The Blacksburg Planning Commission held a regular meeting on Thursday, January 3, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building. The meeting was moved from January 1 due to the New Year's holiday. Commissioners present: T. Colley, J.B. Jones, M. Jones (arrived late), A. Kassoff, E. Moneyhun, M. Sutphin. Absent: J. Davis, D. Langrehr. Staff present: Anne McClung (Planning Director), Kinsey O'Shea (Development Administrator), Donna Boone-Caldwell (Town Clerk). The meeting included a consent agenda, three public hearings, and reports. It adjourned at 9:13 p.m.
A. Rezoning Request RZN18-0008 (Ordinance #1872) – Request to rezone 4.215 acres at 1222 Patrick Henry Drive from R-5 Transitional Residential to PR Planned Residential, by applicant Justin Boyle (Green Valley Builders) for owner Gary W. Case (Acme Holdings LLC).
Public Comments (in opposition): Nine speakers opposed the rezoning, citing conflicts with the Comprehensive Plan, incompatibility with the adjacent Shenandoah neighborhood, inadequate transition, density exceeding plan allowances (51 bedrooms/acre vs. 20 allowed under Medium Density Residential), parking, light pollution, and lifestyle conflicts. One speaker, Jason Hardy (111 Primrose Drive), expressed support, noting developer track record and housing options. Additional speakers included Lindsey Gilmer (River Mountain Properties), who outlined management plans to address neighborhood concerns.
Applicant Rebuttal: The applicant noted revisions including reducing density from 276 to 215 bedrooms, building height from four stories (56 ft) to three stories (41 ft), increasing parking ratio to 1.03 spaces/bedroom, providing a bus pull-off and shelter, a trail connection, and a 12-ft evergreen buffer. They argued the project meets PRD intent and offers design quality and transit access.
Commission Discussion: Commissioners debated whether the project meets PRD criteria vs. the Comprehensive Plan. Supporters (Moneyhun, M. Jones, Colley, Kassoff) argued the site is appropriate for higher density, the plan offers positive impacts (bus stop, green building, management), and the Comprehensive Plan does not preclude change. Opponents (J.B. Jones, Sutphin) contended the proposal lacks variety, does not conform to PRD intent, and would harm the single-family neighborhood.
Key Outcomes:
B. Zoning Ordinance Amendment #39 (Ordinance #1884) – Amendment to General Commercial district to clarify residential support facility locations, allow ground-floor residential via conditional use permit, and modify hotel/motel standards.
C. Zoning Ordinance Amendment #40 (Ordinance #1883) – Amendment to R-4 Low Density Residential district to allow front yard setback averaging for infill lots, limit driveway widths, and increase Floor Area Ratio (FAR) to 0.5 with new definitions for habitable attic and basement.
Welcome to the regular meeting of the Blacksburg Planning Commission. Actually, today is a little bit of an irregular meeting, and that we're meeting on Thursday because typically, well, we're meeting on Thursday because of the New Year's holiday. But typically, regular meetings of the Blacksburg Planning Commission are held on the first Tuesday of each month here in the Hedgebath Chambers at 7 30. And it's we're located at the Blacksburg Municipal Building at 300 South Main Street. Citizens can address a planning commission during specified times on the agenda and are requested to adhere to the following. Please speak at the podium. State your name and address. Please limit speaking time to a maximum of three minutes. And speak only once during a specific hearing or comment period. The wireless microphone is available to anyone requesting assistance. Please take a moment to silence your cell phones and addressing the commission. Please show respect for all speakers and allow all opinions to be expressed in the tolerant atmosphere. With that, I'll call this meeting to order, and maybe have a roll call. Mr. Collie? Here. Mr. Davis. Absent. Mr. Jones? Yeah. Ms. Jones. Absent. Mr. Kussell. Present. Mr. Langreer. Absolutely. Ms. Money Hum is here. Mr. Sutton? Here. We have a quorum. Great. The first item on the agenda is our exceeding the agreement consent agenda. Our welcome site. And the only thing on the consent agenda is the approval of the planning commission minutes from December 4th. Do we have a motion? Move to approve. Second. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor? Aye. Consent agenda has been approved. With that, we'll move to our first public hearing. Our first public hearing is for rezoning request 18008 ordinance 1872.