Trail Waiver #027080:
Village Turf Landscaping
8214 and 8218 Richmond Highway

Summary:

The subject area is a landscaping company located in the Beakman Road area of Richmond Highway.  Substantial construction and other work are proposed in the site plan, which covers about 1.2 acres of land. The existing building has gross floor area of 3,094 square feet and the total floor area will be increased to 18,264 square feet. The ultimate expansion will have one greenhouse, one equipment shelter, one outdoor display area, one equipment bays storage, one office and 35 parking spaces. The applicant is required to provide a 10-foot wide Type 1 trail along its property frontage. In addition, a 5-foot on-road bike lane should be provided if frontage improvement of Route One is required. Applicant’s request: wave the trail requirement for the following reasons:

1.      An eight-foot concrete sidewalk that features handicapped access already exists along the frontage.

Photo 1: Map of Subject Area

Discussion:

Richmond Highway is a patchwork of sidewalks along its entire length. It is not a contiguous construction on either side of the road. Even in the vicinity of the subject area, sidewalks appear, disappear, and change width in the space of a half mile. Richmond Highway is a very unfriendly area for pedestrians because the sidewalks meander from one side of the road to another. Inadequate road crossings are another  persistent problem throughout this area.

The sidewalk in front of the subject area is one of the better segments along Richmond Highway. It is very new (less than 10 years old), eight feet wide, and has modern features in the design of curb cuts and pedestrian mobility ramps. The only obstruction is a raised front yard on the 8218 portion of the site. The sidewalk connectors on either side of the site connect this sidewalk to service roads of the adjoining properties. An example is shown in Photo 2.

Field Check  7 November 2004

Grant the Waiver under the following conditions:

1. Design the parking lot and new display areas in such a way as that two feet of the property can be used as needed as an extension of the sidewalk. This continues the existing practice. See Photo 1.
2. If the new construction includes demolishing 8218 Richmond Highway and regrading the yard, continue the practice described in Paragraph 1 of this Recommendation (i.e., design a two-foot strip that can be used as needed as an extension of the sidewalk).
3. Maintain the eight-foot width of the existing concrete sidewalk and of the sidewalk connectors on either side of the site. Maintain the mobility ramps on the connectors.