A Maryland-based distribution company is currently the only identified end-user. Questions raised by Board over what became of a previously proposed recreational center.
I'm disappointed that there was no reporting on what was said at the public hearing. The reporting focuses only on what County Officials, the developer and landowners said.
"The only access to the site would be from Powell Lane, which the developer would extend to accommodate the industrial use, Planning Director Mike Zuraf told the Board."
That statement needs clarifying. The access to the site is Powell Lane, but the access from route 17 will be Left Turns into and out of the Commerce Intersection.
Powell Lane access from Route 17 will be Right-In Right-Out.
"Accompanying proffers state that before the county issues a certificate of occupancy for any building that exceeds 500,000 square feet, the applicant will provide an updated traffic count for the existing U.S. 17/Commerce Parkway northbound left-turn lane. If the count finds an excess of 300 average vehicle trips during morning peak hours, the applicant will construct an additional left turn lane."
That statement is correct, but the GDP shows all the buildings to be much less that 500,000 sq. ft., so that proffer will not be triggered. It's a meaningless transportation improvement proffer and should have never been accepted. As it stands now, Others will have to build the turn lanes needed, so the trucks aren't sticking out of the turn lanes and blocking the travel lanes on Route 17 and Commerce.
To be fair, the wording in the actual proffer is slightly different (e.g., using "first" as opposed to "any" building) and could be referring to total project square footage as opposed to single building square footage. This means the vehicle count trigger would be prior to whichever building permit would surpass the 500,000 total project square footage. This is more logical, albeit open to legal dispute.
The first building that exceeds 500,000 sq. ft. refers to one building, not two, not three, not 4. One building. There are zero mega warehouses in Stafford that exceed 500,000 sq. ft.
The wording also ties it to a traffic study that requires a traffic count at morning peak time to have 300 more trips in an hour on top of the current trips in the study.
I've seen dozens of proffers over the last 35 years that had triggers that couldn't be reached. The Cemetary that proffered road improvements when it averaged 10 funerals a day, sticks out.
I'm disappointed that there was no reporting on what was said at the public hearing. The reporting focuses only on what County Officials, the developer and landowners said.
"The only access to the site would be from Powell Lane, which the developer would extend to accommodate the industrial use, Planning Director Mike Zuraf told the Board."
That statement needs clarifying. The access to the site is Powell Lane, but the access from route 17 will be Left Turns into and out of the Commerce Intersection.
Powell Lane access from Route 17 will be Right-In Right-Out.
"Accompanying proffers state that before the county issues a certificate of occupancy for any building that exceeds 500,000 square feet, the applicant will provide an updated traffic count for the existing U.S. 17/Commerce Parkway northbound left-turn lane. If the count finds an excess of 300 average vehicle trips during morning peak hours, the applicant will construct an additional left turn lane."
That statement is correct, but the GDP shows all the buildings to be much less that 500,000 sq. ft., so that proffer will not be triggered. It's a meaningless transportation improvement proffer and should have never been accepted. As it stands now, Others will have to build the turn lanes needed, so the trucks aren't sticking out of the turn lanes and blocking the travel lanes on Route 17 and Commerce.
To be fair, the wording in the actual proffer is slightly different (e.g., using "first" as opposed to "any" building) and could be referring to total project square footage as opposed to single building square footage. This means the vehicle count trigger would be prior to whichever building permit would surpass the 500,000 total project square footage. This is more logical, albeit open to legal dispute.
The first building that exceeds 500,000 sq. ft. refers to one building, not two, not three, not 4. One building. There are zero mega warehouses in Stafford that exceed 500,000 sq. ft.
The wording also ties it to a traffic study that requires a traffic count at morning peak time to have 300 more trips in an hour on top of the current trips in the study.
I've seen dozens of proffers over the last 35 years that had triggers that couldn't be reached. The Cemetary that proffered road improvements when it averaged 10 funerals a day, sticks out.