OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting - July 7, 2020

Planning CommissionTuesday, July 7, 2020
BodyBlacksburg, Virginia
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, July 7, 2020
StatusFILED
Video Record

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Transcript — Verbatim
0:45

Blacksburg Planning Commission.

0:47

Regular meetings of the Blacksburg Planning Commission are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 here in the Roger E.

0:56

Hedgepath Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building.

1:00

Due to COVID-19 health concerns, seating in the council chambers will be limited.

1:06

Citizens are encouraged, but not required to submit comments to the planning commission by email and view the hearing online or on local television.

1:17

The meeting will be live streamed from WWW Blacksburg.gov and recorded.

1:25

Citizens who do attend in the chambers may address the planning commission during specified times on the agenda and are requested to adhere to the following.

1:35

Please speak at the podium, state your name and address, direct comments only to the commission.

1:42

Please limit speaking time to a maximum of three minutes.

1:46

And speak only once during a specific hearing or comment period.

1:51

Please silence cell phones, show respect for all speakers, and allow all opinions to be expressed in the tolerance atmosphere.

2:00

And with that, we'll call the meeting to order.

2:02

May we have a roll call, please.

2:04

Collie.

2:06

Here.

2:06

Davis.

2:07

Here.

2:08

Ford.

2:09

Here.

2:10

Miss Jens is absent.

2:12

Castle?

2:13

Here.

2:13

Mr.

2:14

Turbine is absent, and Miss Reinhart is absent.

2:17

We do have a quorum.

2:19

Thank you.

2:20

Well, tonight's consent agenda is quite long.

2:25

I'll do my best to get through it quickly.

2:28

First item on the agenda is the approval of the planning commission minutes from March 3rd, 2020.

2:38

The second item is rezoning 2000 one ordinance 1932, which is a request for a special signage district in the downtown commercial zoning district at the Leark Theater at 135 College Avenue.

2:55

And the action is to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020.

3:00

The third item is rezoning 2000 ordinance 1933, which is a request for an amendment to the previous rezoning on two point 22.96 acres at the midtown development, the former uh former old Blacksburg Middle School site at 501 South Main Street by Steve Simonis, uh the applicant for midtown development.

3:28

And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020.

3:36

The third item is conditional use permit 2003 request for additional height above 60 feet in the downtown commercial zoning district on 1.17 acres of the midtown development at 401 Church Street.293 acres from R5 Transitional Residential to RM48 medium residential at 179 uh 1709 Whipple Drive for the development of multifamily townhome units by Brent Algramonte Harper of Greystone Companies and Kirk Johnson, property owner.

4:36

Action there is to reschedule a public uh to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020.

4:42

And the sixth item is zoning ordinance amendment number 51.

4:47

Amendment to consider allowing residential uses on the ground floor in the downtown commercial zoning district under limited circumstances.

4:56

And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020.

5:02

Do we have a motion on the consent agenda?

5:05

So moved.

5:06

Second.

5:08

All those in favor?

5:09

Aye.

5:12

And with that, we will move on to our public hearing.

5:15

Tonight's the first item on tonight's public hearing is CUP 20 001 conditional use permit requests for medical office and general office in the old town residential zoning district on 0.615 acres at 409 East Roanoke Street.

5:36

And we have a staff presentation from Emma Martin.

5:42

The applicant Kristen DeLac is requesting the CUP to allow for medical and general office at 409 East Roanoke Street in the Old Town Residential Zoning District.

5:50

This aerial photo shows 409 East Roanoke Street, which is located north of Roanoke Street and south of Jackson Street.

5:56

The rear of the parcel is adjacent to the intersection of Bennett Street and Jackson Street.

6:02

The applicant owns the two parcels adjacent to 409 East Roanoke Street that are shown in green and red on the screen.

6:08

The Ellett House is located on the center of three lots, and this CUP request is only applicable to the parcel outlined in blue.

6:16

This is the current Roanoke Street view of the existing 3,000 square foot building.

