60. ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA. County Board Agenda Item Meeting of July 14, DATE: July 13, 2018

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1 ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA County Board Agenda Item Meeting of July 14, 2018 DATE: July 13, 2018 SUBJECT: Request to authorize advertisement of public hearings by the Planning Commission and County Board on a rezoning from S-3A Special District and R-6 One Family Dwelling District to P-S Public Service District for four (4) parcels, RPC numbers , -002, -003 and -004, associated with the property known as The Salt Storage Facility" located on Old Dominion Drive between 25th Road North and 26th Street North for the purpose of providing an interim structure to store and distribute salt during winter weather events. C. M. RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the Resolution to authorize the advertisement of public hearings by the Planning Commission on September 11, 2018 and the County Board on September 22, 2018 to consider a rezoning for four (4) parcels, RPC numbers , -002, -003 and -004, associated with the property known as The Salt Storage Facility located on Old Dominion Drive between 25 th Road North and 26 th Street North from S-3A Special District and R-6 One Family Dwelling District to P-S Public Service District for the purpose of providing an interim structure to store and distribute salt during winter weather events. ISSUES: With a deteriorating salt storage structure that can no longer be repaired after multiple investments over the last 10 years, the County must take immediate steps to provide an interim, temporary facility to store and distribute salt during winter weather events until such time as a new permanent structure can be sited and constructed. The current salt storage facility is located on a County-owned parcel designated Public on the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) and zoned S-3A. This is an existing, non-conforming use as to zoning, and the County recommends rezoning this parcel, along with the adjacent County-owned parcels to the west which are designated Low Residential (1-10 units/acre) on the GLUP and zoned R-6, to P-S to allow for the temporary use and to ensure the possibility that a storage structure could be rebuilt at its current location in the future. Public input on specific siting and configuration of the interim, temporary facility will be sought as described in the public engagement section of this report. County Manager: ##### County Attorney: ***** Staff: Margaret Rhodes, Jennifer Smith, DCPHD Mike Collins, DES 60.

2 SUMMARY: The parcel on which the County currently has its northern salt storage facility has long been used for industrial uses, including railroad and water storage uses. For at least five (5) decades, it has been used for salt storage and operations, and adjacent parcels have been acquired over the years to consolidate them for County use. Arlington County has utilized two (2) sites for salt storage and loading, one (1) in the northern portion of the County at this site and one in the southern portion of the County at the Trades Center since at least the 1960s. These two (2) sites provide efficient geographical coverage across the County to minimize travel time during snow event operations and the use of two (2) sites is critical for truck loading throughput. The current salt tank was deemed unsafe during an inspection in April 2018 after having been mended and repaired for several decades. Department of Environmental Services (DES) staff have met with the Chief Building Official and consulting engineers several times, but have concluded that no viable options exist to extend the life of the current facility. The 26th Street North site accounts for approximately 60% of the County s salt inventory and a similar percentage of vehicle loadings. The loss of this site would result in an estimated 30-40% drop in fleet effectiveness when salt is required for a storm event with an associated increased risk to public safety and delays in opening roads, schools and other facilities. Other impacts of having only one operable site in the County include a high risk of exhausting salt supplies during a storm or series of storms, and greater exposure to loading equipment, personnel, and facility failures. In short, the loss of a north side operational facility would have an immediate and apparent effect upon response time for every storm and would put the County at significant risk of exhausting salt supplies during an event. The County would also have greater risk of inability to re-supply in the event that market demand outstrips regional supply, as has occurred as recently as As a result, the County must take immediate steps to provide an interim, temporary facility to store and distribute salt during winter weather events until such time that a new permanent structure can be sited and constructed. The current salt storage facility is located on a Countyowned parcel designated Public on the GLUP and zoned S-3A. This is an existing nonconforming use as to zoning, and the County recommends rezoning this parcel, along with the adjacent County-owned parcels to the west which are designated Low Residential (1-10 units/acre) on the GLUP and zoned R-6, to P-S Public Service District to allow for this interim, temporary use as a matter of right. The County evaluated multiple options for a location to construct the interim, temporary salt storage facility, including private parcels, VDOT or other municipal partners, and County-owned facilities, including the leaf/mulch operations site on the northern parcel of the 26 th and Old Dominion site. While the leaf/mulch operational area already includes a large paved area, it is critical for leaf collection and processing operations, and is fully occupied from November through February which directly conflicts with the timing of the salt storage operations and need. The adjacent mulch pile, a small area provided for customer convenience and dispersal of recycled yard waste materials, is not large enough to house a temporary structure or allow for operational space. Other options did not prove feasible and meet the timeline needed for operations to commence this year. Salt Dome Rezoning - 2 -

