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Record of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting Summary – April 3, 2018

Planning Commission — Tuesday, April 3, 2018
BodyBlacksburg, Virginia
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, April 3, 2018
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:21

I'd like to welcome everyone to the regular meeting of the planning planning commission, the April 3rd, 2018 version tonight.

0:29

And we meet the first Tuesday of every month here at Broxburg Municipal Building on Tuesdays at 7 30.

0:37

So we'll call the meeting to order with a roll call.

0:40

Mr.

0:41

Jones.

0:41

Here.

0:42

Mr.

0:42

Cassog.

0:43

Present.

0:43

Mr.

0:43

Langrier.

0:44

Present.

0:45

Mr.

0:45

Collie.

0:46

Here.

0:46

Mr.

0:46

Davis.

0:47

Here.

0:47

Mr.

0:48

Sutton.

0:48

Here.

0:49

Ms.

0:49

Munny Hunt is absent.

0:50

I'm Mel Jones.

0:51

I'm here.

0:51

We have a quarter.

0:52

Okay.

0:53

We'll start off with our consent agenda.

0:55

We have two items.

0:56

One, the approval of planning commission minutes for March 6th, 2018.

1:01

And then we're scheduling a conditional use permit request for broadcasting tower in the general commercial zoning district at 1604 Grayland Street.

1:13

And we'll be hearing that next month.

1:16

So can I get a motion on the consent agenda?

1:21

Second.

1:22

Okay, we have a motion and a second.

1:23

All those in favor?

1:25

Aye.

1:25

Aye.

1:26

None opposed.

1:28

We'll move on to our first public hearing.

1:31

That's a public hearing rezoning 18-0001 ordinance 1859 request to rezone approximately 6.483 acres from general commercial and R4 Low density residential to planned residential at 200 Dowdy Drive for studio and two bedroom apartments by Balzer and Associates.

1:54

We'll start off with the staff presentation.

2:00

Okay, this evening I'll be presenting to you an overview of the Cedar Run Overlook rezoning.

2:05

After my presentation and the applicant presentation and public comment planning commission will make a recommendation to town council to either approve or deny this rezoning as well as take separate action on the special exception request for parking in front of the front building line.

2:22

The applicant for this request is Steve Simonis, and the request is to rezone three parcels at the end of Dowdy Drive to the Planned Residential Zoning District for a multi-unit residential development.

2:34

The parcels total about 6.5 acres and are currently zoned general commercial and a small portion is zoned R4 low density residential.

2:45

You may remember this from the special exception request last year for parking in front of the front building line.

2:53

Last year we received a buy rights site plan application for the same area for a hotel with multifamily residential above.

3:00

The site plan has since been withdrawn.

3:12

The subject parcels are currently undeveloped.

3:46

This map shows the subject properties in yellow and the area to be rezoned in red.

3:52

You can see that it is adjacent to the Speedway gas station and Bowjangles restaurant on South Main Street and is set back off of Main Street by several hundred feet.

4:12

The parcels in green are R4 low density residential.

4:16

The parcels in purple are industrial, and the parcels in light pink are zoned for office uses.

5:00

Recreational amenities, including a pool, a grill station, as well as the required open space are proposed behind the building.

5:06

All of the parking is surface parking, and the applicant has broken it up on all sides of the building, which avoids one large parking field.

5:14

The development is located close to the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, whose students and employees are the target market for this development as indicated by the applicant.

5:28

This is a layout plan provided in the application.

5:32

I've roughly outlined the building of blue so that you can see it a bit better.

