Rockville Planning Commission
Minutes

 Mayor and Council Chambers
Meeting No. 23-06
December 20, 2006, 7:00 p.m.

The City of Rockville Planning Commission convened in regular session in the Mayor and Council Chambers at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 20, 2006.

REVIEW AND ACTION           

Use Permit USE2005-00694, Rockville Volunteer Fire Department – for approval of a 27,023 square foot building addition, including renovations and site improvements to the fire station at 380 Hungerford Drive in the TC-3 Zone.

Mr. Chasten presented the staff report.  Mr. Chasten noted a correction in the staff report.  The expansion that is being proposed is not for 27,023 square feet; it is for 6,850 square feet.  Mr. Chasten stated that when the plans were reviewed, this was really an oversight. 

Mr. Chasten stated that the site is located on the northwest corner of Hungerford Drive and Beall Avenue.  The existing station was constructed in 1965 and is two stories in height with masonry in construction and approximately 20,173 square feet in size.  Thirteen paid staff members staff the station during weekdays and 25 volunteers that work during the evenings, nights, and weekends.  The station is operational seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.  The property is approximately 40,032 square feet, which is comprised of two parcels recorded by deed and a record lot.  The site has vehicular access on both Beall Avenue and Hungerford Drive.  The site entrance on Hungerford Drive serves as the primary exit point for fire and emergency vehicles responding to emergency calls.  Fire and emergency vehicles returning to the station primarily use the Beall Avenue site entrance, which allows the vehicles to access the station from the rear, or travel around the north side of the station building to access the station from the front of the site.  Pedestrian access to the site is provided via the pedestrian walkways located along both of the abutting streets.  The existing fire station is comprised of two primary component parts.  The station’s administrative offices, operational command center, restrooms, dressing/locker rooms, meeting/conference areas, sleeping accommodations, and kitchen/food preparation facilities are located in the southern portion of the building.  The station’s vehicular parking/storage bays, where fire trucks and other emergency vehicles are parked and readied for service, make up the larger north side of the station building.  In addition to the storage of service vehicles, other associated support equipment and materials are also stored in the larger areas of the station, all readily accessible and in close proximity to the station’s fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. 

Mr. Chasten stated that the Rockville Emergency Fire Department proposed the following improvements:  1) the construction of two building additions, one addition on the rear southwest corner and a second addition on the north side of the existing station building; 2) construction of a clock and bell tower on the southern portion of the station building; 3) resurface, restripe, and reconfigure site surface parking facilities; 4) modification and upgrading of site vehicular entrances on both Beall Avenue and Hungerford Drive; 5) installation of new sidewalks along both site street frontages; 6) installation of new trees and plant materials (where feasible) and; 7) removal of the existing storage building located in the rear northwest corner of the site.

Mr. Chasten stated that the construction of the two planned new building additions would add up to an additional 6,850 square feet of building space to the existing 20,173 square foot station.  Once completed, the building will add up to 27,023 square feet in size.  The proposed expansion would be carried out in two distinct phases.  Under the first phase, the station will remain open and in service during construction.  The north side building addition will be constructed under phase one of the development project in order to establish temporary quarters for the department.  Under phase two, the station’s current operations center along with the other areas of that part of the building will be renovated.  It is expected that the construction will be completed within 18 or 24 months of the initial startup date. 

Mr. Chasten noted that the site surface parking facilities would be resurfaced and restriped.  A total of 30 surface parking spaces will be provided, which should be sufficient to accommodate the staffing needs of the fire station.     

The Commission discussed concerns regarding the proposed bell tower and whether it would be regulated by the County’s noise ordinance, whether the expansion would take up more space on the site and disrupt the flow of traffic, parking spaces on the site, site  circulation around the building, 

Commissioner Hill pointed out on Page 16 of the applicant’s report that 22 parking spaces is the peak of parking capacity needed on site; he asked if staff agreed with that and are there any equations that determines the 30 parking spaces is what is needed on this site.  Mr. Chasten replied that there is nothing in the City’s Zoning Ordinance that mandates required parking for a fire station.  Based on the staffing levels, they feel that the 30 parking spaces that would remain on the site should accommodate the station’s needs.  Commissioner Hill asked if there was any special consideration given to evaluating sewer capacity for the site. 

Mr. Hollida with Public Works explained the sewer capacity.  The site drains into Rockville Pike, which is ultimately Rock Creek and they look at whether the capacity is sufficient for the expansion. 

Commissioner Hill pointed out that one of the conditions is providing a bus stop.  He asked whether the bus stop would be on the property.  Mr. Saleh explained that there is a bus stop on the frontage Hungerford Drive adjacent to the site.   