3 An interim, temporary facility must be constructed in time for any snow/winter weather events this fall. There is insufficient time to remove the current salt supply, deconstruct the existing facility and rebuild a temporary facility on the same parcel in time to be active for the FY19 snow season. An expedited process is necessary as ice storms, which rely exclusively on salt, pose the most significant risk and can occur as early as November. This rezoning will facilitate the proposed interim, temporary solution which is expected to be in place for three to four (3-4) years, which allows for the necessary planning, siting, design, and construction of a permanent facility. The proposed interim, temporary facility uses modular concrete blocks as a foundation and has no permanent structural components (see attachments showing preliminary layout and visual example of temporary structure). While the recommended site will need to be graded and an asphalt pad installed for stockpiling, the structure can be easily removed, and the affected portion of the site easily repurposed. This type of structure therefore does not preclude or significantly complicate any future use of the site that may be determined appropriate through a future planning process (see attachments). Staff will begin master planning of the entire site after construction of the interim, temporary facility, with a goal of completing the engagement, visioning, planning, zoning, and construction activities such that the first phase of construction, the permanent salt storage facility, is operational by the fall of 2021 or $2.4M in bond funding was approved in the 2016 referendum as a programmatic estimate for the permanent structure; the total cost of the first phase will be informed by the master planning, which will determine the necessary site improvements and the permanent structure selected. Until that occurs, staff does not recommend changing the GLUP designation for the subject area. In terms of immediate future steps, DES staff will engage the four (4) adjacent civic associations in the coming weeks in advance of any future public hearings on the rezoning. A community engagement and communications plan has been developed the level of engagement is communicate & consult. DES staff will also finalize the engineering plans and obtain the necessary permits to construct the interim, temporary facility. If the County Board authorizes advertisement in July, staff would bring the proposed rezoning to the Planning Commission and County Board in September Because the interim, temporary facility would shift to other County-owned parcels, the Planning Commission would also need to review the proposed location for conformance with the Comprehensive Plan as stipulated by State Code Section This would occur at a time concurrent with the proposed rezoning action. BACKGROUND: Site Details Site Description: The entire 26 th Street North and Old Dominion Drive site is over 7.5 acres in size and is comprised of seven (7) parcels as summarized in the table below. Parcels through -004 are the parcels proposed for rezoning. Together they equate to approximately 89,910 square feet (approximately 2 acres). Salt Dome Rezoning - 3 -

