Planning Commission on 2026-08-26 7:30 PM

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Agenda: https://legistar1.granicus.com/vienna-va/meetings/2026/8/2914_A_Planning_Commission_26-08-26_Meeting_Agenda.pdf

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[0:12] The August 26th, 2026 meeting in the Planning Commission. Could we have a roll call please?
[0:21] Thank you.
[0:21] Just a couple of years.
[0:22] It's absent.
[0:23] Douglas Noble.
[0:24] David Miller.
[0:26] David Miller.
[0:26] Deeper Chuck Rappani is absent.
[0:28] Evan Feller.
[0:30] Here.
[0:31] Thank you.
[0:32] Do we have any communications from citizens or commissioners with respect to items that are
[0:36] not on the agenda for this evening?
[0:40] Okay.
[0:41] Seeing none, we have no public hearings on the agenda tonight.
[0:43] So we'll move on to regular business.
[0:44] And our first item is PC-26-305 request for recommendations for a conditional
[0:49] use permit to the Board of Zoning of P.O. Specialized Instruction at 396A, Maple Avenue East,
[0:55] in the Avenue East Zoning District. Ms. Chlor, Dr. Levy?
[1:01] Good evening, Lindsey Clarke, Principal Planner, and as you mentioned, this is for Conditionally
[1:06] East Permit for Specialized Instruction for Keyway and Kiln Club at 396A Maple Avenue
[1:11] East. So if we see here in the left-hand corner here, we have the location where it is
[1:19] the intersection of Maple Avenue East with Bula Road and on the lower right-hand corner you see
[1:24] this street view of the property.
[1:30] And here on the left we see the zoning map where the property
[1:33] is zoned AE Avenue East and in the 2015 comprehensive plans future land use map it is designated
[1:41] with a mixed use future land use designation.
[1:47] And then here are a couple of more photos of the
[1:50] This subject property on the left we have the view from Bielerode and on the right is the view from the rear parking line
[1:58] Moving on to discuss the floor plan and site plan. I believe the plan at the leftmost was what the planning commission had originally received
[2:08] But there have been updates to the plan. This is just showing a shift of the location where the kiln is proposed
[2:15] everything else is
[2:17] pretty well the same, and then on the right we see the site plan, including parking for all
[2:24] the businesses in the parcel.
[2:29] With Clay and Hill and Club, their business hours are 10 a.m.
[2:32] to 6 p.m. with a maximum of 10 students per class. There is proposed to be only one class
[2:39] at a time with no overlapping classes, but they will have up to two sessions per day depending
[2:44] on demand. Classes are typically conducted in the morning in the evening, and currently
[2:50] they operate at 390B Maple Avenue East, which is within the same parcel. But in this case,
[2:56] their primary instructional location will be shifting to 396A, whereas 390B will operate
[3:03] for a private membership. And at the space, we'll see activities such as wheel throwing, hand
[3:10] building, glazing instruction, private workshops, and any sort of related ceramics instruction.
[3:17] And then classes are scheduled, classes and workshops are scheduled by registration only.
[3:25] And then here we see the CUP conditions for approval.
[3:29] These come directly from the town code.
[3:35] And then the specialized use instruction standards pertaining to non-residential facilities.
[3:42] classes in camps must ensure the safety of their students during a rival in dismissal, off street spaces for student drop off and pick up, as well as drop off and pick up not impeding the flow of traffic.
[3:55] For Specialized Instruction, Section 18-210 requires two spaces for three employees on shift, plus a sufficient number of spaces for all persons anticipated to be on site under normal operating conditions.
[4:09] And so with one employee teaching a class and a maximum class size of up to 10, the proposed
[4:15] 396A location could generate demand for approximately 11 persons per class.
[4:22] And with a 390B location remaining open to members, we can anticipate some overlap between
[4:28] parking needs for 390B and 396A, over as the site holds 24 spaces, staff find that this is a reasonably
[4:37] sufficient amount of spaces for the proposed use, as well as the other uses on the properties
[4:43] because of the decreased demand for spaces at 390B.
[4:50] And so staff believes that the current parking layouts will serve both commercial properties adequately.
