Belmont Planning & Zoning
Planning and Zoning Board Meeting
CityWorks, 1401 E. Catawba Street, Belmont September 16, 2021, 6:30 PM
Page
A. COMMENCEMENT
(1) Call to Order
Vision Mission Core Values Document
3
(2) Set Agenda
(3) Adoption of Minutes
2021_08_26 Planning & Zoning Board - Minutes - Pdf
5 - 8
B. PUBLIC ITEMS
(1) ZA2018.03A: an amendment to the Home2 Suites conditional zoning district to correct an administrative error that resulted in more area being rezoned than originally intended.
ZA2018.03A: Agenda Memo - Pdf
9 - 25
(2) TA2021.03 Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Text Amendment : A request to update to our current TIA regulations to incorporate multimodal transportation
analysis, adjust study thresholds and study areas, and expand language related to off-site mitigation options in order to address the ongoing growth demands in Belmont.
Agenda Memo and Report - Pdf
27 - 43
C. OTHER BUSINESS
(1) Other Business
D. ADJOURNMENT
Belmont will be a vibrant, multi-generational community that incorporates small-town charm and heritage with an
entrepreneurial spirit.
City of Belmont provides visionary leadership and high-quality city services to create a community of choice for our residents, visitors, and employees.
Uphold the Professionalism and Ethics Expected of Elected Officials
Practice Mutual Respect Towards Fellow Council Members and City Staff
Lead with Honesty, Vision and Responsibility
Maintain Balance and Open-mindedness in Executing Duties Demonstrate Fairness and Accountability to All Residents and Stakeholders of Belmont
VISION STATEMENT
MISSION STATEMENT
CORE VALUES
Agenda Item #A.(1)
City of Belmont
Planning & Zoning Board Meeting
CityWorks, 1401 E. Catawba Street, Belmont Thursday, August 26, 2021, 6:30 PM
The Belmont Planning & Zoning Board met on Thursday, August 26, 2021 at 6:30 PM at the CityWorks Center.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Allison Cottingham, Walter Dixon, Norman Divers, Dan Hartley, and Nic Vesely
MEMBERS ABSENT: Matt Hart, Christine Greene, and Gerald Liska
ALSO PRESENT: City Attorney Parks Wilson, Planning Director Shelley DeHart, Senior Planner Alex Robinson, Senior Planner Tiffany Faro, Associate Planner Peyton Ratchford, and Planning Technician Jaime Lisi and citizens.
1 COMMENCEMENT
a) Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:34 p.m.
b) Set Agenda
Dan Hartley made a motion to set the agenda. Allison Cottingham seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
c) Adoption of Minutes
Nic Vesely made a motion to adopt the minutes. Dan Hartley seconded the motion.
The motion was unanimously approved.
2 PUBLIC ITEMS
a) Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Text Amendment Discussion: Consideration of updates to our current TIA regulations to incorporate multimodal transportation analysis, adjust study thresholds and study areas, and expand language related to off-site mitigation options in order to address the ongoing growth demands in Belmont.
Senior Planner Tiffany Faro presented items for discussion for the TIA ordinance update. Official revisions to the ordinance will be presented at the September meeting for the board's review and recommendation. Faro provided a brief recap of the project. This is a continuation or the discussion started in February with a joint workshop with city council and planning board. We have discussed what we can do to address new development traffic problems using the TIA ordinance and possible
Agenda Item #A.(3)
process and options for mitigation, staff and Kimley Horn developed strategies to address issues in Belmont.
Faro proposed changes to the TIA ordinance. The first would ensure that traffic volume counts include pedestrian and bike impacts to the TIA ordinance. Adding in operational analysis of those modes of transportation that would allow multi-modal transportation in our analysis. Secondly, staff recommends that we introduce a threshold change on the peninsula and finally add enhanced payment-in-lieu standards for mitigation.
Faro described the threshold on the peninsula as the area located south of Nixon and RL Stowe roads and the intersection of those roads with South Point Rd. This
intersection was chosen because this is where the traffic funnels into one spine and is limited to South Point Rd. the board suggested a reduction to 75 peak hour trips vs current 100 peak hour trips to require a TIA. Daily trips on the peninsula would trigger TIA at 750 daily trips instead of 1000 daily trips elsewhere in the city.
Faro explained a payment-in-lieu option request should be considered at time of development conversation. Sometimes conditions can change over time and it can be requested at a later date, but it would need to be approved by city council. Estimate must include design, ROW, utilities and construction. The estimate needs to be comprehensive in scope.
Chairman Walter Dixon asked for an overview of how we currently review this. Faro explained that estimates are certified by a licensed engineer and brought to NCDOT to ensure validity.
Norman Divers asked Faro when does the payment-in-lieu become a firm number.
Faro explained that the developer would present the offer of payment-in-lieu to city council and the monetary proposal would be approved or denied.
The board discussed the feasibility and outcomes if it recommended lowering the numbers that trigger the TIA ordinance. Faro stated that we are proposing 75 to understand our needs and later this number can be adjusted if we find that to be necessary.
Planning Director Shelley DeHart stated that we did a traffic study for schools. State law was changed to state that cities can not require traffic mitigation. Although we had a traffic study that showed more needed more improvements, NCDOT
determined that many of the changes were not needed. The city and school officials had to fight for the traffic signal that NCDOT eventually put in.
The board discussed upcoming proposals to state law. Councilman Jim Hefferan
explained that the state wants to take away our power to regulate storm water,
a coordinated effort like the league of municipalities needs to try to stop these legislative bills. Faro stated the more we regulate (in developers eyes over-regulate), the more they try to push these statewide controls.
