Title
Rezoning Application No. 18-00001 by B&B Contracting LLC, to rezone approximately 0.8± acres of land located at 6 Windsor Drive
Purpose
Background Statement:
This is a request to rezone a 0.8+ acres of land at 6 Windsor Drive [LRSN 7000267] from One Family Residence [R-13] District to One Family Residence [R-11] District with proffered conditions. The subject property is located within the Windsor Terrace neighborhood off of Armistead Avenue. The proposed development features the subdivision of one lot into three lots to include three two-story single family homes with attached two-car garages. Each home will contain approximately 3,100 square feet of living space.
City records indicate that the homes within the Windsor Terrace neighborhood were built between 1952 and 1960, except for the existing home at 6 Windsor Drive which was built in 1852. The neighborhood was built prior to the creation of Hampton’s Zoning Ordinance, which was adopted in 1960. The current R-13 zoning district allows for up to 3.5 units per acre with a minimum lot frontage of 80 feet. Lot frontage is the width of the lot measured at the front setback line. In contrast, the proposed R-11 zoning district allows for a density of up to 4.5 units per acre with a minimum lot frontage of 70 feet. Most of the properties/lots within the Windsor Terrace neighborhood are in line with the dimensional lot standards for R-11, even though the entire neighborhood is zoned R-13. If approved, the requested zoning change would allow for the applicant to build three homes under the R-11 zoning, instead of constructing two homes under the existing R-13 zoning district.
Since portions of the subject property falls within the Flood Zone Overlay (O-FZ) District there will be requirements for some of the homes to be elevated to comply with the flood zone standards. In addition to the zoning regulations, the Hampton Community Plan (2006, as emended) and the Coliseum Central Master Plan (2015, as amended) are used as guiding policy documents to inform land use decisions. Both plans designate the subject property and the surrounding neighborhood as low density residential.
Staff is recommending approval of this rezoning request for the following reasons:
1) The applicant could subdivide the lots from one lot to two lots to build two homes without requiring City Council approval of a rezoning application because the existing R-13 zoning permits the development of single family-dwellings on lots that are at least 12,000SF. Since the applicant is seeking greater density through this rezoning process, they have opted to proffer higher quality materials such as brick, which is common in the neighborhood.
2) The existing zoning for the Windsor Terrace neighborhood is R-13; however, the neighborhood, which predates the ordinance, was mostly built to the smaller R-11 zoning standards as it relates lot sizes and setbacks. Most of the lots are approximately 70’ to 77’ in width and about 150’ in depth. The homes range from 1 to 1.5 stories in height, with the exception of a recently built two-story home at 4 Windsor Drive, which did not require a rezoning because two-story homes are permitted in the R-13 zoning district. Approval of this rezoning request would ensure the consistency in the lot patterns within the neighborhood and allow for a better housing style transition between the newly built home on Windsor Drive to the proposed homes on Broadstreet Road.
3) The proposal features three homes that include approximately 3,100 square feet of living space that could offer higher-value housing given the size of the homes and quality of the materials; which is consistent with the Community Plan goal to add higher value housing to the existing supply.
Recommendations:
Rec
Staff Recommendation:
Approve with 6 proffered conditions
Planning Commission Recommendation:
Approve with 6 proffered conditions