Commission approves changes for smaller Whole Foods site plan with several conditions

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By Julia Glendening
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Charlottesville Planning Commission has approved changes to the preliminary site plan for a new Whole Foods store that was originally approved on July 22, 2008. The grocery store, which has now been reduced in size, will be built at the intersection of Hydraulic Road and the future Hillsdale Drive Extended. The Commission unanimously approved the new site plan, however, with conditions that will need to be reviewed by the applicant, S.J. Collins Enterprises, LLC.

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On June 9, 2009, the project amendments were presented by Mary Joy Scala, the City’s Preservation and Design Planner so the Commission could review compliance with City entrance corridor guidelines. Initially, the plan included a 66,600 square foot building with a three-level parking garage. The store will now be 40,000 square feet and will have a sizeable rear surface parking lot with the store fronting on Hydraulic Road instead of the new portion of Hillsdale Drive facing Gold’s Gym. Other updates included retaining walls, railings, a non-public store front on the east end, and two types of brick and a tan stone material that will be used.

Questions from the Commission were answered by Dan Tucker, the Director of Development and Construction from S.J. Collins Enterprises, LLC and the Project Manager for the new Whole Foods. He also presented the plans and clarified the placement of trees, benches, and pedestrian pathways.

Most of the Commissioners said they felt the site plan still needed to be reviewed further to eliminate logistical problems with future pedestrian and vehicular traffic. They will get that chance when the site plan returns before them at a later date, but this date has not yet been scheduled according to Commissioner Missy Creasy. 

“[The site plan] may be adequate, but I definitely see problems there that we can talk to engineering about,” Commissioner Mike Farruggio said.

Director of Development Dan Tucker presents the plans to the Planning Commission

The design included two entrances and exits for regular traffic, as well as an emergency vehicle entrance. Commissioner Cheri Lewis was concerned about the Hillsdale Drive exit that leads to a dead end at the present time. There are plans to connect Hillsdale Drive from Whole Foods to the road’s existing location near the Senior Center and the Branchlands neighborhood sometime after 2014. 

“[Hillsdale Drive] is a road that may never be built, [that] is what we are told right now,” said Lewis. It’s not just a few years behind. There is no VDOT funding for it at all.” Recently, the owners of the Regal 4 cinema announced plans to expand their theater, despite it being in the path of the Hillsdale Drive extension. 

Matt Fitch of Bohler Engineering responded that signage would be enough to direct traffic. Lewis said she did not think it was feasible to assume people would use both entrances and exits.

Commissioner Michael Osteen said he believed three pedestrian paths to the store was an excess and the interior path in the front of the store was not needed. He commented on his approval of the path within the parking lot, but also said he noticed that paths did not connect and there might be problems where they overlapped with major traffic entrances.

Tucker said that Whole Foods had expressed the need for an interior path to display seasonal merchandise and begin the shopping experience before a customer even enters the store.

Commissioner Bill Emory said he would like to see a more direct pedestrian pathway from the neighboring residential areas. He also expressed his appreciation that the design was conscious of the Meadowcreek stream rehabilitation effort.

The Commission added a number of conditions to their approval including:

• All mechanical equipment must be screened from view of a public right-of-way.
• Areas that are indicated to be brick must be real brick or “whole brick”.
• Signage must comply with signage regulations.
• The Commission stressed that the corner pedestrian entrance must be made accessible to the public, not just employees.

Although the Commissioners had many comments about the design, they said the new plan was more compatible with the entrance corridor design goals. Specifically with the addition of a rear parking lot, an increased number of trees, and a design that might encourage more pedestrian traffic.

“This will be a very good project and an asset to our community,” Commissioner Genevieve Keller said.

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST
01:00 Farruggio introduces topic
01:35 Scala presents site plan changes
09:55 Osteen begins questions
13:55 Tucker presents information about plans and answers questions
20:50 Lewis asks a question about design
26:00 Keller asks a question about materials
26:55 Nueman asks a question about storm system
28:55 Farruggio begins discussion about entrances and exits
1:09:00 Conditions are discussed