1 December 10, 2014 Public Hearing

Transcription

1 1 December 10, 2014 Public Hearing APPLICANT & PROPERTY OWNER: DOMINION VIRGINIA POWER STAFF PLANNER: Kevin Kemp REQUEST: Conditional Use Permit (Public Utility Transformer Station / Line) ADDRESS / DESCRIPTION: 2056 Recreation Avenue GPIN: ELECTION DISTRICT: PRINCESS ANNE SITE SIZE: acres AICUZ: db DNL; db DNL BACKGROUND / DETAILS OF PROPOSAL Background The applicant purchased the subject acre parcel in The site is currently developed with an electrical substation encompassing approximately 6 acres of the parcel. A Use Permit for the existing substation was approved by City Council in New regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) make most existing coal-fired power stations no longer cost-effective to operate. As a result, in 2016, multiple generator units at the Yorktown and Chesapeake Center Power Stations will be retired. This will negatively impact the transmission system in Virginia Beach. In order to maintain voltage quality and stability, mitigation devices need to be added to the transmission grid. As such, the applicant proposes to add a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) to the existing substation. A STATCOM is a device based on a Voltage Source Converter (VSC) that is used to provide voltage stability, which is particularly important when reacting to transient events such as lighting strikes and short circuits. Page 1

2 Details The submitted site plan shows a proposed 1.26-acre expansion to the west of the existing substation. The expansion includes a 2,736 square foot STATCOM building, 114 feet in length, 24 feet in width and 17 feet in height. A propane tank enclosure is also proposed to the south of the expansion. The propane will fuel the on-site generator. Access to the site will remain at its current location on Recreation Drive. The perimeter fence around the existing substation will be extended around the proposed addition. The new fence will be eight (8) feet in height with one (1) foot of barbed-wire on top. The westernmost fence of the existing substation will be removed, as it will no longer be part of the perimeter fence. The submitted site plan shows a combination of plant materials that will be installed along Recreation Drive to provide screening from the right-of-way. All mature vegetation on the site will remain. The ground cover of a majority of the substation expansion will consist of pervious rocks, with a minimum depth of four (4) inches. A crushed gravel road will extend around the perimeter of the entire substation, including the proposed expansion. EXISTING LAND USE: Public Utility Transformer Station LAND USE AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SURROUNDING LAND USE AND ZONING: North: Cemetery / AG-2 Agricultural District South: Landstown Centre Way Sportsplex / AG-1 Agricultural District East: Future office buildings / Conditional I-1 Light Industrial District West: Recreation Drive Future YMCA and Pool facility / Conditional B-2 Community Business District NATURAL RESOURCE AND CULTURAL FEATURES: The site contains a Public Utility Transformer Station and a large undeveloped grassy and wooded area. The site is located in the Southern Watershed. There do not appear to be any significant cultural features associated with the site. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan identifies this parcel as being within the Princess Anne Special Economic Growth Area (SEGA 4). The controlling master plan for Princess Anne SEGA 4 is the Interfacility Traffic Area (ITA) and Vicinity Master Plan. The general vision for this area is to create campuses for work, education, research, recreation, and worship. At build out, this area will have evolved into a continuous open space experience tied together by trails and waterways, and landscaped as a continuous garden within which activities are accommodated (p. 21, ITA & Vicinity Master Plan). More specifically, this site is within the Athletic Village of North Princess Anne Commons. North Princess Anne Commons is primarily located southwest of the intersection of Rosemont Road and Dam Neck Road, east of the single-family residential development of Salem Lakes, north of Landstown Road, and encompasses the Virginia Beach National Golf Course. As a prominent place maker in the city, this area not only serves as a principal gateway to the Virginia Beach Municipal Center and court complex, it has become a premier destination, as it includes the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, Sportsplex, and Page 2

3 National Field Hockey Training Center, and offers the public a wide range of special events and services. This destination will continue to offer citizens and visitors experiences that will enrich their lives and reaffirm that Virginia Beach is a community for a lifetime, (pp. 4-1 to 4-10). IMPACT ON CITY SERVICES City services are not affected by this request. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of this request to expand the existing (Landstown) electric transformer substation. In 2016, multiple coal-fired generator units in this region of the state will be retired. The proposed expansion of this substation will help maintain voltage quality and stability that will better accommodate the growing demand for electricity as the surrounding area continues to develop. The proposed expansion will also increase the transmission system s ability to regulate voltages and respond to transient events such as lightning strikes and short circuits. Mature vegetation on the site provides adequate screening of the substation from the adjacent properties to the north, south, and east. Additionally, the applicant will install trees to provide screening along Recreation Drive. The proposed expansion will be a low-impact development in terms of visual, noise, and traffic impacts to the surrounding area. The most visible element of the proposed expansion is the STATCOM building, which is 17 feet tall, but shorter than the existing equipment on site. The proposed expansion meets all the dimensional requirements of Section 402 of the Zoning Ordinance (Agricultural District) and is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan s land use policies for the Princess Anne Special Economic Growth Area, as it is part of the overall infrastructure that supports the uses in this area. Based on the considerations above, staff recommends approval of this request with the conditions below. CONDITIONS 1. With the exception of any modifications required by any of these conditions or during the formal site plan review process, the site shall be developed, landscaped, and maintained substantially in conformance with the submitted site plan entitled CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (SHEET 2) LANDSTOWN SUBSTATION SVC EXPANSION PLAN VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, dated June 3, 2014 and prepared by Dominion. 2. The proposed STATCOM building, identified on the submitted site plan as PROPOSED 24 X Page 3

4 114 X 17 TALL SVC BUILDING, when constructed, shall be in substantial conformance with the exhibits entitled, SVC BUILDING ELEVATIONS SHEET 1 OF 2 and SVC BUILDING ELEVATIONS SHEET 2 OF 2, dated April 4, 2014 and prepared by Beta Engineering. 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 AERIAL OF SITE Page 6

7 PROPOSED SITE PLAN Page 7

8 LANDSTOWN SUBSTATION EXPANSION PLAN Page 8

9 STATCOM BUILDING ELEVATIONS Page 9

10 STATCOM BUILDING ELEVATIONS Page 10

11 ZONING HISTORY # DATE REQUEST ACTION 1 12/03/2013 Modification of Conditions Approved 04/24/2012 Use Permit (Hospital) Approved 2 05/14/2013 Change of Zoning (AG-2 to Conditional O-2) Approved 3 04/24/2012 Change of Zoning (AG-1 & AG-2 to B-2 & Conditional I-1) Approved 4 02/14/2012 Use Permit (Recreation facility) Approved 5 11/23/2010 Use Permit (Indoor recreation facility) Approved 08/22/2006 Change of Zoning (AG-1 & AG-2 to Conditional B-2) Approved 6 02/03/2009 Change of Zoning (AG-1 to Conditional B-2) Approved 02/03/2009 Use Permit (Indoor recreation facility) Approved 7 05/27/1997 Change of Zoning (O-2, B-2, R-10, P-1 & H-1 to AG-1) Approved 8 09/14/1987 Use Permit (Substation) Approved 9 08/04/1986 Use Permit (Maintenance of Public Utility) Approved Page 11

12 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Page 12

13 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Page 13