Center Construction Approved
The Planning Commission voted unanimously Monday, with commissioner Jay Donahue absent, to approve the town's application for phase four of the Herndon Community Center's expansion.
In a staff report, Elizabeth Gillerman, the town's senior planner, presented the commission with the changes she made since the Oct. 18 work session.
The site plan notes the expansion of the center's floor plan, adding 11,362 square feet; the addition of parking spaces, bringing the total from 189 spaces to 274; a storm water management pond that will rest at the edge of the property near the bike trail, and related landscaping.
Although the commission approved the site plan, its members expressed concerns that the storm water management pond needed to be fenced off, so to not attract anyone from the W&OD Trail, or cause any problems if anyone were to fall off their bike into the pond.
Henry Bibber, director of community development, and Art Anselene, director of Herndon's Parks and Recreation, assured the commission that the pond was a safe distance, at least 30 feet, from the trail.
Next Step for Townhouses
The commission voted 6 to 0, with commissioner Jay Donahue absent, to approve the site plan for six proposed townhouses off of Locust Street.
The proposed upscale model townhouses are three stories and arranged in one row running north and south. The house at the north end will have a side entrance from Locust Street with the rest of the houses fronting on the proposed internal proposed roadway off of Locust Street, and the south house mirroring the north with a side entrance.
The two end houses will have three-car garages, with the other four will have two-car garages, all of which will be the ground floor of the house and act as half garage, half floor area of the house.
Although they meet the town's 10-foot setback rule, where the actual house structure has to be at least 10 feet from the property line, their front stoop projects out so that there is six-feet from the end of the stoop to the property line.
Even though the commission approved the site plan, the next step for the applicant, The Lawrence Doll Company, is to take the plan to the Architectural Review Board, to gain their approval before returning to the commission and then Town Council for further action.
Re-subdivision Approved
The commission unanimously approved, with commissioner Jay Donahue absent, an application for the re-subdivision of a piece of land in the Sugarland Industrial Park area.
Caleast Industrial Investors, LLC, applied for the re-subdivision of their single piece of land that currently holds two buildings at 380 and 400 Herndon Parkway.
The approval of the "unified commercial subdivision" will allow them to divide the land so that each building will be considered separate purchases, instead of a combined purchase. This will allow for the one piece of land, which houses two buildings, to be able to have different owners for the two structures, as opposed to the current situation where only one owner is allowed to own both buildings.
The commission approved the application with the recommendation staff ensures that the site will continue to operate as a single entity in regards to parking, so that neither building can restrict parking spaces for their business only.
Worldgate Ordinances
The commission also approved 6 to 0, with commissioner Jay Donahue absent, two ordinances dealing with the transfer of the Worldgate development site from Fairfax County's control to the Town of Herndon's control.
The two ordinances deal with necessary changes that need to be made to the Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment and the Zoning Map Amendment, so that the transfer of the buildings will comply with the town's code.
Town Attorney Richard Kaufman made changes to the billing format at the beginning of each ordinance and made further clarifications that either related to the county's Zoning Ordinance or the town's Zoning Ordinance.
Although the commission approved the ordinances, commissioners expressed their concerns that all the buildings and sites need to conform with the town's regulations. They also agreed they need to walk around the site with key county and town staff to make sure both parties are aware of each business and whether or not any of them have violated any codes in the past.