2 August 12, 2015 Public Hearing

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1 2 August 12, 2015 Public Hearing APPLICANT & PROPERTY OWNER: TRUSTEES OF EASTERN SHORE CHAPEL STAFF PLANNER: Carolyn A.K. Smith REQUEST: Conditional Use Permit for a cemetery ADDRESS / DESCRIPTION: 2020 Laskin Road GPIN: ELECTION DISTRICT: BEACH SITE SIZE: acres AICUZ: Greater than 75 db DNL and APZ-2 BACKGROUND / DETAILS OF PROPOSAL Background The applicant requests a Conditional Use Permit to allow development of this acre site for an expansion of the existing cemetery on the property. The cemetery is associated with the Eastern Shore Chapel that operates under a Conditional Use Permit on the adjacent parcel. The Eastern Shore Chapel and cemetery have been on these properties since Due to the age of the operation, there is no Conditional Use Permit for the existing cemetery. The cemetery is located on what is actually the fourth location of the Eastern Shore Chapel. The first Eastern Shore Chapel was founded in circa 1689 in the Colony of Virginia, a parish to the Church of England. In 1730, the second Eastern Shore Chapel was constructed for approximately 1,000 pounds of tobacco. In 1900, the original cemetery was created on the site of the third Eastern Shore Chapel (1753 to 1952) on land that is now part of NAS Oceana. The cemetery was relocated to its present site in the early 1950s by the U.S. Navy, due to the expansion of the runways at NAS Oceana. There are currently 5,545 grave sites in the existing cemetery. Today, 518 sites are available for sale to church members and to the general public. A columbarium was built with 295 niches, of which 178 are Page 1

2 available for sale. The applicant projects that the inventory of available graves will be exhausted by approximately The proposed cemetery expansion area will add approximately 2,500 new grave sites. According to the applicant, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the grave sites is put into a trust fund, providing funds necessary for the current and future maintenance of the cemetery grounds. Details The cemetery property is nearly 24 acres in size. The proposal is to develop approximately five acres of the primarily wooded portion of the property for an expansion of the cemetery. The submitted layout depicts the expansion as five separate sections with vehicular and pedestrian access ways providing interconnectivity between these sections. Portions of the property are within the Resource Protection Areas of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area; however, no encroachment into this environmentally sensitive portion of the site is proposed. Access for the cemetery is by Laskin Road via Bratten Avenue, a 30-foot wide right-of-way, or Eastern Shore Chapel Road, an existing private driveway. EXISTING LAND USE: Cemetery and columbarium LAND USE AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING: North: Multi-family dwellings, shopping center / A-18 Apartment District, B-2 Community Business District South: Laskin Road Multi-family dwellings / A-12 Apartment District Office, retail / B-2 Community Business District East: Shopping center / B-2 Community Business District West: Freshwater pond Chapel Lake Single family dwellings / R-7.5 Residential District NATURAL RESOURCE AND CULTURAL FEATURES: The property is located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Portions of the site are within the Resource Protection Area, the more stringently regulated portion of the Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area. No land disturbance is proposed within this sensitive area. The existing cemetery is built on a hill that slopes down to Wolfsnare Creek. The property where the cemetery expansion is proposed is heavily wooded. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan identifies this site as being located within the Suburban Area. The general planning principles for the Suburban Area focus on preserving and protecting the overall character, economic value, aesthetic quality of the stable neighborhoods, and reinforcing the suburban characteristics of commercial centers and other non-residential areas that comprise part of the Suburban Area. Means to achieve these goals may include: all land use activities either maintain or enhance the existing neighborhood through compatibility with surroundings; new site layouts and buildings be of high quality and attractive design; plans reflect enhanced mobility and connectivity; designs incorporate environmental responsibility; and effective buffering with respect to type, size, intensity and relationship to the surrounding uses (pp. 3-1, 3-2.). Page 2

3 IMPACT ON CITY SERVICES MASTER TRANSPORTATION PLAN (MTP) / CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP): Laskin Road is a four-lane, major arterial road with an approximate right-of-way width of 150 feet. The MTP depicts a six-lane, major arterial with an ultimate right-of-way width of 165 feet. This site is not within the proposed project limits of CIP (Laskin Road Phase 1), but traffic volume on Laskin Road may be affected by this CIP project. TRAFFIC: Street Name Present Volume Present Capacity Generated Traffic Laskin Road 29,332 ADT 1 27,300 ADT 1 (LOS 4 D ) Existing Land Use 2 25 ADT Proposed Land Use 3 25 ADT 1 Average Daily Trips 2 as defined by existing cemetery 3 as defined by cemetery addition no appreciable change in trip generation is expected 4 LOS = Level of Service WATER & SEWER: This site is currently connected to City water and sewer. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION The nearly five-acre expansion of the cemetery, in Staff s opinion, is an excellent use for this churchowned property. The cemetery is compatible with the surrounding uses and with the Greater than 75 db DNL AICUZ and Accident Potential Zone 2. Traffic Engineering Staff indicates that this expansion will have no appreciable increase in vehicle trips. Based on these facts, Staff recommends approval of this request with the condition below. CONDITION The cemetery expansion, when developed, shall be substantially in conformance with the concept plan entitled, Cemetery Expansion Plan, prepared by Gallup Surveyors & Engineers, Ltd., dated April 29, 2015, which has been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council and is on file in the Planning Department. Page 3

4 NOTE: Further conditions may be required during the administration of applicable City Ordinances and Standards. Any site plan submitted with this application may require revision during detailed site plan review to meet all applicable City Codes and Standards. All applicable permits required by the City Code, including those administered by the Department of Planning / Development Services Center and Department of Planning / Permits and Inspections Division, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, are required before any uses allowed by this Use Permit are valid. The applicant is encouraged to contact and work with the Crime Prevention Office within the Police Department for crime prevention techniques and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concepts and strategies as they pertain to this site. Page 4

5 AERIAL OF SITE LOCATION Page 5

6 PROPOSED SITE LAYOUT Page 6

7 CUP = Conditional Use Permit REZ = Rezoning CRZ = Conditional Rezoning MOD = Modification of Conditions or Proffers NON = Nonconforming Use STC = Street Closure FVR = Floodplain Variance ALT = Alternative Compliance SVR = Subdivision Variance # DATE REQUEST ACTION 1 03/17/2015 CUP (Auto Service Station) Approved 2 08/27/2013 REZ (A-12 to Conditional I-1) Withdrawn 3 05/11/2005 CUP (Bulk Storage) Withdrawn 4 06/08/1999 CUP (Motor Vehicle Sales) Approved 5 03/27/1998 NON (Alterations) Denied 6 08/13/1984 REZ (A-1 to B-2) Approved Page 7

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