Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting - December 5, 2017
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Blacksburg Planning Commission Regular Meeting - December 5, 2017
The Blacksburg Planning Commission held its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, at 7:30 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building. Key items included approval of the consent agenda (previous meeting minutes and scheduling of a rezoning public hearing), a public hearing on a utility easement variance request that was denied, committee reports, and retirement announcements from two commissioners.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of November 7, 2017 Planning Commission Minutes: Approved unanimously (6-0).
- RZN17-0008/ORD1854 – Hearthstone Apartments Rezoning: Request to rezone 3.729 acres from RM-48 to PR Planned Residential at 116 and 120 Hearthstone Drive. The public hearing was scheduled for January 2, 2018. Approved unanimously (6-0).
Public Hearing: VAR17-0001 – Jefferson Place Utility Easement Variance
- Request: Reduction of 15-foot public utility easements to 5-foot easements in portions of the Jefferson Place development at 701 Lee Street (six lots, 1.5 acres).
- Staff Presentation: Paul Patterson (Zoning Administrator) and Randy Formica (Director of Engineering and GIS) explained the purpose of 15-foot easements for utility installation, maintenance, and separation requirements. They noted that town water and sewer are already in surrounding streets and that the chance of needing interior easements is small, but that five-foot easements may not accommodate future utility needs or required separations.
- Applicant Presentation: Alan Baker and Tom Roberts argued that the 15-foot easements are unnecessary because utilities are already provided from adjacent streets, and the easements are located close to buildings, potentially hindering development. They cited a history of granting easements to the town for $1 and stated that denying the variance would cause hardship by limiting flexibility and exposing the property to unfettered utility use.
- Public Comment: None.
- Commission Discussion and Motion: Commissioners expressed concerns that the applicant did not demonstrate the required "substantial injustice or hardship" as defined in the subdivision regulations. They emphasized the need to preserve easements for potential future utility needs and avoid setting a precedent. A motion to deny the variance was made and seconded.
- Action: The motion to deny VAR17-0001 passed 6-0.
Citizen Comments
- None.
Unfinished Business
- Zoning Review Committee: No meeting; no report.
- Historic or Design Review Board: No update (J.B. Jones absent).
- Long Range Planning Committee: Paul Lancaster provided a brief update on the Comprehensive Plan update work, noting ongoing progress on the economy section.
- Montgomery County Planning Commission: No report.
- New River Valley Regional Commission: Mel Newcomb was unable to attend the November meeting.
- Additional Items: Paul Lancaster announced his retirement from the Planning Commission after 17 years of service, effective at the end of December 2017. He thanked colleagues and staff.
New Business
- Chair’s Report: Don Langrehr highlighted ongoing planning activities, including the Downtown planning study (with a well-attended public meeting the previous night), the Comprehensive Plan update, the Blacksburg Middle School rezoning proposal (21 acres), and the Airport Road Huckleberry Vistas rezoning (approximately six acres). He encouraged public input on where future growth should be directed, noting projected population increases.
- Planning Director’s Report: Anne McClung announced that the Airport Road Huckleberry Vistas public hearing would be moved from January 2 to February 2018 to allow for more community input. She also noted that surveys for the Downtown planning study are now available on the town website (blacksburg.gov) and encouraged participation.
- Town Council Report: Mel Newcomb thanked Paul Lancaster for his service and announced her own resignation from the Planning Commission at the end of December, as her term on Town Council is ending. She praised the commission and staff.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda approved 6-0.
- VAR17-0001 (utility easement variance) denied 6-0.
- Hearthstone Apartments public hearing scheduled for January 2, 2018.
- Airport Road rezoning public hearing rescheduled to February 2018.
- Two commissioners (Paul Lancaster and Mel Newcomb) announced retirement/resignation effective end of 2017.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to welcome everyone to the December 5th, 2017, regular meeting of the Blacksburg Planning Commission. We meet the first Tuesday of each month here at Blacksburg Municipal Building at 7:30 PM. And start the meeting with the roll call, please. Mr. Lancaster. I'm here. Ms. Money Hun. Here? Ms. Newcomb? Here. Mr. Langrier. President. Mr. Ford. Here. I'm Mel Jones. I'm here. We have quorum. Okay. First item is their consent agenda. Approval of Planning Commission minutes from November 7th, 2017. And we have a rezoning request or number 0008 ordinance 1854. Heartstone apartments request to be zone 3.729 acres from the medium density multi-unit residential zoning to a planned residential zoning district at 116 and 120 Heartstone Drive. We're scheduling that public hearing for January 2nd, 2018. Can I get a motion for the consent agenda? Okay, we have a motion and second for the consent agenda. All those in favor? Aye. Okay, none opposed. We'll move on to our first public hearing. It's a variance number 17-0001, a request for reduction of a 15-foot public utility easement to a five-foot public utility easement and portions of the Jefferson Place Development. It's 701 Lee Street by EAB Development LLC. And we'll start with the staff presentation. Good evening. This is a public utility easements variants of a subdivision request. The acting agents are Eddie Baker and Alan Baker, the owners EAB development LLC, location 701 Lee Street, the zoning on the properties R5 transitional residential. And the six lots are approximately 1.5 acres in size. A little bit of background. In 2008, there was a preliminary plat of Jefferson Place. This basically shows the lot lines at that point in time. This uh exhibit here is the site plan landscaping that was approved site plan for the landscaping where the landscaping uh would be placed. This shows uh in blue the water mains that are in the surrounding streets, East Rona, Jefferson Street, and Lee Street. In the the uh sewer mains that's shown in the green. And the six stars there show the six uh lots. This uh is a site plan which shows the proposed water and sewer connections to the uh duplexes. The heavier lines are the sewer connections from the sewer mains, and the lighter lines are the water connections from the water mains that are in the streets. What is not shown on the uh site plan is the electric lines, cable internet lines, the heating ventil ventilation, air conditioning, heat pump unit placements, and possible natural natural gas lines and telephone mines.
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