[5:00] And with that, staff concludes its presentation, and happy to take any questions.
[5:07] Any questions for staff at this point from commissioners?
[5:11] I just want to be clear, and maybe the applicant can answer.
[5:14] This is a shifting of the classes from one building the other, and then the old building will be used for the new, the actual new purpose.
[5:20] That's correct. So the new property will do all of the instruction that's available to the public, whereas the current space in which they're operating is going to be more of a small member fee.
[5:29] Right, so we're not actually expanding the public offerings here.
[5:32] We're shifting the public offerings and then private member offerings will be in the old space.
[5:38] Okay.
[5:39] I'd like to welcome the applicant to come forward now.
[5:41] Please state your name and adjust for the record.
[5:44] And then if you have anything to add, please go ahead.
[5:46] Okay.
[5:47] My name is Pinar Turham.
[5:49] The address is 396A.
[5:52] Maple Avenue is.
[5:55] Is there anything you wanted to add to the presentation?
[5:57] No.
[6:00] Questions for the applicant?
[6:02] Mr. Chairman.
[6:04] Commissioner Miller.
[6:05] I don't have a question as much as I have a comment.
[6:10] As I read this before the meeting,
[6:12] I was only struck by how wonderful this is.
[6:16] And how great this is that this,
[6:19] that we have this diversity of business,
[6:21] and that these guys are actually able to expand.
[6:24] And I think that is just an absolutely fabulous thing.
[6:28] I think being a needs business is like this and I can't be any more for approving something
[6:34] than I think I am of this this evening.
[6:37] Yes.
[6:37] Thank you, thank you.
[6:38] And I think that sentiment is probably widely agreed on the commission.
[6:42] Anything else?
[6:43] If not, we are ready to entertain emotion if there is someone who would like to make one.
[6:53] Mr. Chairman, I moved to recommend, oopsie, that was Denial, I don't want that.
[6:58] I moved to recommend approval to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a conditional use permit for the specializing instructions for ceramic studio in classes at 396 a maple avenue located within tax map parcel 0 3 8 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 non
[7:14] No conditions. Oh, I'm sorry with the following conditions of that.
[7:18] If the following conditions does recommend it, there's a second.
[7:24] Any further discussion or deliberation on the motion?
[7:30] Okay, if not, we have a roll call on the motion.
[7:33] Commissioner I'm Amy.
[7:35] Commissioner Noble.
[7:36] Commissioner Miller.
[7:37] Hi.
[7:37] Commissioner Fowler.
[7:40] And so that motion passes.
[7:43] And recommendation will be sent to BZA for what meeting the week's
[7:45] I believe it's the September 16th to be there.
[7:50] Thank you so much for coming in and good luck.
[7:57] The second item of regular business on our agenda is PC26304.
[8:02] Consideration of the Planning Commission draft and your report for fiscal year 2026.
[8:07] Director Lee, do you want to kick us off on this one?
[8:09] Sure.
[8:10] As you know, if you've been on the commission for a little while, which is most of you,
[8:15] this is actually requirement of the state that you do an annual communication
[8:19] It doesn't say when you have to do it beginning last year, the commission started to do it at the end of each fiscal year because the town as opposed to calendar year because the town council has started to get in a rotation of meeting with each board and commission in the fall just to hear how they're.
[8:38] Before going into the next budget cycle for them just in case they're in backs, but just to understand how the boards and commissions are functioning.
[8:46] So, this one, just like last years, was by the fiscal year, so it reports the activities from July 1st of 2025 through June 30th, 2026, the very nice clerk who is sitting next to you, Mr. Chair actually developed much of this document.
[9:08] Kelly and I just took our look, so she sits there quietly, but she actually did this as well.
[9:16] So anyway, it calls out items from the past, from the prior year we know we have one correction to make,
[9:23] which is the spelling of Mr. Fowler's name, and so we will do that.
[9:29] It is spelled correctly at the end of the document, just not at the beginning of the document,
[9:33] and I take four response points for that, but please, any edits you have at a wish to make,
[9:40] where are open?
[9:43] Mr. Chairman.
[9:48] Not taking anything written.