The board discussed the number of trips that would trigger a TIA study and the value of using peak hour trips versus daily trips. Steve Blakley with Kimley Horn stated that peak hours are when there is congestion and therefore that number is more
important. Divers said that he would like the number of trips that trigger a TIA to 30.
Chairman Dixon asked if we can reanalyze this threshold later. We think 75 would be helpful, he said. It would catch things that we are missing now. Dehart said it is important to partner with both Gaston County and York County as development continues on the peninsula.
Divers asked if there is enough data to set a right amount for the payment-in-lieu option. The board, staff, and Kimley Horn representatives extensively discussed payment-in-lieu in regard to when and how construction cost estimates are completed as well as the engineering plan review aspect.
Chairman Dixon asked if Faro had been given enough direction. Faro replied yes and reminded the board to let her know of any additional changes prior to next month's meeting.
3 OTHER BUSINESS
a) Rural Residential (R-R) Zoning District Discussion
Planning Director Shelley DeHart discussed creating ordinances that would incentivize larger lot developments. When builders are developing properties they analyze land acquisition, jurisdictional requirements and infrastructure cost in the need to
determine profitability. If we want to encourage larger lots there has to be an incentive for builders. DeHart described two low-impact developments in Belmont and the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Nic Vesely asked if we can require individual lots to have tree-save area. DeHart responded yes, there are properties that have a conservation easement over it.
Developers try to have tree-save in common open space areas and not add restrictions to individual lots, but it does happen.
Board members discussed the need for sidewalk in neighborhoods with two-acre lots.
Allison Cottingham asked about possible building stoppage and the recent firing of project managers in Amberley neighborhood. Staff was unaware of this issue.
4 ADJOURNMENT
Norman Divers made a motion to adjourn. Nic Vesely seconded. the motion was unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 8:29 p.m.
Agenda Item #A.(3)
Chairman
The City of Belmont
Planning & Zoning Board
CityWorks
September 16, 2021
DESCRIPTION: ZA2018.03A: an amendment to the Home2 Suites conditional zoning district to correct an administrative error that resulted in more area being rezoned than originally
intended.
MEETING: 2021_09_16 Planning & Zoning Board DEPARTMENT: Planning and Zoning
STAFF CONTACT: Melissa Lockamy
SUMMARY OF ACTION:In 2018, a conditional zoning district was approved for the development of the Home2 Suites hotel. The project area was comprised of six parcels, with the project requiring the complete area of five parcels and a portion of the sixth parcel.
The original approval ordinance did not specify that the conditional zoning district was to apply to only a portion of the sixth parcel so the whole parcel was rezoned. This resulted in more area rezoned than intended. The original zoning was only intended to match the site-specific development plan originally approved as part of the process, and staff is now proceeding with this rezoning request to correct the error.
EXHIBITS:
ZA2018.03A PB staff report
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends this board transmit a recommendation to city council to approve the amendment.
Agenda Item #B.(1)
Zoning Map Amendment Request: ZA-2018.03A Applicant: City of Belmont
Property Owners: Southern Benedictine Society and Montcross Hawley Ave LLC Current zoning: Highway Commercial conditional district (H-C/CD)
Proposed zoning request: Request to amend an approved conditional zoning district (ZA2 018.03), removing a .44-acre parcel (PID# 301397) from the original project area
associated with the Home2 Suites development. The action will correct an administrative error by reverting this area’s zoning back to its original zoning classification of Highway
Commercial (H-C).
Property location: North side of Hawley Avenue, site of the Home2 Suites hotel and the adjacent parcel to the west.
Gaston County tax parcel identification numbers: 301396 and 301397
Acreage: Parcel 301397 is a .44-acre parcel that must be removed from the conditional zoning district.
Map 1. Location of subject property
Background: In 2018, several parcels were rezoned as part of the Home2 Suites conditional zoning approval. There were six original parcels with the project encompassing the complete area of five of the parcels and a portion of the sixth parcel. Following zoning approval, a recombination plat was recorded to create a parcel for the hotel project and separate the remaining portion of the sixth parcel.
Map 2. Recombination plat
The original approval ordinance did not specify that the conditional zoning district was to apply to only a portion of the sixth parcel so the whole parcel was rezoned. This resulted in more area rezoned than intended. The original zoning was only intended to match the site-specific development plan originally approved as part of the process, and staff is now proceeding with this rezoning request to correct the error.
Map 3. Approved site-specific development plan
Hotel location
Agenda Item #B.(1)
Staff analysis: This request is to correct an administrative error as explained above. There will be no changes to the approved site plan. Staff requests approval to revert parcel 301397 back to its original H-C zoning district so it can be appropriately developed in the future and not needlessly encumbered as part of the adjacent conditional zoning district.
Neighborhood meeting: The required community meeting was held on September 2, 2021 at Home2 Suites. There was one person in attendance, the hotel manager representing the ownership team, who expressed support of the amendment.
Comprehensive land use plan: This site is located in a mixed-use district within the Montcross Small Area Plan in the adopted comprehensive land use plan. This area is envisioned as a mix of higher density and higher intensity land uses that have convenient automobile access to major transportation corridors.
Since there are no physical changes to the project, staff asserts that this project, as approved and developed, remains consistent with the vision of the comprehensive land use plan and the Montcross Small Area Plan because it:
• Promotes Goal #1--Land Use-by building a healthy tax base that provides choice in services.
• Promotes Goal #2--Economy-by fostering a vibrant economy with a diversified tax base that balances residential growth with employment and commerce.
Map 3. Future land use map
Staff recommendation: Staff recommends this board transmit a recommendation to city council to approve the amendment.