5:36

You can see Dowdy Drive, sort of in the bottom of the slide there, which connects to South Main Street.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Urban Planning█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Zoning Ordinance███████████████████████████████████35%
Transportation Safety████████8%
Procedural████4%
Stormwater Management████4%
Traffic Management███3%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Parking█1%
Historic Preservation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting Summary – April 3, 2018

The Blacksburg Planning Commission held a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building. The meeting included two public hearings on rezoning requests (Cedar Run Overlook and Uptown Phase III), approval of the consent agenda, and updates from various committees. The commission recommended approval of both rezoning requests to Town Council.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the March 6, 2018 Planning Commission meeting were approved unanimously (7-0).
  • Scheduling of Public Hearing: A Conditional Use Permit (CUP18-0001) for a communications tower at 1604 Grayland Street was scheduled for a public hearing on May 1, 2018. This was approved as part of the consent agenda (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

Public Hearing A – Cedar Run Overlook (RZN18-0001)

  • Emma Martin (907 Kabrich Street) questioned why low-density residential would be more beneficial than high-density for the site.
  • Javad Torabinejad (1600 Winslow Drive) emphasized the need for adequate stormwater management during construction and expressed concerns about pedestrian safety for residents crossing South Main Street.
  • Aaron Goldstein (804 Gracelyn Court) asked whether the rezoning would revert to original zoning if the developer canceled the project due to prohibitive costs.
  • Zack Jackson (1225-A Giles Road) questioned the impact of commercial versus residential uses on Cedar Run Creek, suggesting residential might have less impact on the waterway.

Public Hearing B – Uptown Phase III (RZN18-0002)

  • Zack Jackson (1225-A Giles Road) stated that traffic is already problematic in the area and expressed concern that the proposed residential project would exacerbate congestion.
  • Emma Martin (907 Kabrich Street) voiced concern over the building’s appearance with parking located under the residential structure.

General Citizen Comment

  • Douglas White (760 Triangle Street) commented on the Dowdy Drive rezoning, stressing the importance of addressing the median crossover location on South Main Street before development, and raised concerns about the project’s potential impact on Cedar Run Creek and the Cedar Run pump station.

Discussion Items

Public Hearing A – Cedar Run Overlook Rezoning (RZN18-0001 / Ord. 1859)

  • The applicant, Steve Semones of Balzer & Associates, requested rezoning of 6.483 acres at 200 Dowdy Drive from GC (General Commercial) and R-4 (Low Density Residential) to PR (Planned Residential) for a multi-unit residential development. The proposal included 208 bedrooms (up to 227 maximum) in studio and two-bedroom units, with an EarthCraft certification proffer.
  • Staff presentation by Maeve Gould highlighted site constraints (topography, access, visibility), pedestrian safety concerns near South Main Street (closest crosswalks 0.3–0.5 miles away), transit options, and the loss of commercially zoned land. A special exception was needed for 58 parking spaces in front of the building line (30% of total 194 spaces).
  • Commission discussion focused on pedestrian safety, traffic impacts, the suitability of the site for residential use given its constraints, and the value of the EarthCraft certification. Some commissioners noted that the project would likely generate less traffic than commercial uses and could spur future infrastructure improvements like a median break.
  • Motions:
    • Special exception for parking in front of the building line passed 7-0.
    • Motion to recommend approval of the rezoning to Town Council passed 6-1 (Commissioner Langrehr voted no).

Public Hearing B – Uptown Phase III Rezoning (RZN18-0002 / Ord. 1860)

  • The applicant, Steve Semones, requested rezoning of 0.9418 acres at 1401 Giles Road from GC to PR for a multi-unit residential building as part of the larger Uptown Commercial Development. The three-story building would have one level of partially underground parking and two residential floors (no ground-floor commercial).
  • Staff presentation by Kinsey O’Shea noted that the site is within a coordinated mixed-use development, and a pending zoning ordinance amendment (expected summer 2018) could allow freestanding residential in GC without rezoning. The applicant requested a modification to eliminate the required open space recreation area; 28% open space was provided but mostly stormwater management.
  • Commission discussion centered on the building’s interaction with Giles Road (entrance vestibule, landscaping, screening of parking), the lack of a prominent front door, and the appropriateness of reducing open space. Commissioners encouraged the applicant to add community amenities along Giles Road.
  • Motions:
    • Exception to eliminate the required open space recreation area passed 7-0.
    • Motion to recommend approval of the rezoning to Town Council passed 7-0.