[9:49] Do you have to be a member for the entire term of this report to vote on the report?
[10:00] My suspicion is no, but I am not confident in that. If someone knows better than me, but I a adoption of this report would be by the present members of the body, I would assume.
[10:13] As from general parliamentary procedure, someone knows better than me about the specifics here. They can overrule me, but my understanding is that Commissioner Fowler would be eligible to vote on the adoption of this report.
[10:23] I don't know of any rule that would say no, but I would say on principle, the fact that Mr.
[10:29] Fowler actually was on the commission during this, at least a portion of this would make him even more eligible than he may already be.
[10:40] So, I was just, I was just worried that we might not have it.
[10:43] If we don't have his vote this evening, we don't have it.
[10:47] Yeah.
[10:48] So, ruling from the chair is that he is eligible to vote.
[10:52] hearing no appeal, the real stance. Any further? Update comments, I did not see anything in
[11:01] the report that bothered me technically, or something? I thought it was very good.
[11:05] Mr. Chairman, because you're Miller. I was just amazed at how much work this body got
[11:11] through. That's only how we should pat ourselves on the back. Maybe a little bit. I was thinking
[11:17] and that our calendar has been a little quiet recently.
[11:22] And that is just in sort of comparison
[11:24] to what it was planned with for the last three and a half years,
[11:28] but yes.
[11:29] I think the only way to double down will be to add
[11:34] the total number of comments and pages
[11:35] that we created as part of that process.
[11:37] But I don't think that's necessary.
[11:40] No, I think the report looks like it's in good shape.
[11:43] And if there's no other commentary,
[11:46] I will entertain a motion for approval from the floor.
[11:51] I will do that.
[11:53] I move to approve moving the draft report to final subject to the correction identified
[12:02] to submit the Planning Commission report to the town council.
[12:06] Second, any further discussion on the motion?
[12:10] No, then the question is on approval of the annual report.
[12:12] We have a roll call, please.
[12:15] Mr. Imanee, Mr. Noble, Mr. Miller, Mr. Fowler, I.
[12:21] And so the report is adopted with the pending corrections and then we will sign it and send it off.
[12:30] The next item on the agenda is planning director comics, but I'm pretty sure we're easy to do new business before that.
[12:36] They seem to be backwards on this agenda.
[12:38] Isn't that correct?
[12:38] I don't think there's any new business, so I don't think much matters, but is anybody
[12:52] We messed that up. We move new business behind planned after comments. I don't remember
[12:57] I don't we didn't tend to at any rate
[13:00] I don't believe there's any new business but planned director of the floor drawers
[13:04] Okay, I have a few things since we did our business so quickly I'll take three hours
[13:09] No, I'm sorry, that's the truth.
[13:11] You're on the day I'm going to clock right now.
[13:16] So number one, if you stop by our office,
[13:19] we have a new employee at the front desk.
[13:20] Carol Kim, she just started this week.
[13:22] She's lovely and smart.
[13:24] So hopefully we've got a good one for the long run.
[13:28] So if you receive emails from someone named Carol Kim,
[13:31] unlikely because Jennifer still your clerk,
[13:33] but it could happen.
[13:35] OK, so this past Monday, a few things happened
[13:38] related to work that you've been involved in, one, the council and the lady sitting to my left
[13:45] here did an excellent presentation on the wireless installation on a 527 April Avenue East,
[13:53] otherwise known as the Karen's Forest Building, that you guys have reviewed and recommended
[13:56] the council approve that, so they will move towards installation because they already have
[14:03] are approval. So they're ready to go. They have to go to building permit. And if they do
[14:09] what AT&T map said it should improve coverage as much as it can do at the height that it's
[14:15] getting, which is just on top of that building. But it's kind of a nice circle there.
[14:21] So that's number one. Number two.
[14:26] So since you last met, unless I'm missing something,
[14:29] The BZA reviewed green hedges, held their public hearings,
[14:36] and approved the amendment to the CUP, you probably are all already heard this,
[14:41] but just so I'm telling you here, it was a vote of 61, and a new condition was
[14:48] to add additional sound, they took your comments regarding sound very seriously
[14:53] in the interactions that you had, and green hedges during that period actually got to work
[15:00] Preparing and thinking through and talking to the neighbors about what kind of a sound barrier they could put around the place and potentially closer to the playing areas.