Attachment A – Application Attachment B – Site plan
Attachment C – Community meeting report Attachment D – Statement of consistency
Revised 03/17/20
Page 1
I (we) the undersigned do hereby respectfully make application and request the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council to amend the zoning map of the City of Belmont:
In support of this application, the following facts are shown:
Current Zoning
(circle one) R-R S-R G-R NC-R INF-R MH-R
NC-C H-C R-C BC-D IC-D TN-D
Proposed Zoning
(circle one) R-R S-R G-R NC-R INF-R MH-R
Conditional
District? (CD)
NC-C H-C R-C BC-D IC-D TN-D
Physical Property Address:
Physical Description of Location:
Tax Parcel Number:
(PID Number) Property Owner:
Owner’s Address:
Phone Number: ( ) - Email Address:
Applicant Name if different than owner: Applicant Phone Number if different than owner:
Applicant Email Address if different than owner:
Applicant’s address:
Primary Contact:
Date Filed / /
To be completed by City of BelmontApplication Number ZA-_______._______
To be completed by City of Belmont:
Hearing Date(s) P&Z / /
/ /
To be completed by City of Belmont
City Council / / / /
2021 2018 .03A
704 342 9876
City of Belmont (704) 901-2079
[email protected]
1401 E. Catawba Street, Belmont, NC 28012 Melissa Lockamy
871 Hawley Avenue and adjacent parcel
Location of Home2 Suites and parcel adjacent to the west 301396 and 301397
The Southern Benedictine Society of NC and Montcross Hawley Ave LLC 100 Belmont Mt. Holly Road, Belmont, NC 28012
100 Main Street, McAdenville, NC 28101 9
8
9 16 2021
/CD /CD
for parcel 301396 and H-C for parcel 301397
Attachment A
Agenda Item #B.(1)
Revised 03/17/20
Page 2
SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
Completed Application
Letter of Intent – Description of proposed project
5 copies of Concept Plan (paper and digital version must be drawn to scale by architect, landscape architect, professional surveyor, or engineer licensed in North Carolina).
Additional plans will be requested for the public meetings.
Boundary Survey (acreage, current zoning, location of existing buildings, setbacks)
Community Meeting Form
Adjacent Property Owner List – provide a copy of address labels for all adjacent property owners. The City will use this list for public notices for the Planning Board Meeting and the Public Hearing meeting.
Traffic Impact Analysis, if required, refer to Chapter 16 of the LDC
Fees associated with review
PROCESS & SCHEDULE – See Section 15.6 of the Land Development Code
The plans will be reviewed internally by city staff. Any deficiencies or request for information will be sent to you within 30-days.
Staff will notify the applicant when the schematic plans are ready to be
presented to the public at the required community meeting.
Community Meeting: the scheduling, notification, and meeting report, as described in the supplemental community meeting form, are the responsibility of the applicant. This meeting shall be held a minimum of two weeks (14-days) prior to the scheduled Planning Board meeting.
The Planning Board will hear the request in a public meeting and provide a
recommendation to the City Council.
The City Council will hold the public hearing and render a decision on the project. Please refer to Section 20.2 of the LDC for further details.
Informal Review of Sketch Plan Including Environmental Survey
Formal Submission of Schematic Plan & Rezoning to Planning Staff for Review and Recommendation
Review and Recommendation of Schematic Plan & Rezoning by Planning Board
Formal Submission of Construction Documents to Technical Review Committee
Review and Approval of Schematic Plan & Rezoning by City Council after Public Hearing
Approved Preliminary Plat or Site Plan
Review and Approval of Final Plat or Site Plan by Planning Staff
Applicant holds at least one neighborhood meeting open to the public.
Agenda Item #B.(1)
Area to be removed
Home2 Suites conditional zoning district
Agenda Item #B.(1)
Page 17 of 43
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Community meeting report – ZA2018.03A Date of community meeting
: Thursday, September 2ndTime of meeting
: 6:00 p.m.Location
: Home 2 Suites, 871 Hawley AveNotice of the community meeting was sent on August 20,2021. See following pages for property owner notification map and list of parties notified.
Persons in attendance at meeting
: (Include a copy of the sign in sheet).Staff:
Alex Robinson, Senior Planner Melissa Lockamy, Planner Jaime Lisi, Planning Technician Interested parties:
Margie Rainey, Hotel General Manager representing ownership team
Summary of issues discussed and changes made to the petition as a result of the meeting
: Project Planner Melissa Lockamy explained that the purpose of this amendment is to correct anadministrative error from the time of original approval. Six parcels comprised the original project area.
The hotel project only required five of those parcels and a portion of the sixth. The approval ordinance did not state that only a portion of the sixth parcel was to be rezoned, therefore the entire parcel was rezoned which resulted in more area than necessary. This amendment will revert parcel 301967 back to its original Highway Commercial zoning district.
Ms. Rainey had no questions or concerns and expressed her and the ownership teams support for this amendment.
No changes are proposed as a result of the meeting.
Attachment C
Agenda Item #B.(1)
Planning and Zoning Department PO Box 431
Belmont, NC 28012 (704) 901-2610
COMMUNITY MEETING NOTICE
The City of Belmont Planning Department and Home2 Suites are hosting a community meeting to discuss an amendment to the conditional zoning district approved for the hotel project.
The amendment corrects an error that resulted in more property than intended being included in the conditional district. With this zoning amendment, the hotel property will remain Highway Commercial Conditional District (H-C/CD) and the adjacent parcel to the west, 301397, will revert back to the original Highway Commercial zoning district. (See map on back)
The City is coordinating this amendment and will hear feedback at the community meeting on Thursday, September 2 at 6:00 p.m. at Home2 Suites, 871 Hawley Avenue. You are receiving this notification because you are an owner of property located within the notification area and are invited to attend the community meeting.
Additional meeting notices will follow, as the Planning and Zoning Board will hold a public meeting to hear the proposed Conditional Zoning Map Amendment (ZA 2018.03A) and the request will proceed to city council for approval from there.
