HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.0 Staff Report 06.08.09Exhibits - Text Amendment - Chevron - TXA2109 Public Hearing (618109)
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Proof of Publication
Staff Memorandum
Garfield Plan of 2000
ffill of the Garfield c@e Department, dated
BOCC 6/8/2009
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PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS
REQUEST:
APPLICANT (OWNERS):
REPRESENTATIVE:
AmendthetextofSection3-So2oftheUnifiedLand
Use Resolution of 2008, as amended, regarding
"JJing
the use of ,,lnclementweatherVehicle Safety
Area I 4 acres in size" as an Administrative Permit
and "lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Arga >i
acres in Size,,as a Limited lmpact Review in Article 3-
SOZ *itf in the Resource Land - Gentle Slopes (RL-
GS) Zone District.
Chevron USA lnc.
Tim DobranskY, Olsson Associates
I. BACKGROUND
The Appricant, chevron USA rnc., is a randowner in Garfierd county with significant land
hordingsnorthof theTownof Debequeoff countyRoad 204and2ll.overthepastwinter
season, chevron had worked with'the Garfield count Road and Bridge Department to
create a roadside prrr or for service vehicles operating in the natural gas extraction
activities on chevron,s property. The-puipor" of ine puri-off is to.create a safe area for
trucks and other service vehicres to puri oui of the traveiing ranes to install chains and other
necessary inclement weather gear'
onMay2T,2oogthePlanningCommissionrecommendedbyav-oteof4-0thattheBoCC
,pprouL this text amenOmeni*itn the changes proposed by Staff'
II. REQUEST
The Applicant ls requesting a text amendment to make it possible to submit for a Land Use
Change permit to tonstr,ict a pull-off area for vehicles in the Resource Land - Gentle
Sropes zone districi outside of barrieto county or cDor right-of-way. To accomplish this
end, the Applicant is proposing to Oividethe irocessing in[o two cltegories: one under 4
acres in size which would be revieweJ and permitted through the General Administrative
permit procedurei and another which is over 4 acres in size which wourd be reviewed and
permitted through a Limited lmpact Review Permit. ln addition, the Applicant is proposing to
add two definitions of the proposed use within Articre XVr. More specifically, the Applicant is
pioposing the following amendments and additions'
Amend the text of section 3-502 0f the Unified Land Use Resorution of 2008, as amended,
ilt.
to add the use of "lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area < 4 acres in size" as an
Administrative permit and "lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area >4 acres in size" as a
Limited lmpact Review in Article 3-502 within the Resource Land - Gentle Slopes (RL-GS)
Zone District.
To Add: The definition of "lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area < 4 acres in size" within
Article 16-101 as "An area outside of the public right-of-way less than four (4) acres in size
utilized for vehicle preparation in the event of inclement weather. The area may be used for
the application of snow-chains/mud-chains, equipment inspections and other vehicle safety
related activities. No long-term parking, loading/unloading of equipment or material, storage
or staging shall be allowLd within the lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area."
To Add: The definition of "lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area > 4 acres in size" within
Article 16-101 as "An area outside of the public right-of-way greater than four (4) acres in
size utilized for vehicle preparation in the event of inclement weather. The area may be
used for the application of snow-chains/mud-chains, equipment inspections and other
vehicle safety related activities. No longterm parking, loading/unloading of equipm_ent or
material, stoiage or staging shall be allowed within the lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety
Area."
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LAND USE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Garfield County will encourage the development of a diversified industrial base for the
County which recognizes the human resources, natural resources and physical location-
to-maiket capabilit'res of the community, and which further recognizes and addresses the
social and environmental impacts of industrial uses.
To ensure that commercial and industrial development are compatible with adjacent land
uses and mitigate impacts identified during the plan review process
Encourage the location of industrial development in areas where visual, noise, air quality
and infrastructure impacts are reduced.
Ensure that Zoning Regulations addressing Commercial and lndustrial uses reflect the
changing land use-patterns and demographics of the County and encourage the further
diversification of the County economy'
Ensure a commercial and industrial development policy that is environmentally sound
and acceptable to County residents and policy makers.
proposed commercial and industrial development will direct traffic to roadways capable
of handling projected traffic Sections.
The projecl reui"w process will include a preliminary assessment of the projected traffic
impact associated with all commercial and industrial projects.
Staff review of proposed commercial and industrial development will include a
determination of the potential impacts of the project on the local transportation system.
Specific issues to be addressed include the following
o Traffic generated based on lnstitute of Traffic Engineering (lTE) rates;
o Existing traffic counts on adjacent roadways;
o The appropriateness of proposed access points;
o The compatibility with existing and future traffic on the affected roadways.
' Ensure the compatibility of development proposals with existing farms and ranches.
' Ensure that active agricultural uses are buffered from higher-intensity adjacent uses.
IV. CONSISTANCY WITH EXISTING COUNTY REGUMTIONS
As a proposed Land Use Change Permit, each "lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area',,
whether it is over or less than 4 acres in size will need to demonstrate conformance with the
standards outlined in Article Vll, Division I and Division ll. These standards are required for all
Land Use Change Permits and encompass a broad range of impacts including, bui not limitedto, Access and Roadways, Agricultural Land, Wildlife Habitat Areas, Weflands and
Waterbodies, Water Quality standards, Erosion and Sedimentation, Drainage, Stormwater Run-Of[, Air Quality, Wildfire Hazards, Natural Hazards and Geolo gic Hazirds, Archeological,
Paleontological and Historical lmportance as well as Reclamation.
