Tom Regan, spokesman for the SYA, described their plains for 117 acres they own on the southwest side of Old Bull Run Post Office Road 1.5 miles north of its intersection with Rt. 29. Although SYA has owned the property for over a year, it needs a special exception to implement its plans in the Occoquan watershed.
SYA is in current desperate need of over 40 playing fields, and is dependent on the county to allocate the necessary fields. To help alleviate the situation, SYA proposes to build 10 fields on this parcel - 3 soccer, 1 lacrosse, 1 combination football / soccer, 1 football, 1 little league diamond, 1 baseball / softball 60' diamond, 1 senior league 90' diamond, several basketball and volleyball courts and a 30,000 square foot recreation center.
The current plan is scaled back from the first plans they presented to the county staff and other community organizations. Based on county comments they removed one field, removed facilities from the flood plain, left 44% of the property undisturbed and 85% in green space. Although all fields will have lighting, they will commit that after-hours lighting will be used on only seven at one time, as will sound amplification. They will limit the access road through their property to three lanes on the east side of the EQC and two lanes west. They are proposing 1021 parking spaces, with 813 required to comply with county requirements, and the additional 208 to be constructed if the demand arises. The additional spaces, if constructed, would be left pervious to water.
They plan on phasing construction on the site, with the first phase being the construction of five temporary fields in the northeast corner of the property. The second through fifth phases would involve the construction of permanent fields from the southwest corner to the northwest corner (the senior diamond). The sixth phase would involve the construction of the recreation center. The recreation center would house basketball, volleyball, and multipurpose courts (which could be used by cheer leading squads).
As the property does not percolate, it would be served by three differing innovative sewering systems subject to approval by the Health Department. The first would be the use of 56 (in rotation) self composting toilets. Sand filtration would be used for gray water. The recreation center would use a self-contained system. If the proposed system won't meet health department standards, they will not build the recreation center.
The facility will be in operation from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays. They expect 2400 vehicles (in/out) with about 5000 trips over 14 hours. On Sunday they expect only 1/3 the traffic, with only 300 vehicles on weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. Only children 5-18 years in age will use the facility, and no adult leagues will be allowed. To help alleviate traffic concerns they propose to contribute $25,000 to the construction of a traffic light at Old Bull Run Post Office Road and Rt. 29, with an additional $100,000 for spot improvements to Old Bull Run Post Office Road.
Members of the committee offered the following comments or questions:
The committee allowed nonmember guests to comment on the proposal:
The committee decided to vote, 4-0-2, to regretfully oppose the SYA Special Exception due to its concerns that the plan was not in conformance with comprehensive plan restrictions for the Occoquan basin.
Lynne Strobel made two presentations: the first by the King of Kings Lutheran Church south of Rt. 50 and just east of Greenbriar to construct improvements on its property and add a preschool. The church proposes buildings and additions that, combined with existing improvements, will consist of 20,829 gross square feet. Improvements will consist of a one-story sanctuary addition containing 3584 gross square feet, a one-story preschool building containing 3624 gross square feet, and an administrative addition containing 2814 gross square feet.
With the addition the sanctuary will expand to 360 seats from the current 200. The preschool will operate two shifts daily, with the first shift from 9:30 - 12:30 and the second from 12:30 - 3:30 for a total of a hundred children daily. Peak use of the Middle Ridge Drive / Route 50 intersection which serves the church occurs before 9:00 A.M., so the preschool use shouldn't add to morning traffic problems.
The church has notified neighboring associations, Greenbriar, Birch Pond and Fair Woods. The committee declined to take any position on the matter, but encouraged the church to continue its dialogue with the surrounding communities.
Lynne Strobel's second presentation was to redevelop property south of Rt. 29 near Forest Hill Drive as a PDH-2 district for 35 single-family homes as part of an age-oriented community. To the north of the proposed development is a planned medical center/assisted living community, with which this development will be affiliated. This will be a gated community with walking trails and a pond with a dock. The plans call for the master bedroom in each house to be on the first floor, and the houses to be built without basements.
The committee made the following suggestions regarding the planned community:
The committee declined to take any position on the matter, but was supportive of the proposed plans.
Mr. Donohue, representing AT&T, returned to inform the committee on its plans to build a monopole in the West Ox Road corridor from the Fox Mill area to Rt. 50. AT&T decided to move the antenna off the roof of one of the buildings of the Fair Oaks Hospital compound, and construct a 170-foot free standing pole that would service three carriers.
AT&T has been in contact with the neighboring communities who were made aware of plans to float a balloon at the tower's proposed height. Pictures of the balloon at the proposed were circulated. The tower would be lighted to alert helicopters serving the hospital, but the lights would be placed so as to reflect up only. The only adverse impact, if any, of the move to a free standing tower, is that the proposed tower would be relatively close with the hospital's northeast boundary with a planned community.
Lawrence Tessier, representing Armfield Farms, spoke to the committee regarding a proposed storm water detention pond to be built on the community association's property. The pond is proposed for the areas cornered by Franklin Intermediate School and Centreville Road, and it would serve the Cain Branch stream valley.
Their homeowner association is concerned that the pond, which they think should be built on the west side of Centreville Road, is being built on their private property just to minimize costs, without regard to current trail alignment. Their association has not been presented possible alternative solutions, and in fact, when asked to grant permission to the county to have their property surveyed, refused.
The committee recommended that John Wesley White, County Director of Planning, Zoning and Environmental Services be invited to address the Sully District Committee on the matter of Storm Water management and regional Ponds. The committee was concerned that regional plans are not included in the comprehensive plan. The committee voted to move "to request Supervisor Frey to inquire about plans for Storm Water management and Regional Ponds and their impacts on individual communities and their lands, using the Armfield Farms situation as a case in point."
On the October agenda are:
The committee's November meeting is currently scheduled for 1 November 2000.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeffrey M. Parnes
Chair, Sully District Council
Land Use and Transportation Committee