
According to the previously approved Village at the Park PDD Plan, the applicant is required to provide a 25’ Type “B” Buffer along the southern boundary of the lot, which is indicated on the plan. The western boundary of the property is bordering an Urban Transitional Buffer.

H. Streetscape: 
According to the previously approved Village at the Park PDD plan, the applicant will be required to provide a 30’ Type “C” buffer along Alston Avenue and the future extension of Kit Creek Road. The LDO requires a 30’ streetscape buffer along the Kit Creek Road extension. The 1,340-feet of frontage along Alston Avenue will have a 30’ streetscape buffer for the majority of its length, however a 300-foot section of this frontage will have the streetscape buffer reduced to as much as 12-feet. The proposed streetscape buffers along Alston Avenue and Kit Creek Road meet the Type-C planting standard required by the Land Development Ordinance.

Consistency with the Land Development Ordinance

The proposed project is in the Mixed-Use Sketch Plan stage and therefore preliminary engineering of the site has not been provided to staff for review. Prior to site plan or subdivision plan approval, the application will be required to demonstrate consistency with the Land Development Ordinance with respect to specific development requirements, such as access, stormwater management, road improvements, utility line placement, road connectivity and landscape plantings.

Base Zoning and MUSP Comparison:

Staff Observations on the Mixed Use Sketch Plan

Staff has reviewed this proposal in regard to various Town plans and requirements and makes the following observations:

Consistency with the Adopted Land Use Plan & Density

The subject site is located within the previously approved Village at the Park Mixed Use Center. This mixed use center is designated as a Neighborhood Center. To date, 160,090 square feet of commercial uses and 360,268 square feet of office uses have been developed in the Village at the Park Mixed Use Center.

The parcel in this Mixed-Use Sketch Plan is part of the Village at the Park Activity Center Concept Plan. In the overall Village at the Park Activity Center Concept Plan, this property was designated for 151 townhouses. The current MUSP amendment proposes one elementary school building totaling 104,584 square feet.

Pedestrian Connectivity

Pedestrian connectivity is shown on the plan with sidewalks provided along Alston Avenue and Kit Creek Road, as well as internally to the site. Pedestrian accommodations need to be re-evaluated.  The current plan shows that the students will have to walk essentially past the school, down the bus entrance/exit, cross at a location where there is no control of right of way (crosswalks are not allowed here).

Planning & Zoning Board Recommendation

The Planning & Zoning Board voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the Mixed Use Sketch Plan with the addition of the aforementioned notes.

Staff Recommendation

Staff’s evaluation of the request found the proposal to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Overall, the sketch plan meets the Town’s design guidelines for mixed use centers. Staff recommends approval of the plan.

Town Council Criteria for Consideration in Reviewing Mixed Use Sketch Plans:

Proposed mixed use sketch plans shall be reviewed for compliance with the following approval criteria where deemed appropriate (i.e., it may not be practical for some existing or partially-built mixed use district to achieve certain design standards).

Section 4.4.2 (J) of the Land Development Ordinance sets forth the following criteria that the Town Council should consider in reviewing mixed use sketch plans.

(1)        The mixed use sketch plan has been prepared consistent with the requirements of this Section and the Land Use Plan;

(2)        The mixed use sketch plans includes an appropriate mix of land uses for   

            the overall activity center, including residential, commercial, office, and institutional uses;

(3)        The mixed use sketch plans will meet or exceed Town design guidelines and other established Town standards;

(4)        The mixed use sketch plans includes medium- and higher-density housing;

(5)        The mixed use sketch plans includes some formal outdoor space for public use, such as a park, village green, or plaza; larger mixed use centers should include more such space than smaller centers; and

(6)        The mixed use sketch plans demonstrates that there has been participation by residents, property owners in the surrounding neighborhoods, and the Town, so that the proposed development responds specially to the unique conditions of the area.

Other Reference Information

Applicant’s Justification Statement Submitted (11/08/2007)

The following statements are provided by the applicant (shown below in italics) in response to the criteria established in the application and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Town of Cary.  Any statements as to the type, quality or physical features are at the direction of the applicant and may be formulated into a condition:

This application is for the E-30, Alston Avenue Elementary School, a 104,000 SF school designed to serve approximately 800 students. The school is projected to open in the summer of 2009 and is to serve the current and projected growth in this area of northwest Cary. This year round school will provide 51 much needed teaching spaces to serve the numerous existing and proposed Planned Development Districts in this area. The school property is currently part of the Village at the Park PDD and was previously designated for townhouses on the area’s Mixed Use Sketch Plan. The new MUSP provided with this application demonstrates how the school fits in with the projected surrounding land uses.

As an activity center, the elementary school fits with the surrounding land uses and community activities. All landscaping will meet the Town of Cary and PDD requirements so that the school fits into the surrounding aesthetics and is not a detriment to any of the surrounding neighbors. All property lines are buffered per the Town’s standards and additional buffering has been added to the rear of the property as well. The school is not asking for any reductions in buffers or other LDO requirements.

Per Cary Northwest Area Plan, projected growth has identified the need for such an elementary school in this area to meet the growth demands faced by Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). The school will be located on Alston Avenue, which will be widened and improved as a part of this project to include two left turn lanes into the school site for parents and buses, as well as a multi-use path along the Alston Avenue frontage. The school adds to the community resources available in this area and is a complimentary use within surrounding neighborhood.