Unfinished Business

  • Zoning Review Committee: Chair Langrehr reported that the committee is considering amendments to allow freestanding residential in the General Commercial district, with a public hearing planned for summer 2018.
  • Historic or Design Review Board: Commissioner Jones reported that the board approved signage for the Blacksburg Tavern (white letters on black, gooseneck lights) and for a new sugar shop (Sugar Magnolia) with pink and green signage.
  • Comprehensive Plan Working Group: Director McClung noted that the group completed its review of the remaining chapters (transportation and land use); revised chapters will be posted online for public comment by the end of April.

New Business

  • Chair’s Report: Chair Langrehr reminded the public about the Downtown Strategic Planning Study and encouraged participation in the online survey.
  • Planning Director’s Report: Director McClung clarified that zoning runs with the land and only changes through a public rezoning process. She also announced upcoming meetings and regional training on April 19, 2018.
  • Town Council Report: Commissioner Sutphin reported that Town Council discussed a subdivision variance appeal (Jimmy Hull farm), the Windsor Hill pump station, inoperable vehicles, proffer policy, and the budget at its April 3 work session.

Key Outcomes

  • Cedar Run Overlook Rezoning (RZN18-0001): The commission recommended approval to Town Council by a vote of 6-1. A special exception for front-yard parking was approved 7-0. The rezoning will allow up to 227 bedrooms in a PR district, with EarthCraft certification and proffers limiting units to one- and two-bedroom configurations.
  • Uptown Phase III Rezoning (RZN18-0002): The commission recommended approval to Town Council by a vote of 7-0. An exception to eliminate the required open space recreation area was approved 7-0. The rezoning will allow a three-story residential building with 0.9418 acres rezoned from GC to PR, with a proffer of substantial conformance to the application.
  • Consent Agenda: Approved 7-0, including scheduling the Grayland Street CUP public hearing for May 1, 2018.
  • Next Meetings: Work session on April 17, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.; joint work session with Town Council on May 1, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.; regular meeting on May 1, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to welcome everyone to the regular meeting of the planning planning commission, the April 3rd, 2018 version tonight. And we meet the first Tuesday of every month here at Broxburg Municipal Building on Tuesdays at 7 30. So we'll call the meeting to order with a roll call. Mr. Jones. Here. Mr. Cassog. Present. Mr. Langrier. Present. Mr. Collie. Here. Mr. Davis. Here. Mr. Sutton. Here. Ms. Munny Hunt is absent. I'm Mel Jones. I'm here. We have a quarter. Okay. We'll start off with our consent agenda. We have two items. One, the approval of planning commission minutes for March 6th, 2018. And then we're scheduling a conditional use permit request for broadcasting tower in the general commercial zoning district at 1604 Grayland Street. And we'll be hearing that next month. So can I get a motion on the consent agenda? Second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. None opposed. We'll move on to our first public hearing. That's a public hearing rezoning 18-0001 ordinance 1859 request to rezone approximately 6.483 acres from general commercial and R4 Low density residential to planned residential at 200 Dowdy Drive for studio and two bedroom apartments by Balzer and Associates. We'll start off with the staff presentation. Okay, this evening I'll be presenting to you an overview of the Cedar Run Overlook rezoning. After my presentation and the applicant presentation and public comment planning commission will make a recommendation to town council to either approve or deny this rezoning as well as take separate action on the special exception request for parking in front of the front building line. The applicant for this request is Steve Simonis, and the request is to rezone three parcels at the end of Dowdy Drive to the Planned Residential Zoning District for a multi-unit residential development. The parcels total about 6.5 acres and are currently zoned general commercial and a small portion is zoned R4 low density residential. You may remember this from the special exception request last year for parking in front of the front building line. Last year we received a buy rights site plan application for the same area for a hotel with multifamily residential above. The site plan has since been withdrawn. The subject parcels are currently undeveloped.

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