Case ZA 2018.03A Home2 Suites amendment community meeting
Meeting
Information Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 6:00 pm
Home2 Suites lobby, 871 Hawley Avenue, Belmont Subject Property
Location 871 Hawley Avenue and adjacent parcel to the west;
Parcel IDs #301396, 301397Proposed Zoning Highway Commercial Conditional District (H-C/CD) for parcel 301396, H-C district for parcel 301397
Existing Zoning Highway Commercial Conditional District (H-C/CD) Change
proposed
A request to remove parcel 301397 from the HC conditional zoning district and revert it to Highway Commercial zoning district. Parcel 301396 remains H-C/CD.Applicant
City of Belmont (correcting an administrative error)Project Planner Melissa Lockamy
[email protected] or 704 901-2079
Web Information
https://www.cityofbelmont.org/home2suites_zoning_amendmentAgenda Item #B.(1)
List of property owners notified about community meeting
PARCEL CURR_NAME1 CURR_ADDR1 CURR_ADDR2 CURR_CITY STATE ZIPCODE
301922 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 184774 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 186181 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY ADT PIZZA LLC 20 KETCHUM ST WESTPORT CT 06880 214350 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 214357 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 214357 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 214366 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 221080 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 221081 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 221082 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012 221083 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012
301396 MONTCROSS HAWLEY AVE LLC 100 MAIN ST MC ADENVILLE NC 28101
184774 SOUTHERN BENEDICTINE SOCIETY C/O BELMONT ABBEY 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD BELMONT NC 28012
305628 MARK DUNCAN 2 CALDWELL DR BELMONT NC 28012
Agenda Item #B.(1)
Statement of consistency
In considering the zoning map amendment request associated with petition ZA 2018.03A/
Hawley Ave., the Planning and Zoning Board finds:
• The amendment is a reasonable request and in the public interest as it corrects an error and designates the proper zoning district for a parcel that was inadvertently included in a site-specific conditional zoning district; and
• It is consistent with the comprehensive land use plan’s mixed-use land use designation and the Montcross Small Area Plan by establishing appropriate commercial zoning districts in the correct locations; and
• It is consistent with following goals of the adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan:
o Land Use: the project provides a balanced approach to land use to encourage a healthy tax base and a mix of uses that provides choice in services and
accommodations; and
o Economy: by fostering a vibrant economy with a diversified tax base that balances residential growth with employment and commerce.
This finding is supported by a - vote by the Belmont planning and zoning board during its September 16, 2021 meeting.
______________________________ _____________________________
Walter Dixon, Chairman Date
Attachment D
Agenda Item #B.(1)
The City of Belmont
Planning & Zoning Board
September 16, 2021
DESCRIPTION: TA2021.03 Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Text Amendment : A request to update to our current TIA regulations to incorporate multimodal transportation analysis, adjust study thresholds and study areas, and expand language related to off-site mitigation options in order to address the ongoing growth demands in Belmont.
MEETING: 2021_09_16 Planning & Zoning Board DEPARTMENT: Planning and Zoning
STAFF CONTACT: Tiffany Faro
SUMMARY OF ACTION:Staff has prepared a text amendment to update our traffic impact analysis (TIA) requirements and is seeking a recommendation by the Planning Board. The proposed changes are based on discussions and feedback to-date from City Council and Planning Board and input from Kimley Horn, our transportation consultant.
EXHIBITS:
CH 16 Development Plan Requirements DRAFT 9.16.21 TA2021.03_PBReport_TIA
Statement of consistency TA2021.03
Agenda Item #B.(2)
SECTION 16.14 TRAFFIC TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSIS (TIA)
Traffic Transportation impacts, and how to mitigate them, are an important consideration for our community when a significant development is proposed. Public policy makers, citizens and developers all have a stake in understanding and responding to additional demands on the transportation system. A Traffic Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) is a tool used to evaluate the incremental impacts on the surrounding transportation infrastructure and how to mitigate them to maintain safe traffic and transportation operations.
A. TIA Determination: The Planning Director or his/her designee shall determine the need for a TIA upon receipt of a development application accompanied by a sketch or schematic plan. If warranted, the transportation consultant assigned by the city shall prepare the TIA. At the discretion of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the City, a tTransportation tTechnical mMemorandum (TTM), in lieu of a full TIA report, may be allowed for some developments. If proposed street connections are not consistent with adopted plans, then an explanation or proposed transportation mitigation alternative that is equal or better shall be discussed in the study. NCDOT and the City will be responsible for determining whether the alternative mitigation plan meets and/or exceeds the performance standards of the proposed street connections in the adopted plans.
B. Minimum Thresholds for TIAs: A TIA will be required to accompany the development plan when expected gross trip generation is 1000 total trips or more both entering and exiting the site in a 24-hour period, and/or 100 total trips both entering and exiting the site during either the am or pm peak (prior to any trip reductions applied- see Section G (8)).
Because of the limited arterial roadway network, developments proposed in the South Point Peninsula Area (south of the intersection at Nixon/RL Stowe and South Point Road - See Figure 1) are required to complete a TTM when expected gross trip generation of 500 total trips or more both entering and exiting the site in a 24-hour period, and/or 50 total trips both entering and exiting the site during either the AM or PM peak.
C. The gross trip generation will be calculated by the City based on information (proposed project summary and development plan) provided by the applicant and the final determination for requiring the TIA will be by the Planning Director. The Planning Director or his/her designee may also determine the need for a TIA or Transportation Technical mMemorandum (TTM) based on special circumstances associated with the development, even if the gross trips falls below this threshold. This may be due to location, an intersection or thoroughfare nearby that is at or above capacity, the nature of the use, or one of the following:
1. Traffic generated from a non-residential development that could potentially significantly impact adjacent residential neighborhoods.