[15:10] So, that is a new condition that Green Hedge is actually offered in response to what you said.
[15:18] So, there was, they set the public hearing for September 28, because now the council has to address the modification of requirements.
[15:28] which you recommended, possibly four, obviously conditioned on the BCA, approving, so they'll
[15:37] have the public hearing on that, but they also did a work session so that there could be a presentation
[15:43] and the council could kind of understand the project in advance of public hearing.
[15:49] They were going to get to the complaint, but many of you are, you can't get enough sleep
[15:56] when you look at the town council agenda items,
[15:59] it was very long and they didn't get to everything.
[16:01] So they didn't get to the comp plan.
[16:03] They're only three items left on a table of items
[16:05] that we've got that they have left,
[16:10] one of which is actually an expanding the wireless,
[16:14] the way that the wireless infrastructures
[16:17] discussed in the comp plan,
[16:19] which I think came up during your joint work session
[16:21] with them, expand that and just make that more forward looking.
[16:27] So that's been rescheduled to September 14th for a work session, which will be the same night that we bring our draft code amendments for allowing being more open for investments in wireless infrastructure.
[16:45] So meaning sell coverage.
[16:48] So they'll get a chance to look at that and we're just hearing it from all over if people get their calls for it.
[16:55] But anyway, so that they'll take a look at that and they'll hopefully get through the last
[17:01] complaint issues.
[17:06] On September 21st, we're going to bring a new package of zoning amendments, some of
[17:12] which derive from what the state adopted this year and some are other items that have come
[17:19] through. One of them will be, I don't know if you got wind of this, or if I mention it to you,
[17:25] after years of Vienna asking for it, and others maybe also the state now will allow jurisdictions
[17:34] during redevelopment of single family houses to have a 10 year period as opposed to a 20 year
[17:41] period when people have to get to their tree canopy requirement.
[17:48] I don't need more explanation
[17:49] on that I can give it to you, but it's been kind of the number one or two request of the council
[17:54] for the last three, four, five, ten years, whatever it was. So now it basically means that the
[18:02] developers will have to, once we adopt it in our code, the developers will have to meet a higher
[18:08] standard for tree canopy, meet the standard earlier, which means they're going to plant more or bigger
[18:13] from the beginning or they're going to preserve more. So that will be brought forward on the
[18:19] I mean, there's no way to actually control what goes on after that.
[18:23] It's just a 10-year expectation based on what you plan as they won.
[18:28] They know what we can control as they won during the redevelopment.
[18:31] Exactly.
[18:32] So we get the certificate of occupancy won't be given unless it's in place at the time after that.
[18:38] We can't control them.
[18:39] I mean, mostly people don't tear down or most of their trees.
[18:43] So you're in a better spot, but you're right.
[18:47] Yeah.
[18:49] And there is for now a schedule for a work session on proposed code and changes for outdoor lighting.
[18:56] We'll see that once it's been bounced back quite a few times.
[19:01] So just stuff comes up.
[19:03] So all of those things in some form are likely to come to you.
[19:09] So we don't have a lot of cases coming up.
[19:11] We have one case, we expect on September 9, which is for a drive-through at 226 Maple
[19:17] Avenue West. But other than that, we don't have a big line-up of cases coming, but beginning
[19:25] in October, you'll start to see some proposed code changes. And that's anything else you can think of?
[19:35] That's a report for now. Let's go on, parking these days. Is that still in?
[19:38] That one is scheduled for a work session in December.
[19:41] That's another one that's been because all these things have come in.
[19:44] It was going to be in the spring.
[19:46] One of the ways I'm going to show you Commissioner Novel.
[19:49] That's now three things I was going to mention.
[19:51] Are we going to have a work session on the code-up dates that you're bringing for us in December?
[19:58] That's what we're having first before we...
[20:01] If it's going to go for the council and they're going to affirm to you.
[20:04] I think we have a work session on it. Yes.
[20:06] And then we'll go back to our meeting to deal with them.