6:22

This UP request was placed on an expedited schedule.

6:26

The house was most recently used as a single family dwelling, and the subject parcel adjoins single and multifamily dwellings used as student rentals and paternities.

6:37

The house was built around 1900 and is known as the Ellett House on the National Register of Historic Places, and the building is also a contributing structure in the historic district.

6:46

The house has extensive original interior woodwork and original windows.

6:52

The proposed use is medical and general office to accommodate all aspects of the use and services offered by the proposed tenant, the Center for Creative Change, which includes psychotherapy and massage therapy.

7:03

If approved, the CUP would apply to the property and allow a future medical or general office tenant.

7:09

The house is associated with the number of previous SUPs that have since expired, including an SUP from May of 2002 for a bed and breakfast and small restaurant and December of 2003 for general office for the progress street builders.

7:23

The evaluation of a conditional use permit takes into account conformance to the comprehensive plan and adherence of minimum adverse impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Ordinance██████████████████████████26%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Historic Preservation█████████████████17%
Public Safety████████████12%
Urban Planning███████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%
Public Transportation████4%
Disability Rights██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting - July 7, 2020

The Blacksburg Planning Commission met on Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at 7:30 PM at the Blacksburg Municipal Building. Commissioners present: T. Colley, J. Davis, J. Ford Jr., A. Kassoff. Absent: M. Jones, J. Herbein, S. Reinhardt. The meeting was conducted with COVID-19 protocols including limited seating and live streaming. The commission approved the consent agenda and two public hearing items, elected a secretary, and discussed future meetings.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of March 3, 2020 Minutes: Approved unanimously.
  • RZN20-0001 (Lyric Theatre Signage District): Scheduled public hearing for August 4, 2020.
  • RZN20-0002 (Midtown Development Rezoning Amendment): Scheduled public hearing for August 4, 2020.
  • CUP20-0003 (Midtown Additional Height): Scheduled public hearing for August 4, 2020.
  • RZN20-0004 (Whipple Drive Rezoning): Scheduled public hearing for August 4, 2020.
  • Zoning Ordinance Amendment #51 (Residential Ground Floor in DC): Scheduled public hearing for August 4, 2020.
  • All consent items were approved 4-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comment was made during the public hearing or citizen comment period.

Discussion Items

CUP20-0001: Medical and General Office at 409 E. Roanoke Street

  • Applicant Kristen DeLack requested a conditional use permit for medical and general office in the OTR-Old Town Residential Zoning District. The property, known as the Ellett House, is a historic structure. The proposed tenant is the Center for Creative Change, offering psychotherapy and massage therapy.
  • The applicant argued that the neighborhood is not conducive to families due to student behavior issues (e.g., bonfires, noise, public urination) and that office use would be more compatible and preserve the historic building.
  • Staff presentation by Emma Martin highlighted that the proposal includes exceptions for parking (10 spaces provided vs. 16 required), bike racks, and walkways. Staff recommended conditions including buffer yard modifications, bicycle parking, and a walkway requirement if a specific rear entrance is used.
  • The commission voted 4-0 to recommend approval to Town Council with staff-recommended conditions and exceptions.

CUP20-0002: Additional Height for Blacksburg Police Department HQ and Parking Garage

  • Applicant Chris Lawrence (Deputy Town Manager) requested a conditional use permit for additional height (up to 76 feet, with solar panels) in the DC-Downtown Commercial Zoning District for the new police headquarters and a 300-space public parking garage at the Midtown Development.
  • Staff presentation by Kinsey O'Shea noted that the parcel is approximately 45 feet from R5 residential zoning, but the main parking garage height is set back over 100 feet. Criteria for additional height were addressed, including relationship to street, massing, and visual impact.
  • Commissioner Colley expressed concern about the horizontal design of the garage visible from Clay Court and asked if future screening could be added. The applicant indicated they would consider future screening options like art panels or vegetation.
  • The commission voted 4-0 to recommend approval to Town Council with three conditions: substantial conformance, maximum height 76 feet, and solar panel infrastructure provision.