2. Traffic operation problems for current and/or future years on nearby streets are expected to be significantly aggravated by traffic generated from the proposed new development.
3. Major and minor thoroughfares near the site are experiencing noticeable delays 4. Traffic safety issues exist at the intersection or street that would serve the proposed
new development.
5. The proposed land use differs significantly from the adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the City.
6. The internal street or access system is not anticipated to accommodate the expected traffic generation.
7. The proposed development project includes a drive through facility, or other uses such as schools that require significant on-site circulation that may have an off-site impact to adjoining roads and/or intersection.
8. The amount and/or character of traffic is significantly different from a previously approved TIA, or more than 24 months have passed since completion of previous TIA.
D. Scoping Meeting – A mandatory scoping meeting is required prior to beginning the TIA or TTM to discuss the requirements and strategies for a TIA/TTM specific to the site and the proposed development. Background information shall be submitted by the applicant five or more business days prior to the scoping meeting and shall include a conceptual site plan showing proposed access points, proposed land use and densities, structure and parking envelopes. The City, the transportation consultant assigned by the City, and the applicant(s) are required to attend the mandatory scoping meeting and the NCDOT district staff will be invited and encouraged to attend if access to a state road is involved. The applicant may invite members of his/her development team as needed.
E. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – An MOU, documenting the understood scope of the project, shall be prepared by the transportation consultant assigned by the City. The MOU shall be signed by the applicant and the City, and agreed upon by the NCDOT District Engineer if access to a state road is involved, before the consultant can begin work on the TIA. Failure by the applicant to provide accurate information or failure by the assigned transportation consultant to follow the MOU shall result in disapproval of the TIA. If significant changes are made to the scoping parameters documented in the MOU, a revised MOU will be required.
F. Fees – After the scoping meeting, the transportation consultant assigned by the City shall submit a summary of consultant fees for preparing the TIA (or TTM) to the City. Per the MOU, the applicant(s) shall agree to provide payment in full to the City for preparation of the TIA so that the City can release the work to the consultant. The City may require all or a portion of the estimated fees to be paid to the City prior to commencement of the work. Any additional services incurred by the transportation consultant in addition to the MOU must be approved by the City and agreed to and paid for by the applicant prior to performance of the additional work.
G. Transportation Mitigation Agreement (TMA) – Upon completion of the TIA or TTM, certain on or off-site transportation mitigation measures may be required as recommended by the TIA. If so, the transportation consultant assigned by the City shall prepare a Transportation Mitigation Agreement (TMA) which will summarize the following:
1. Development plan
2. Phasing and timing of development (if applicable) 3. Site access and points of ingress/egress
4. On and off-site improvements required to adequately mitigate the project impacts to the City’s transportation system, including vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle improvements.
5. Trigger points and deadlines for construction of any improvements.
The TMA must be signed by the applicant, City and the NCDOT District or Division Engineer if the mitigation involves a state roadway. All off-site ROW areas shall be acquired and dedicated prior to approval of construction documents, and required mitigation measures must be implemented prior to final Certificate of Occupancy (CO) as identified in the TIA phasing plan, or the applicant(s) shall provide a cost estimate to the City for review and provide a payment-in- lieu for said measures prior to CO in accordance with Section G (18).
Agenda Item #B.(2)
H. TIA Outline and Contents – The outline and contents of what is required to be included in the TIA will be discussed at the scoping meeting and included in the MOU. A detailed summary of the expected content and methodologies to be used in the TIA is discussed below.
1. Cover/Signature page – Includes the project name, location, name of the applicant, contact information for the applicant, and date of the study. The name, contact information, registration number, signature, and seal of a duly qualified and registered professional engineer in the State of North Carolina are also required to appear on this page.
2. Table of Contents – Includes a list of all section headings, figures, tables, and appendices included in the TIA report. Page numbers shall denote the location of all information, excluding appendices, in the TIA report.
3. Executive Summary – Includes a description of the study findings, a general description of the project scope, study horizon years, probable transportation impacts of the project, and mitigation measure recommendations. Technical publications, calculations, documentation, data reporting, and detailed design shall not be included in this section.
4. Project Description – Includes a detailed description of the development, including the size of the parcel, development size, existing and proposed uses for the site, anticipated completion dates (including phasing). It shall also include the square footage of each use and/or the number and size of dwelling units proposed, and a map and copy of the site plan provided by the applicant(s).
5. Site Description – Includes a description of the project location within the City and region, existing zoning and use (and proposed use if applicable), and key physical characteristics of the site, including general terrain and environmentally sensitive or protected areas.
6. Site Access – A complete description of the ingress/egress of the site shall be explained and depicted. It shall include number of driveways, their locations, distances between driveways and intersections, access control (full-movement, leftover, right-in/right-out, etc.) types of driveways (two-way, one-way, etc.), traffic controls, etc. Internal streets (lanes, flow, and queuing), parking lots, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and designated loading/unloading areas shall also be described. Similar information for adjacent properties, including topographic grade relationship, shall be provided to evaluate opportunities for internal connections. The design, number, and location of access points to collector and arterial roadways immediately adjacent to the site must be fully analyzed. The number of access points shall be kept to a minimum and designed to be consistent with the type of roadway facility. Driveways serving the site from state roads shall be designed in accordance with the NCDOT’s Policy on Street and Driveway Access and/or the City standards, as applicable.