4 RPC Address Zoning Current Use Size (sq. ft.) Old Dominion Dr. S-3A salt storage 41, Old Dominion Dr. R-6 vacant 8, Old Dominion Dr. R-6 vacant 9, th Street North R-6 vacant 28, th Street North R-10 vacant 50, th Street North S-3A Mulch 21, th Street North S-3A mulch and open space 169,309 The four (4) subject parcels are surrounded by the following uses: To the north: County-owned property designated Low Residential (1-10 units/acre) on the GLUP and zoned R-10 One-Family Dwelling District and County-owned property designated Public (Parks. [Local, regional, and federal]. Schools [public]. Parkways, major unpaved rights-of-way. Libraries and cultural facilities.) and zoned S-3A Special District. To the east: Property designated Low Residential (1-10 units/acre) on the GLUP and zoned R-6. To the south: Old Dominion Drive and south of that property designated Low Residential (1-10 units/acre) on the GLUP and zoned R-6. To the west: Property designated Public on the GLUP and zoned S-3A. Zoning: The parcel at the corner of Old Dominion Drive and 25 th Road North (existing salt storage facility location) is designated S-3A Special District, while the other three (3) parcels to the west and fronting on Old Dominion Drive are designated R-6 One-Family Dwelling District, with limited other uses allowed (see Figure 2). Figure 2: Parcels proposed for rezoning from R-6 and S-3A to P-S shown in blue boundary. Salt Dome Rezoning - 4 -

5 General Land Use Plan: The GLUP designates the parcel at the corner of Old Dominion Drive and 25 th Road North as Public [Parks. (Local, regional, and federal). Schools (public). Parkways, major unpaved rights-of-way. Libraries and cultural facilities.]. Compatible zoning districts include S-3A and S-D. The other three (3) parcels are designated Low Residential (1-10 units/acre) (see Figure 1). Compatible zoning districts include R-20, 2-10, R-10T, R-8, R-6 and R-5. All of the County-owned land is shown with the cross-hatch symbol indicating public ownership. Figure 1: County-owned property at 26 th & Old Dominion Drive shown in orange boundary. General Land Use Plan Legend Low Residential Public Semi-Public Note: Cross-hatch designates public ownership Planning and Development History: The subject parcels have been designated as Public and Low Residential (1-10 units/acre) on the GLUP Map since 1964 and 1961 respectively. The County has acquired four parcels over the last several decades to create a contiguous parcel for public use connecting the leaf/mulch parcel on the north with the salt parcel on the south. The three (3) R-6 parcels were purchased by the County in The R-10 parcel between the R-6 parcels and the leaf/mulch storage site (not proposed for re-zoning with this action) was acquired in Site Access: The proposed area for rezoning is bordered by Old Dominion Drive, which is VDOT controlled. Access to the existing salt storage facility occurs from Old Dominion Drive and continued access from this roadway is contemplated for the interim, temporary facility. Salt Dome Rezoning - 5 -

6 Neighborhood: The subject site is located in close proximity to the Old Dominion, Yorktown, Donaldson Run and Rock Spring Civic Associations. DISCUSSION: As stated, the parcels proposed for rezoning to P-S Public Service District are both R-6 and S-3A which includes the existing salt storage facility on the S-3A parcel. R-6 is primarily established to regulate one-family detached residential uses, with limited other uses allowed. The purpose of the S-3A Special District is to encourage the retention of certain properties in a relatively undeveloped state or for public facilities such as schools, libraries and community centers. The salt storage facility is a long-standing, yet non-conforming, use in this location and in order to meet the interim, temporary needs, the zoning must change to accommodate the use. A temporary or conditional approval is not feasible. Unless the existing site can be rebuilt with a facility storing equal to or less than the existing salt capacity and fully comply with all zoning regulations, particularly setbacks, whereby the non-conforming use could continue, a rezoning would be needed to allow the temporary use. As there is insufficient time to deconstruct and reconstruct the temporary facility on the existing site and be ready to meet the upcoming winter needs, staff finds it is not feasible for the facility to remain solely on the existing parcel. As a public district intended to be used for County operations, including yards and maintenance, fire stations, water storage, and wastewater treatment, the P-S District allows for salt storage and other storage as a matter of right. The storage uses are also allowed in industrial zoning districts. The associated GLUP designation for P-S is Government and Community Facilities [County, state and federal administration and service facilities (police, fire, property yard, etc.). Hospitals, nursing homes, and institutional housing. Utilities, military reservations, airports, etc..]. Staff considers the rezoning from S-3A and R-6 to P-S to be appropriate to meet this current need. Staff will continue to refine the placement of the temporary facility over the coming weeks and prepare the necessary documents to consolidate the parcels to facilitate construction. As a future step, the County would undertake a planning process to develop a master plan for the site, at which time the final placement of the salt facility and the future land use and zoning designations would be determined. Therefore, staff does not recommend changing the underlying GLUP designation at this time. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: Department of Environmental Services (DES) staff has developed a public engagement and communications plan to communicate and consult with the community on the need to replace the existing salt storage facility with an interim, temporary structure. Strategies include working closely with the four (4) adjacent civic associations and key stakeholders and conducting a robust online communications campaign in advance of any future public hearings on the rezoning. Walking tours of the site will be held, along with routine updates and posts on NextDoor, to keep the community informed of progress. CONCLUSION: The advertisement of the proposed P-S rezoning of the aforementioned four (4) parcels at the 26 th Street North and Old Dominion site would allow staff to continue to determine the final placement of the interim, temporary salt facility with input from affected stakeholders over the next month. If the rezoning occurs under the projected timeline, this will allow the uninterrupted provision of salt during winter storm emergencies this coming winter, Salt Dome Rezoning - 6 -