V. STAFF COMMENTS
At present, the Land Use Resolution of 2008 does not allow this use as contemplated by theApplicant. The use for an "lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area" is only requested in tne
Resource Land - Gentle Slopes zone district. As a practical matter, Staff feels that this is the
most logical zone district for this kind of use and does not foresee a pressing need for the use
in any other zone district. More specifically, as the use is necessitated by thl development of
natural gas resources in higher elevations of the Resource Lands Zone tjistrict, the need for afacility to provide a safe location for vehicles to prepare to ascend to the Plateau is on theGentle Slopes. Similarly, the facility will provide these same benefits to vehicles which need to
remove the equipment before entering the county road network.
ln order to better clarify the definition, Staff recommends the following changes:
"lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area < 4 aeres four (4) acres orless in size" within Article16.101aS,.Anareaoutsideofthepublicright-of-way@in_s+zefour(4)
acres orless in size utilized for vehicle preparation in the event of inclement weather. The area
may be used for the application of snow-chains/mud-chains, equipment inspections and othervehicle safety related activities. No longterm parking, loadingiunloading of equipment ormaterial, storage or staging shall be allowed within the Inclement Weather Vehiile Safety
Area."
Although Staff feels that the proposed definition is a good start, Staff does propose adding
some specific standards to Article Vll, Division 8 in order to address some potential issues.
Specifically, Staff recommends the following standards:
Section 7-811
Areas
Add itiona I Standards Applicable to lnclement weather vehicle safety
A. Continuing Obligation. The provision and maintenance of Inclement Weather Vehicle
Safety Areas that comply with these Regulations shall be a continuing obligation of the property
owner.
B. Prohibited uses of lnclement weather vehicle safety Areas:
1. lnoperable Vehicles or Materials. Materials or inoperable vehicles shall not be
stored in any lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Areas.
2. Vehicles for Sale. Vehicles shall not be displayed for sale in any lnclement Weather
Vehicle Safety Area.
3. Repair Work. Repair work shall not be conducted in any lnclement Weather Vehicle
Safety Area which is not directly related to the safety of the vehicle in inclement weather.
Such repairs shall not render a vehicle inoperable for more than twenty-four (24) hours.
4. Long-term Parking. Vehicles may only park in an lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety
Area for safety reasons during adverse weather conditions. No Vehicle shall park in an
lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Area longer then twenty-fou r ea) hours.
5' Loading/Unloading, Vending, Storage and Staging. No loading/unloading ofequipment or material, vending of any goods or servicLs,ltorage or staging shaii be
allowed within any lnclement weather Vehicle safety Areas.
C. Backing Onto Public Streets Prohibited. All lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Areasshall be located and designed in conjunction with a driveway, so that vehicles exiting from aparking space shall not be required to back onto the right-oi-way of a public street.
D. Access Driveways. Access driveways for lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Areas shall
be designed and constructed to facilitate the flow of traffic, provide maximum sifety of
traffic access and egress and the maximum safety of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on thesite. The minimum width of the access driveway for a commercial or industrial use shall betwelve (12) feet for a one-way drive and twenty-four (24) feelfor a two-way drive.
E. Clear Vision Area. Access driveways shall have a minimum clear vision area formed bythe intersection of the driveway centerline, the street right-of-way line, and a straight linejoining said lines through points twenty (20) feet from their intersection. Landscaping
restrictions for a clear vision area are set forth in section 7-305 410.
F. lnclement Weather Vehicle Safety Areas Landscaping and lllumination. lnclement
Weather Vehicle Safety Area uses located adjacent to residential uses or residential zoning
districts shall be landscaped to minimize disturbance to residents, including installation ofperimeter landscaping, proper screening of loading areas with opaque materials and control
of illumination. The landscaping and screening shall comply with the standards of Section 7-
305 A1 1, Landscaping Within Off-Street Parking Areas. Lighting shall comply with the
standards of Section 7-305 B, Lighting Standards.
ln regards to the Comprehensive Plan of 2000, it is Staff's opinion that since a "lnclement
Weather Vehicle Safety Area" is proposed to Land Use Change Permit in the RL - Genfle
Slopes Zone District, the goals and objectives identified can be addressed as part of a specific
project review process.
VI. STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners approve the addition of "lnclement
Weather Vehicle Safety Area" as a General Administrative Permit if the facility is 4 acres or less
in size and a Limited lmpact Review Permit if the Facility is over 4 acres in sije as proposed by
the Applicant with the additional standards as ouflined by Staff.
SUGGESTED FINDINGS TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
That the hearing before the Board of County Commissioners was extensive and
complete, that all pertinent facts, matters and issues were submitted and that all
interested parlies were heard.
That the proposed text amendment can be determined to be in the best interest of
the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity and welfare of the citizens
of Garfield County.
That the application has met the requirements of the Garfield County Unified Land
Use Resolution of 2008, as amended.
VII.
1.
2.
3.
GARFIELD COLINTY
Building & Planning Department
Review Agency Form
Date Sent: April 20, 2009
Comments Due: May 12,2009
Name of application: Chevron USA, Inc. Text Amendment
Sent to: Garfield County Road & Bridge
Garfield County requests your comment in review of this project. Please notifu the
Planning Department in the event you are unable to respond by the deadline. This form
may be used for your response, or you may attach your own additional sheets as
necessary. Written comments may be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to:
Garfield County Building & Planning
Staff Contact: David Pesnichak
109 8th Street, Suite 301
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
Fax: 970-384-3470
Phone: 970-945-8212
General Comments: Garfield County Road & Bridge Department has no objections to
this application with the following comments.
Garfield County Road & Bridge Department has already met with Chevron USA Inc. and
agreed to their plan to build an area for vehicles to park off the roadway to chain up and
unshain their vehicles. As this is a major safet), issue we would recommend that this text
amendment be approved.
Name of review agency: Garfield County Road and Bridge Dept
By:Jake B. Mall Date Aoril23.2009
boog
Revised 3130100