7. Study Area – The limits of the study area shall be based on the location, size and extent of the proposed project, and an understanding of existing and future land uses and traffic conditions surrounding the site. The limits of the study area for the TIA or TTM shall be reviewed and approved by the City and NCDOT staff at the mandatory scoping meeting. At a minimum, the study area shall include all streets and signalized intersections within a 1-mile radius of the proposed site unless otherwise noted by the Planning Director and/or where site traffic estimated for build-out of the project will constitute 10% or more of any signalized intersection
approach during the peak hour. Unsignalized intersections between the required signalized intersections will be added to the scope as directed by the City. To initially determine the impacts, the City will maintain a database of recent peak-hour intersection turning movement counts. The applicable intersection counts will be equated to current year baseline volumes. Based on the proposed development program submitted by the applicant, a preliminary trip generation analysis, distribution and assignment will be performed within the area surrounding the site and compared to the current year base volumes. Related impacts or current operational problems, may dictate that other intersections be included in the study area as determined by City staff and/or NCDOT staff. A narrative describing the study area shall identify the location of the proposed project in relation to the existing transportation system and list the specific study intersections and/or segments. Any unique transportation plans or policies applicable to the area (e.g., CATS bus service and future plans) shall be mentioned. A site location map shall be provided and shall identify natural features, major and minor roadways within the study area, study intersections, and a boundary of the site under consideration.
8. Existing Conditions – Shall include a narrative and map that represents AM and PM peak-hour turning-movement volumes for all intersections within the study area.
Traffic volumes shall be 15-minute interval weekday turning-movement counts (Tuesday through Thursday), include heavy-vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle counts, and be no more than twelve months old. The required count timeframes are from 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 4:30-7:00 p.m. and shall be collected during periods of the year when local schools are in regular session; however, site-specific conditions may necessitate additional or different traffic counting hours and/or days depending on the development program and location within the City. These unique circumstances will be determined and directed by the City. For example, 12-hour turning movement counts shall be required to complete the analysis if a traffic signal warrant analysis is required as part of the TIA. The City will determine if additional peak hours or weekend analyses shall be included in the TIA at the mandatory scoping meeting. For example, if the development is nearby a school that significantly alters traffic volumes at times other than the peak hours described above, additional study hours will be required. Traffic volumes shall also represent weeks that have no observed federal, state, or local holidays and periods of the year when local schools are in session. The source of existing traffic volume information shall be explicitly stated (e.g., City counts, new counts collected by the applicant, NCDOT counts, etc.). If previous counts were obtained, only counts collected within the one year of the Scoping Meeting will be deemed acceptable. Summary sheets for existing turning movement counts shall be included in the appendix of the TIA report. A separate narrative and map shall be prepared to describe the characteristics of surrounding major roadways, including functional classification, number of lanes, posted speed limit, existing average daily traffic volumes, typical cross section, intersection control, and lineal distance between major roadways.
Field notes for the existing conditions investigation may be included in the appendix of the TIA report.
9. Future Year Conditions – Unless otherwise approved by the City, future year conditions for a single-phase development shall be analyzed for the year the development is expected to be at full occupancy (build-out year) and five years after the build-out year (build-out + 5). For multiple-phased development, the scenarios shall be completed in order, with any improvements specified by development included in the subsequent build scenarios, including five years after the full build-
Agenda Item #B.(2)
out year (build-out + 5). Specific analysis periods to include in the study shall depend greatly upon the development program, proposed project phasing plan, and significant improvements programmed for the surrounding transportation system.
The approved offsite developments and transportation projects to be included in the base future-year background conditions for the transportation system within the study area shall be determined during the scoping meeting. Transportation improvements assumed in the future-year background conditions analysis may include those with an expected completion date concurrent with that of the development and funded through either by the City of Belmont, State of North Carolina Transportation Improvement Program, or indicated as a required condition of approval from another nearby development application. Only projects approved by the City at the scoping meeting may be included in the analysis as future existing infrastructure. Those improvements committed by other projects must be clearly identified in the report as approved offsite development road improvements.
Adjacent development traffic information used in the development of the future year background traffic volumes shall be included in the appendix of the TIA report. Unfunded, planned infrastructure projects may be mentioned in the TIA, but the description shall specifically identify that these projects are not included in the background condition. Future year background traffic volumes shall be forecasted using historical growth rate information, regional models, and/or TIA reports for development approved by the City but not yet built. A narrative and map shall be prepared that presents turning movement volumes for each peak hour for all intersections identified within the study area. Future year base traffic volumes, other development volumes, and site traffic volumes shall be clearly separated and combined in the map.
10. Trip Generation – Base trip generation for the proposed land use(s) shall be calculated using data published in the latest version of the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) Trip Generation Manual. Data limitations, data age, choice of peak hour of adjacent street traffic, choice of independent variable, and choice of average rate versus equation shall be discussed at the mandatory scoping meeting. Local trip generation rates may be acceptable if appropriate validation is provided by the applicant to support them. Any deviation from ITE trip generation rates shall be discussed in the mandatory scoping meeting and documented in the MOU if approved by the City and NCDOT. The NCDOT Municipal School Transportation Assistance (MSTA) calculator shall be used to calculate projected trip generations for school sites.
a. Internal Capture – Base trip generation may be reduced by rate of internal capture when two or more land uses are proposed using methodology recommended in the most current Trip Generation Handbook published by the ITE or research published by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Transportation Research Board. Reductions for internal capture shall be applied to multi- or mixed-use sites only, and reductions greater than 10% in any peak hour require consultation and acceptance by the City and NCDOT. The internal capture reduction shall be applied before pass-by trips are calculated.
b. Pass-by Trips – Pass-by trips are those made as intermediate trips between an origin and primary destination (i.e., home to work, home to shopping, etc.). However, pass-by trips are not diverted from another roadway. Base trip generation may be reduced by rate of pass-by capture using
methodology recommended in the most current Trip Generation Handbook published by the ITE. Pass-by trips associated with the development program may not exceed 10% of the existing peak-hour volume reported for the adjacent public street network. This network shall include the streets that provide primary access to/from the site. For example, if a site access drive that connects to a low-volume local street, which its primary access to a major collector road, the traffic on the major collector shall be used as the adjacent street for pass-by calculation purposes. Evaluation of diverted trips may apply depending on the specifics of each site. A trip generation table shall summarize all trip generation calculations for the project.