7 while the deteriorating existing facility is demolished and a process is established to site and construct a new permanent facility. Therefore, staff recommends that the County Board adopt the resolution to authorize advertisement of the proposed rezoning from S-3A Special District and R-6 One Family Dwelling District to P-S Public Service District. Salt Dome Rezoning - 7 -

8 RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE ADVERTISEMENT OF PUBLIC HEARINGS BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 AND BY THE COUNTY BOARD ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 ON THE FOLLOWING: REZONING TO CHANGE THE DESIGNATION FROM S-3A SPECIAL DISTRICT AND R-6 ONE-FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT TO P-S PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT FOR FOUR (4) PARCELS, RPC NUMBERS , -002, -003 AND -004, ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE SALT STORAGE FACILITY LOCATED ON OLD DOMINION DRIVE BETWEEN 25 TH ROAD NORTH AND 26 TH STREET NORTH. Whereas the County staff has, pursuant to County policy, studied the property, the County s planning policies and goals, and relevant Zoning that apply to the subject property and surrounding area; and Whereas the proposed rezoning would allow for the storage and distribution of salt to respond to winter weather emergencies to enhance the safety and welfare of County residents; and Whereas the County Board of Arlington desires to consider whether the subject rezoning is appropriate for the Property. Therefore, the County Board of Arlington hereby resolves to authorize advertisement of public hearings on the following: 1. Rezoning to change the designation from S-3A Special District and R-6 One-Family Dwelling District to P-S Public Service District for four (4) parcels, RPC numbers , -002, -003 and -004, associated with the property known as The Salt Storage Facility located on Old Dominion Drive between 25 th Road North and 26 th Street North. Salt Dome Rezoning - 8 -

9 1 JU LY R-8 S-3A 4763 S-3A 26TH ST N 4714 R-10 From: R-6 To: P-S R R OLD DOMINION DR TH RD N R S-3A N GLEBE RD R-6 From: S-3A To: P-S TH ST N REQUEST TO ADVERTISE ON THE COUNTY BOARD'S OWN MOTION Salt Storage Facility, 26th Street North and Old Dominion Drive RPC # , -002, -003, -004 I Areas to be rezoned from "R-6" to "P-S," and from "S-3A" to "P-S" Map prepared by Arlington County, Va. GIS Mapping Center, July 2018 Map Scale 1" = 100'

10 N ST 26 TH 144' 85' X 120' LD O 50' M DO N IO IN DR 25' H 25T RD N BE LE NG / RD Aerial Photography March 2017 Commonwealth of Virginia Map prepared by Arlington County GIS Mapping Center Produced and July 2018 TH 25 ST N

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