[20:10] We can do it however you want. We can do the work session.
[20:13] You can do a work session and then go into a meeting and you have to have a public hearing.
[20:18] Right, right.
[20:18] So we can actually, it's good time to talk about it. The order you want to do it on.
[20:23] We can just bring it to you as a work session presentation, so you can understand it.
[20:29] In advance of your public hearing, so that you're ready, or you can just get your public hearing set and then deal with it all together and do the presentation.
[20:39] I think for the big, I think it's helpful for you to get a framework first.
[20:44] I will defer to your conversations with the chair and how we schedule that, but just wanted to make sure we talked about it before we went and did it.
[20:51] Fair enough.
[20:52] So I will convey a little bit of a lament on the green hedges work is that I really wish the applicant had done the real leg work on the noise analysis with a consultant prior to them bringing it to us and throwing junk numbers at us that forced them to get the consult to do the real work.
[21:19] Because we didn't have an opportunity to actually review and comment on the underlying data and analysis that was indeed conducted and it was just skipped us effectively.
[21:35] So, for the future, I would hope we can have staff review that basically catches that first so that we see the meaningful application.
[21:46] Yeah, and it's entirety as opposed to telling the applicant to heal themselves before they take it on to the next level of approval.
[21:54] Yeah, what we can do is tell them that you might expect the Planning Commission to ask about such things, so you can do it.
[22:01] But since it's not a code requirement, it's hard for us to require that they do it.
[22:05] But we can certainly tell them that this is a factor that's going on.
[22:08] You can anticipate that the Planning Commission's going to care about.
[22:11] And it may affect the affirmative outcome of their application or something to that effect.
[22:19] I'll go right up to the line, but I'm not crossing that, but you know what I mean?
[22:24] And lastly, since you mentioned parking,
[22:27] I didn't say that, but it's on the record.
[22:31] Anyways, lastly, just for information purposes, since you mentioned parking in the context
[22:37] of the town, the organization I work for is in the middle of it.
[22:41] state of collection efforts for the next issue,
[22:44] the parking generation manual.
[22:47] So if there's like me like that.
[22:48] So if there's an opportunity if staff or other businesses
[22:54] want to submit content to that, reach out to me following
[22:59] this meeting and I can give you the right
[23:01] web links to do that.
[23:02] That's great.
[23:03] That's great.
[23:04] By the way, say, nurse like me,
[23:07] not Doug is very cool.
[23:08] Commissioner Noble is very cool.
[23:10] I'm a nerd.
[23:12] I can be a nerd.
[23:14] I love that book that he uses for those who don't know.
[23:18] It is small B Bible that is used all across the industry.
[23:25] And if you, it's one of those things that you can kind of,
[23:29] how about this use?
[23:30] That's interesting, so.
[23:31] It's basically, it figures out how many,
[23:34] how many parking spaces you need for any given land use
[23:36] or combination of land uses for different settings.
[23:39] If it's that, it's an all-land type.
[23:40] It's by time of day, right, by month of year.
[23:43] It's a sun research and experience of data and all that stuff.
[23:46] So it's the same thing for chip generation, too.
[23:48] Yes, yep.
[23:48] Also, Mr. Chair, Commissioner Miller, who on off the page is on returning my time to you.
[23:53] How do you reclead it?
[23:54] Commissioner Miller.
[23:54] When the shoe fits.
[23:57] Yes.
[23:59] Thank you.
[24:01] Commissioner Miller.
[24:03] That was directed at me.
[24:04] I could tell.
[24:05] Time clear.
[24:06] Time clear.
[24:07] Time clear.
[24:07] The choice is not obvious.
[24:10] Direction leave is anything else.
[24:12] Okay.
[24:13] That's good.
[24:14] Anyone else have any questions for staff?
[24:17] Last item is the approval of the minutes,
[24:19] which included the regular meeting minutes from our July
[24:22] eighth meeting.
[24:23] I did not have any correction to anyone else.
[24:26] Okay.
[24:27] Seeing none without objection, those minutes are deemed approved
[24:29] and this meeting is adjourned.
[24:32] We made it on Miller time.
[24:34] Thank you.
[24:35] Thank you to staff.