11. Trip Distribution – External trip distribution shall be determined on a project-by- project basis using one of several sources of information available to transportation and land planning professionals. Potential sources for determining project trip distribution may include the regional travel demand model, market analysis, existing traffic patterns, or professional judgment. At the City’s direction, multiple trip distributions may be required for differing land use types. Regardless of methodology, the procedures followed and logic for estimating trip distribution percentages must be well-documented in the TIA. Trip distribution percentages proposed for the surrounding transportation network shall be discussed during the scoping meeting and shall be approved by the City and NCDOT before proceeding with the TIA. A map showing the percentage of site traffic on each street included in the study area shall be included in the TIA.
12. Trip Assignment – Project traffic shall be distributed to the surrounding transportation system based on the site’s trip generation estimates and trip distribution percentages. Future year build-out traffic forecasts (i.e., future year background traffic plus project traffic) shall be represented in graphic formats for AM and PM peak-hour conditions at all intersections included in the study area. If the project will be built in phases, traffic assignments shall be reported for each phase. Pass-by traffic shall be included at the driveways and access points for evaluating driveway volumes. Multiple assignment analyses may be required if the traffic control at the access drives varies (i.e., right-in/right-out vs. stop controlled vs. signalized).
13. Operations Analysis - Level-of-Service (LOS) and delay are the primary measures of effectiveness for impacts to the transportation system, and are defined by the most current edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). Operations analyses shall be performed for the existing and all future year scenarios. Impacts from the proposed project shall be measured by comparing the future year background conditions to the future year build-out conditions. Requirements for mitigation are described in Section G (17).
a. Vehicle Capacity Analysis – Level-of-Service (LOS) and delay is the primary measures of effectiveness for impacts to the transportation system, and is defined by the most current edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). Unless otherwise noted, Synchro LOS and delay shall be reported for all signalized intersections and approaches identified in the study area.
Based on HCM, LOS for unsignalized intersections is not defined as a whole; instead, only the individual stop-controlled or yield approaches shall be reported based on the HCM reports determined through the Synchro
Agenda Item #B.(2)
analysis. Existing signalized intersections shall be modeled based on existing signal timing plans provided by either the City or NCDOT. Existing signal timing plans shall be included in the appendix of the TIA report. If a traffic signal is part of a coordinated system it must be analyzed as such under all conditions. Other standard practices and default input values for evaluating signalized intersections shall be consistent with the most recent guidelines published by the NCDOT, Traffic Engineering and Safety Systems Branch, Congestion Management Unit (“Capacity Analysis Guidelines”). The City may also require safety, traffic simulation, gap and/or other analyses appropriate for evaluating a development application. Additional analyses and/or traffic capacity or simulation tools (such as VISSIM) required for the TIA shall be identified during the scoping meeting. Capacity calculations shall be included for the existing and all future year scenarios, as described in Section G (19)). Impacts from the proposed project shall be measured by comparing the future year background conditions to the future year build-out conditions. Requirements for mitigation are described in Section G (19). All TIA reports submitted to the City shall use SYNCHRO Synchro, SimTraffic or VISSIM analysis software for signalized and unsignalized intersections, or Sidra Software, for roundabouts, consistent with policies released by the NCDOT. A narrative, table
,
and map shall be prepared that summarizes the methodology and measured conditions at the intersections reported in LOS (LOS A – F), the intersection and approach signal delay for signalized intersections, the approach delay for unsignalized intersections, and 95th percentile queue lengths for all movements. Capacity analysis worksheets and auxiliary turn lane warrants for unsignalized intersections shall be included in the appendix of the TIA report.b. Multimodal Capacity Analysis- For developments located within the Center City Small Area Plan as defined within Belmont’s most recently adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan, the TIA/TTM shall provide multi-modal operations analyses including vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic, to allow for the safe and convenient travel for all modes.
i. Pedestrian Analysis - Unless otherwise noted, methodology provided in the latest edition of the HCM shall be used to evaluate pedestrian LOS for the intersections identified in the study area. The current methodology is based on geometric data, demand data, and signal control data including, but not limited to:
Number of lanes on the major street
Crossing distance
Traffic volumes
Motorist yielding rates to pedestrians
Cycle Length
Walk Time
Presence of pedestrian phase
ii. Bicycle Analysis – The bicycle LOS at intersections identified in the study area shall be evaluated using locally accepted methodology. This current methodology assesses bicyclists’ comfort based on geometric and traffic signal features including, but not limited to:
Number of lanes crossed
Presence of conflicting turning movements
Presence of bike lanes
Under this methodology, intersection features are assigned points, where the LOS for each approach is calculated based on the accumulation of points for each geometric and traffic signal feature identified in the worksheet. Currently, this methodology does not account for demand volumes; therefore, the bicycle LOS would not differ between AM and PM peak hours, and thus would not need to be reported for both under this methodology.