Commissioner Hill commented on the required shared pathway to be provided in front of the fire station.  He said there is a submission from the applicant who is asking not to construct the pathway.  He said he wanted to ask the applicant’s input on that subject.  The letter from the applicant suggests that other configurations might be considered.  Mr. Hollida explained that Public Works has looked into other alternatives and found that there is no other alignment option for the Rockville Pike Corridor, which is consistent with the Bikeway Master Plan.  As far as the widths, they went through various numerations with the widths.  Two years ago, they started with a section, similar to Foulger-Pratt and Rockville Town Square, which is a thirteen foot tree buffer in a twelve foot sidewalk, and they have gone from that section down to an eight foot sheared path and a twelve foot buffer, which is consistent with the Bikeway Master Plan.  Staff feels that they have made the concession to that point in order to meet the City’s guidelines and requirements.  Commissioner Hill stated that the concern that is that any linear path along Rockville Pike would only be effectively wide as its narrowest point in terms of capacity and use.  Mr. Hollida noted that the properties north of the fire station are inconsistent with the Bikeway Master Plan, but when other properties come through and they redevelop, they will also have staff’s recommendations to be consistent with the Bikeway Master Plan.  Commissioner Hill recommended, for safety considerations, to set the pathway back from the street, so there is no pathway adjacent to the street and no potential to overlap the curb.  Mr. Hollida stated that the existing six-foot path, which is planned to be replaced as part of the use permit plan, has obstacles within that six-foot dimension that cause problems as well.  There is a power pole and a traffic signal pole that force pedestrians or bicycles closer to the curb.  Mr. Hollida stated that staff is requesting those items be within this buffer and behind what would be the bike path.   In any event, according to ASHA’s guidelines, the eight-foot shared bike path also should have three-foot buffering inside of that path, which means, if a person were bicycle riding, there would be some buffer outside the sidewalk to prevent accidents. 

The Commission and staff discussed concerns regarding shared use pathways in the City.  They also discussed a proposed bike pathway, with standard widths and buffer, in front of the firehouse and constraints that would be caused due truck movements on the site, reducing the building footprint by two feet to help reduce the two foot overhang on the sidewalk, truck ladder overhang, obstacles on the site, tight circulation of trucks on the site, emergency vehicles exiting the firehouse onto Hungerford Drive promoting safety concerns, promoting more inviting and slower paced access by pedestrians and bikers may lead to increasingly dangerous conditions, additional signage (possibly lighted) to alert bikers and pedestrians to exiting emergency vehicles in that area of the site, and the tapering off of a bike lane at the end of Beall Avenue, using pavement markings.  Also discussed was the condition that required the applicant to comply with the Publicly Accessible Art in Private Development Ordinance.  Mr. Chasten informed the Commission that this applicant has been exempt from that requirement.  The applicant is not exempt from the required bus stop.  

Ray Whalen, Master EMT Provider at Fire Station #3, represented the applicant and presented the application.  Mr. Whalen stated that the Volunteer Fire Department is a private corporation, which provides essential services to Rockville.  He noted that there are 120 riding volunteers, who provide emergency services to the public.  There are 310 hours of required in station training.  Mr. Whalen stated that the most serious issue is the bike path on Hungerford Drive.  No one is going to argue that it is not great to have bike lanes and standard designs for streetscapes, but what they have to talk about is an essential service to Rockville as well as the operational, human and economic issues.  Mr. Whalen stated that they took the trucks out and tested the turning radius and the drivers have the ability to make those turns.  He articulated some of the problems they have with the apparatus.  He talked about pedestrians and cars in front of the fire station.  He explained the procedure of parking the trucks.  Mr. Whalen stated that they do not want to make the front of the station attractive so that people will walk there.  Signage would be good.  The narrow sidewalk would be best so that people would not ride their bikes in front of the station.  Mr. Whalen said that they tried hard to get off this site because this building is not adequate and the space is not adequate.  They have squeezed as much as they could in the small space. 

Mr. Whalen discussed the Beall Avenue side of the fire station.  He stated that the expansion of the sidewalk would prevent them from having the only space they have to escape, relax and cook out in the summer.  He said this is a charitable organization and not one nickel for this renovation is coming from Montgomery County; the fire station was built completely on volunteer funds and they intend the next building to be built on volunteer funds.  Mr. Whalen said that another big issue is the median.  Mr. Hollida explained that there are some capacity issues on Beall Avenue and looking at lane assignments and getting people in and out of that section.  The alternative is a median to separate traffic, and to extend past the entrance of CVS.  They would eliminate the turns from westbound Beall into the CVS.  There really needs to be two left turns on Beall Avenue.  Mr. Hollida stated that Public Works is prepared to take the responsibility of the median and its modifications.  Public Works is prepared to take the financial responsibility on and pull it from the fire station’s docket as far as a condition.  Public Works is prepared to implement those improvements with the median and potential traffic signal modifications.   

