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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.0 Staff Report 06.08.09Exhibits - Text Amendment - Chevron - TXA2109 Public Hearing (618109) Go) ,-/.(*efr {ro* Fc/V Proof of Publication Staff Memorandum Garfield Plan of 2000 ffill of the Garfield c@e Department, dated BOCC 6/8/2009 DP 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