14. Queuing Analysis – 95th percentile and simulation analysis of future year queues shall be consistent with NCDOT’s Traffic Engineering and Safety Systems Branch, Congestion Management Unit current practices and published Capacity Analysis Guidelines. Turn lanes and storage lengths for the major street (uncontrolled) approaches at unsignalized intersections driveways shall be identified using volume thresholds published in the NCDOT’s Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways (see Warrant for Left- and Right-Turn Lanes Nomograph, pg. 80). Recommendations for left and right turn lanes serving the site shall be designed to both account for the NCDOT warrants described above and to meet future year capacity needs identified in the TIA report. For projects that include drive-through facilities, pick-up/drop-off areas, or entrance gates, a queuing analysis may be required by the City to ensure that vehicle stacking will not adversely impact the public transportation system. The queuing analysis must be performed using accepted transportation engineering procedures approved by the City. If a TIA is required for a new school site, the internal circulation and ingress/egress of the site shall be modeled using a “dummy signal” in the SYNCHRO Synchro software as prescribed by NCDOT Municipal School Transportation Assistance (MSTA) department.
15. Crash Analysis – A summary of crash data (type, number, and severity) for the most recent 3-year period at each study location is required. Traffic Engineering Accident Analysis System reports will be provided by the City and/or NCDOT and shall be included in the appendix of the TIA report. For locations with prevalent crash types and/or frequency, a discussion shall be included describing factors that may be contributing to the incidents. At a minimum, the proposed development features shall not contribute to factors potentially involved in collision rates. If contributing factors are identified, recommendations to eliminate or mitigate these features shall be included.
16. Traffic Signal Warrants – City staff and NCDOT may consider potential signal locations at the scoping meeting. However, traffic flow progression is of paramount importance when considering a new traffic signal location. A new traffic signal shall not cause an undesirable delay to the surrounding transportation system. Installation of a traffic signal at a new location shall be based on the application of warrants criteria contained in the most current edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and engineering judgment. Traffic signal warrants shall be included in the appendix of the TIA report. Additionally, spacing of traffic signals within the City must adhere to NCDOT requirements. Pedestrian movements must be considered in the evaluation and adequate pedestrian clearance provided in the signal cycle split assumptions. If a signal warrant analysis is recommended in the TIA, the City and/or NCDOT may decide to defer a signal warrant analysis until after the development has opened to allow use of actual
Agenda Item #B.(2)
turning movement counts at an intersection. The TIA recommendations must clearly state that this analysis shall occur at a specified date following the opening of the development. The applicant must issue a bond or letter of credit in the name of the City for the estimated cost of the signal warrant analysis and resulting signal prior to final approval of the TIA. The cost shall be established based on an engineer’s estimate provided by the engineer of record for the applicant; however, final approval of the dollar amount rests with the City.
17. Mitigation Measure Recommendations – This section of the TIA report shall provide a description of the study’s findings regarding impacts of the proposed project on the existing and future transportation system and describe the location, nature, and extent of all mitigation measures recommended to the applicant to improve and/or maintain the future year background conditions level-of-service (LOS) conditions through phasing and ultimate build-out of the project. This mitigation will be based on the build-out year scenario. The applicant is required to mitigate transportation deficiencies caused solely by the projected impact of their proposed development, and not unacceptable background conditions or other deficiencies caused by offsite development within the defined study area.
The applicant shall be required to identify mitigation improvements to the roadway network if at least one of the following conditions exists when comparing future year background conditions to future year build-out conditions:
a. the total average delay at an intersection or individual approach increases by 25% or greater, while maintaining the same LOS,
b. the LOS degrades by at least one level,
c. or the LOS is “D” or worse in background conditions and the proposed project shows a negative impact on the intersection or approach
If the background LOS (intersection or approach) is inadequate (i.e., “D,” "E," or F"), the applicant will be expected to mitigate only the impact caused by the proposed project. For example if the background LOS of an approach is LOS F with 85 seconds of delay, and the project traffic increases the delay to 95 seconds at LOS F), the applicant will be required to mitigate the added 10 seconds of delay on the approach, not required to mitigate the inadequate background delay. City staff and NCDOT will review the recommendations in the final version of the TIA and will have the ultimate determination in the scope of the required mitigation measures.
For multi-phase developments, the capacity analyses scenarios shall address the phasing of improvements for each phase of development. The build-out + 5 scenario will require the analysis of only five years beyond the full build-out year.
The build-out + 5 scenario analysis is not used for mitigation purposes. A narrative and table shall be prepared that summarizes the methodology and measured conditions at the intersections reported in LOS (LOS A–F) and average control delay for each intersection and approach.
A narrative and map shall also be prepared that describes and illustrates recommended improvements, by development phase if necessary, for mitigating the projected impact of the proposed development.
18. Payment-In-Lieu of Transportation Improvements –A developer may request consideration of payment-in-lieu of required transportation improvements by City Council at the time of schematic plan approval if the following conditions exist:
a. The developer is unable to secure the needed right-of-way (ROW) for off- site transportation improvements.
b. Funded transportation projects overlap with the improvements associated with the development’s recommended mitigation.
For multi-phase projects, requests for payment-in-lieu consideration at the time of schematic plan approval shall be limited to the first phase of development.
All payment-in-lieu requests shall include cost estimate calculations prepared by the applicant that meet the following standards:
All cost estimate calculations must be prepared by a licensed engineer.
Cost estimates shall be based on a minimum of 25% engineered roadway design plans per City of Belmont Land Development Standards Manual and NCDOT Roadway Design Guidelines.
The calculation shall include costs associated with remaining design needed, right of way (ROW), utilities, and construction for the associated improvements.
Any requests for payment-in-lieu received following a schematic plan approval and associated traffic mitigation agreement (TMA) shall be considered an as amendment to the approved plans.
If City Council, at its discretion, agrees to accept payment-in-lieu of transportation improvements for a development, the exact payment amount shall be verified at the time of construction plan review. All calculated cost estimates shall not be more than two years old at the time of acceptance by the city, and payment must be received prior to approval of the associated construction plans.
19. Compliance with Adopted Transportation Plans – All TIA reports must include a statement of compliance with plans, programs, and policies adopted by the City of Belmont for maintaining a safe and efficient multi-modal transportation system.