Mr. Whalen said that they do appreciate that.  They know that the sidewalk has to be redone and the fire station is going to be raising $7M outside of that to do that and he respectfully ask that the Commission consider making a recommendation that those improvements not be put on the fire department unit.  He also asked that the contribution for a bus shelter be put aside.   

The Board discussed concerns regarding whether this site is the best location for a fire station.  

Russell Dawson, Fire Chief, explained that in the County’s Master Plan, they are adding fire stations in various places, and, since this station is at a maximum of 15,000 emergency calls a year, and as the development in Rockville increases, the County’s Master Plan has taken that into account in their plans for additional fire stations in the area of Great Seneca Highway and Route 28 and also Shady Grove Road and Route 355.  Those stations would be some relief to his station and the callings should stay relatively even while the other stations pick up the calls in outlying areas.  They have looked for two years for an alternate location.

Commissioner Hill asked about the entrance to the north of the driveway, and if the driveway could be widened.  Mr. Dawson stated that the only issues relating to that are the existing utility and traffic signal areas. 

The Commission discussed the streetscape near the site, the traffic flow problem on the site, building up rather than extend the footprint of the building, the turning radius, sidewalk in front of the fire station, the parking issue on the site, reconfiguring or expanding the driveway, widening and tapering the bike pathway, the bell tower, Beall Avenue side of the site and the patio area with a privacy wall.

The following citizen testified:

1.  Barry Kline stated that he had part in developing the Bikeway Master Plan.  He pointed out his concern when the fire station talked about doing away with the bike path in front of the fire station.  He thinks about J-walkers, pedestrian and bicyclists who go around the fire station and it sounded like it would not work.  Mr. Kline stated that the City needs to protect the pedestrians and bicyclists who go in front of the fire station as much as possible.  He did get the sense that the Commission were interested in continuing to letting people go in front of the fire station.  Mr. Kline stated that he does not mind narrowing the bike pathway and the grass and the bike path a little bit in the front to try to bring people in control at that point and having lights warning people that emergency trucks would be coming out of the station and that they should not to proceed in front of the station.       

The Commission and staff discussed the conditions to be deleted and imposed. 

Commissioner Holtz moved, seconded by Commissioner Hill to approve Use Permit USE2005-00694, Rockville Volunteer Fire Department with the conditions set forth and the modifications thereto.  Commissioner Hill clarified conditions: 1) eliminating Condition 2a., adding another condition after Condition 2b. “Placing the shared use pathway at lot level to north of the driveway and ramp to meet the standard profile of the northeast boundary of the site is desired.”, modification to Condition 2e. by adding an additional sentence stating “Turning radius and practical vehicle passage for emergency vehicles must be accommodated in this configuration program with City staff.”; eliminate Condition 2g.; Condition 2j okay with the exception of the fee; eliminate Condition 2k.; modify Condition 3b “per review and approval of State Highway Administration.”; modification of Condition 4a., drop the word “continuous”; eliminate Condition 7; and add a new condition “It was determined that a wider sidewalk is more important public safe interest than tree placement along the constrained width of the Beall Avenue sidewalk.”      

Ms. Block suggested that in this particular case, staff should draft the use permit letter and send it to the Planning Commission before sending it out.  The Commission agreed.

The motion passed on a vote of 5-0.  Commissioners Johnson and Wiener were absent.   

Use Permit USE2005-00694, Rockville Volunteer Fire Department – for the consideration of City Center Lot 5 and an adjacent deeded lot into a single record lot of 40,032 square feet in the TC-3 Zone.

Mr. Chasten presented the staff report and in the plat recommendations it states that the applicant not provide continuous PUEs prior to the approval.   

Mike Plitt, civil engineer with MHG presented the applicant’s and stated that the applicant does agree with staff’s conditions. 

Commissioner Hill moved, seconded by Commissioner Medearis approve Use Permit USE2005-00694, Rockville Volunteer Fire Department per staff recommendations.  The motion passed on a vote of 5-0.  Commissioners Johnson and Wiener were absent. 

COMMISSION ITEMS

Chief of Planning Report

Mr. Wasilak stated that the Mayor and Council directed staff to prepare a resolution on the RTH text amendment.  There was also discussion on the MCPS properties, which was the remaining RTH application and the Mayor and Council had concerns about density on that particular site and wisdom of modifying the Zoning Ordinance was given of RORZOR’s work.  As of this moment, that will not be going forward.  The next meeting is scheduled for January 10.

Commissioner Holtz stated that this is the last meeting in 2006 that Commissioner Ostell will be chairing and, on behalf of his fellow Commissioners, he thanked Commissioner Ostell for doing a commendable job this past year.  

ADJOURN

After further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 10:07 pm.