The Blacksburg Planning Commission held its regular meeting on May 7, 2019 at 7:30 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. Commissioners voted 6-2 to recommend approval of a rezoning for a 204-bedroom student housing development at 1435 Toms Creek Road, and rescheduled another rezoning request for June 4. The meeting also included updates on other planning matters and a town council report.
Kinsey O'Shea presented the proposal: a request to rezone 3.0 acres from RM-48 (Medium Density Multi-Unit Residential) to PR (Planned Residential) for a single multi-family building with up to 204 bedrooms (53 units, 4-5 stories). The site is vacant at the intersection of Toms Creek Road and the US 460 bypass westbound on-ramp. The application includes 184 surface parking spaces (0.88 per bedroom), a request for a special exception to allow parking in front of the building line (79 spaces), a 6-foot-wide trail (town standard is 10 feet), and design features. Concerns were noted about open space fragmentation, building massing, and lack of specific recreation programming. The applicant proffered no vinyl siding and road improvements including left-turn lanes and pedestrian refuge islands.
Kirk Johnson and Shivon Dosky of Graystone Properties spoke. They emphasized the difficulty of the triangular, sloped site and their efforts to design a workable project. They stated the six-foot trail was the maximum possible. They highlighted the building's interior amenities (study areas, exercise facility) and noted the project would be more affordable than newer competitors because it has no pool or structured parking. They cited a need for additional student housing density in Blacksburg.
Javad Torbinejad of 1600 Winslow Avenue spoke in opposition. He argued the traffic analysis was inadequate (data from a single day in April 2018, before the 460/North Main Street diversion) and that the Toms Creek Road/Patrick Henry Drive intersection already experiences severe congestion. He stated the proposed density is too high for the existing infrastructure.
Commissioners discussed several issues:
The meeting was adjourned at 8:49 PM.
Welcome to the regular meeting of the Blacksburg Planning Commission. This is May 7, 2019. And we hold our regular meetings here on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 at the Roger Hedge Path Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building on 300 South Main Street. Citizens may address the Planning Commission during specified times on the agenda and are requested to adhere to the following. Please speak at the podium. Please state your name and address. Please limit speaking time to a maximum of three minutes. We'll be aided by a timer on the podium. And please speak only once during a specific public hearing, a specific hearing or comment period. Please silence your cell phones. We show show respect for all speakers. And they're all all opinions to be expressed in the tolerant atmosphere. With that, we'll call this meeting to order. And could we have a roll call, please? Mr. Cowley? Here. Mr. Davis? Here. Mr. Jones? Here. Ms. Jones. Mr. Cassot. Present. Mr. Langrayer? Present. Ms. Munning Hunt is here. Mr. Sutton? Here. We have form. Great. So tonight's consent agenda is comprised of approval of the Blacksburg Planning Commission minutes from April 2nd. A uh the comprehensive plan review pursuant to Virginia Code 15-2232, a proposed connection of Graves Avenue within the town of Blacksburg to serve a proposed subdivision in McCumney County. And then also rezoning 1900 one. Request to resone 5.5 acres in the R5 Transitional Residential and General Commercial Zoning Districts to Planned Residential Zoning on North Main Street and Montgomery Street and Bros Drive for the development of a mixed-use student-oriented multifamily and commercial development. And that'll be presented by John Neal of Gay O'Neill for the applicant, landmark properties, the contract purchaser. The action on the consent agenda is to cancel the public hearing for tonight, May 7th, and to reschedule the public hearing for June 4th, 2019, first Tuesday in June. Second. All those in favor? All right. Great. Moving on to our public hearing, as noted previously, the public hearing for rezoning 19001 1892 on North Main Street will be heard on June 4th. And tonight we'll address the first public hearing, which is rezoning 18006 ordinance 1868.