To the Honorable Council November 20, 2018 City of Norfolk, Virginia From: ftLeonard M. Newcomb III, CFM, Acting Planning Director7 9r) Subject: Breeden Inv stment Properties, Inc., for a Downtown Development Certificate with waiver 533 Front Street Reviewed: Ward/Superward: 2/6 Wy Deputy City Manager Approved: Item Number: C-7 Dougla L. Smith, City Manager I. Staff Recommendation: Approval. II. Architectural Review Board Recommendation: By a vote of 6 to 0, the Architectural Review Board recommends Approval. Ill. Planning Commission Recommendation: By a vote of 5 to 0, the Planning Commission recommends Approval. IV. Request: Through the required Downtown Development Certificate, the applicant is requesting waiver from the required off-street parking requirement, and the 20-foot side yard setback. V. Applicant: Breeden Investment Properties, Inc. VI. Description: • The site is located in the Fort Norfolk/Atlantic City area of Downtown on the south side of front street just east of 2nd street. • The applicant proposes redevelop 3.2 acres of waterfront industrial land to accommodate a 258-unit, 5-story multi-family development with a pedestrian promenade along the Elizabeth River. • In order to accommodate the development as proposed, the applicant must receive waivers from the building placement (setbacks) and off-street parking requirements. o For development within the D-FN district, two (2) off-street parking spaces are required for each dwelling unit. • The development will provide 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit, which is permitted in other parts of the Downtown Character District due to the proximity 810 UNION STREET, SUITE 1101 I NORFOLK VIRGINIA 23510 ■ 757-664-4242 www.norfolk.gov of various mass transit options, included the nearby EVMC/Fort Norfolk and Freemason LRT stations. o The D-FN district requires a 20-foot side yard setback to be provided for any building between 3-5 stories tall and located on the south side of Front Street. ■ The purpose of this requirement is to preserve ample opportunities for the public to have frequent and convenient access to the required public pedestrian promenade along the river, and to preserve view corridors to the water where possible. ■ Given the unusual site constraints, strict adherence to this provision would dramatically squeeze the development potential of this particular site while providing limited additional benefit. ■ The site provides a pedestrian corridor around the building, including a primary access point between the eastern side and the adjacent historic Security Storage & Safe Deposit Company Warehouse located to the south. Staff contact: Matthew Simons at (757) 664-4752, [email protected] Attachments: • Proponents and Opponents • Staff Report to CPC dated October 25, 2018 with attachments • Ordinance THE CITY OF NoRFL O K .., CITY PLANNING Architectural Review Board: October 8, 2018 City Planning Commission Public Hearing: October 25, 2018 Executive Secretary: Leonard M. Newcomb, III, CFM )14/01/# Staff Planner: Matthew Simons, AICP, CZA, CFM/p/yc /.4,A Staff Report Item No.: New Business Item 1 Address 533 Front Street Applicant Breeden Investment Properties, Inc. Requests Development Certificate (Downtown) Property Owner Moon of Norfolk, LLC Site/Building Area 4.5 acres total; 3.2 acres land / 385,000 sq. ft. Future Land Use Map Downtown Site Characteristics Zoning D-FN (Downtown-Fort Norfolk) Neighborhood Downtown Character District Downtown D-FN: National Oceanic & Atmospheric North Administration Surrounding Area East D-FN: The Roebuck apartments (57 units) South Elizabeth River West D-FN: vacant land r 41, • 4110 '3 itA4' T *5 , ,z on-,,, ., 4' , ‘-'- ---. - -::----,..,._ / `4•• 0,... , .11 .....•it4, -- Ab, -:•.* ---:.-e.......toesftl -1 -...,T -....i... ) - , . • -: , , .7 'NI • 'I' / . •,,,, r, ,'.W li 1, '-- 1,4 - i , 4 A. Summary of Request • The site is located on the south side of front street just east of 2nd street. • Through the required Downtown Development Certificate, the applicant is requesting waiver from the required off-street parking requirement, and the 20-foot side yard setback. B. Plan Analysis The proposed use is consistent with plallorfolk2030, which designates this site as Downtown. C. Zoning Analysis i. General • The applicant proposes redevelop 3.2 acres of waterfront industrial land to accommodate a 258-unit, 5-story multi-family development with a pedestrian promenade along the Elizabeth River. • In Downtown district, any new development or substantial improvements to existing structures requires a Development Certificate. • In the Downtown districts, the following development standards may be modified with a Development Certificate: o Building placement requirements o Off-street parking and loading requirements o Requirements for "active" use of ground floor areas (only required for development along the north side of Front Street). • In order to accommodate the development as proposed, the applicant must receive waivers from the building placement (setbacks) and off-street parking requirements. o For development within the D-FN district, two (2) off-street parking spaces are required for each dwelling unit. ■ The development will provide 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit, which is permitted in other parts of the Downtown Character District due to the proximity of various mass transit options, included the nearby EVMC/Fort Norfolk and Freemason LRT stations. o The D-FN district requires a 20-foot side yard setback to be provided for any building between 3-5 stories tall and located on the south side of Front Street. ■ The purpose of this requirement is to preserve ample opportunities for the public to have frequent and convenient access to the required public pedestrian promenade along the river, and to preserve view corridors to the water where possible. ■ Given the unusual site constraints, strict adherence to this provision would dramatically squeeze the development potential of this particular site while providing limited additional benefit. ■ The site provides a pedestrian corridor around the building, including a primary access point between the eastern side and the adjacent historic Security Storage & Safe Deposit Company Warehouse located to the south. ■ By focusing this primary access to the eastern edge of the site, this permits the development to meet the full requirement of the side yard setback on this side, which incorporates the historic warehouse facade into the view corridor, along with the eastern line of the promenade within the wharf. ii. Architectural Review Board Review • As part of the Development Certificate process, a review of the development waivers and a recommendation by the Architectural Review Board (ARB) is required. o By a vote of 6-0, the ARB recommended that the Downtown Development Certificate request with the waivers as proposed be approved. iii. Flood Zone • The site is located within the AE 8 & 9 (High-Risk), Coastal A (Coastal Floodplain; also known as the Limits of Moderate Wave Action — LiMWA), and VE 11 (Coastal High Hazard) flood zones. o The VE and Coastal A zones are areas located within the LiMWA, or where wave action may be anticipated (waves as minimum of 1.5 feet high) during significant storm events. • Portions of the buildings are located within the Coastal A Zone, and will be subject to moderate wave action. o The building closest to the water will be required to be constructed on concrete piers with the ground floor level left open, to permit wave action to occur during significant storm events without damage to the structure. D. Transportation Impacts • Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) figures estimate that the proposed residential development will generate 1,716 vehicle trips per day. • No roads in the vicinity of the proposed development are identified as severely congested corridors in the current update to regional Hampton Roads Congestion Management analysis. • The site is near transit services with Hampton Roads Transit bus routes 2 and 23, as well as light rail at Fort Norfolk/EVMC. • No streets near to the site are identified priority corridors in The City of Norfolk Bicycle and Pedestrian Strategic Plan but the site is located in close proximity to the Elizabeth River Trail. E. Historic Resource Impacts • The site is not located within a federal, state, or local historic district. • Neither the Ghent nor Freemason historic districts are close enough to be impacted by this low rise development (5 stories), as they are both separated from this development site by bodies of navigable water. • The site is directly adjacent to the Security Storage & Safe Deposit Company Warehouse (VDHR No. 122-0901), a 1916 historic waterfront warehouse building, listed as a contributing landmark structure by the National Parks Service on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources on the Virginia Landmarks Register (NRHP/VLR, 2014). o Although the adjacent structure is very minimalistic in both form and ornamentation, the building expresses a few simple geometric interplays derived from Cubism, which later became the framework for the well-known Art Deco architectural style. ■ An illustration of the Cubist influence includes the interplay of the round water tower atop the square mechanical room, in addition to a few ornamental details such as the stylized diamond embellishments surrounding the pedimented entryway. o This adjacent structure is the only example of a pre-World War II building built in the Cubist style (Cubist elements were later expressed post-World War II in Brutalist buildings throughout the State). • The proposed building on the site does not detract or negatively contrast the historic prominence of the historic Cubist warehouse to the east because it is proposed to be constructed with a similar massing, and with similar angles and lines as the warehouse building. o The proposed building will be constructed with a slight recess along Front Street, preserving the predominance of the historic warehouse. F. Public Schools Impacts • School attendance zones include Taylor Elementary School (71% utilization), Blair Middle School (83% utilization) and Maury High School (93% utilization).