Key Outcomes

  • CUP20-0001: Recommended approval (4-0) to Town Council with staff conditions.
  • CUP20-0002: Recommended approval (4-0) to Town Council with conditions.
  • Secretary Election: Timothy Colley was elected as Secretary of the Planning Commission (4-0).
  • Bylaw Amendments: A proposed change to meeting time to 6:30 PM and provision for leave of absence for commissioners will be voted on at the August 4 meeting.
  • August 4 Meeting Time: The commission voted to move the August 4, 2020 public hearing meeting time to 6:30 PM.
  • Next Meetings: Work session July 21 at 5:00 PM; Public hearing August 4 at 6:30 PM.

Additional Reports

  • Historic or Design Review Board: Discussed an exterior stairway at the Blacksburg Jewish Community Center and a public works storage building.
  • Montgomery County Planning Commission: Considered an 8-acre expansion of a mobile home community on High Top Road.
  • Town Council Report: Council is catching up on projects delayed by COVID-19, including historic district issues and the two CUPs approved tonight.

Meeting Transcript

Blacksburg Planning Commission. Regular meetings of the Blacksburg Planning Commission are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 here in the Roger E. Hedgepath Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building. Due to COVID-19 health concerns, seating in the council chambers will be limited. Citizens are encouraged, but not required to submit comments to the planning commission by email and view the hearing online or on local television. The meeting will be live streamed from WWW Blacksburg.gov and recorded. Citizens who do attend in the chambers may address the 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, direct comments only to the commission. Please limit speaking time to a maximum of three minutes. And speak only once during a specific hearing or comment period. Please silence cell phones, show respect for all speakers, and allow all opinions to be expressed in the tolerance atmosphere. And with that, we'll call the meeting to order. May we have a roll call, please. Collie. Here. Davis. Here. Ford. Here. Miss Jens is absent. Castle? Here. Mr. Turbine is absent, and Miss Reinhart is absent. We do have a quorum. Thank you. Well, tonight's consent agenda is quite long. I'll do my best to get through it quickly. First item on the agenda is the approval of the planning commission minutes from March 3rd, 2020. The second item is rezoning 2000 one ordinance 1932, which is a request for a special signage district in the downtown commercial zoning district at the Leark Theater at 135 College Avenue. And the action is to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020. The third item is rezoning 2000 ordinance 1933, which is a request for an amendment to the previous rezoning on two point 22.96 acres at the midtown development, the former uh former old Blacksburg Middle School site at 501 South Main Street by Steve Simonis, uh the applicant for midtown development. And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020. The third item is conditional use permit 2003 request for additional height above 60 feet in the downtown commercial zoning district on 1.17 acres of the midtown development at 401 Church Street.293 acres from R5 Transitional Residential to RM48 medium residential at 179 uh 1709 Whipple Drive for the development of multifamily townhome units by Brent Algramonte Harper of Greystone Companies and Kirk Johnson, property owner. Action there is to reschedule a public uh to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020. And the sixth item is zoning ordinance amendment number 51. Amendment to consider allowing residential uses on the ground floor in the downtown commercial zoning district under limited circumstances. And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for August 4th, 2020. Do we have a motion on the consent agenda? So moved. Second. All those in favor? Aye. And with that, we will move on to our public hearing. Tonight's the first item on tonight's public hearing is CUP 20 001 conditional use permit requests for medical office and general office in the old town residential zoning district on 0.615 acres at 409 East Roanoke Street. And we have a staff presentation from Emma Martin. The applicant Kristen DeLac is requesting the CUP to allow for medical and general office at 409 East Roanoke Street in the Old Town Residential Zoning District. This aerial photo shows 409 East Roanoke Street, which is located north of Roanoke Street and south of Jackson Street. The rear of the parcel is adjacent to the intersection of Bennett Street and Jackson Street. The applicant owns the two parcels adjacent to 409 East Roanoke Street that are shown in green and red on the screen.

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