Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting – January 4, 2022

The Blacksburg Planning Commission met on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building, 300 S. Main St., Blacksburg, VA. Because of COVID-19, seating was limited; the meeting was live-streamed and recorded. All seven commissioners were present: T. Colley, J. Davis, J. Ford, J. Herbein, M. Jones, A. Kassoff, and S. Rinehart. Staff included Assistant Planning Director Kali Casper, Planning Director A. McClung, and Planning Technician K. Thomsen. The meeting adjourned at 7:38 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• The Commission approved the December 7, 2021 Planning Commission minutes by a 7-0 vote (motion by Jerry Ford, second by Mel Jones).
• The Commission scheduled public hearings for February 1, 2022 on: CUP 21-0007 (902 South Main Street; 0.33-acre R-5 parcel; general office, multi-family residential, and financial institution uses; applicant Spicer, Olin and Associates for Scott and Lynn Hill); CUP 21-0008 (205 Washington Street SW; 0.27-acre OTR parcel; two-family dwelling; applicant Carrie Woodring for Virginia Tech Foundation); and RZN 21-0005/ORD 1979 (100 Country Club Drive SE; 2.75 acres; rezoning from R-5 Transitional Residential to PR Planned Residential; applicant Community Housing Partners for Rengin Holt).

Public Hearing: CUP 21-0006

• This public hearing considered a conditional use permit request from Balzer and Associates for Diversified Investors XIII, LLC to allow townhome use on the ground floor in the GC General Commercial district on an 8.44-acre vacant parcel at 203 Country Club Drive SW, commonly known as the rugby field.
• Staff (Kali Casper) reported the proposal includes 98 townhome units in 20 buildings, with a maximum of 280 bedrooms (about 33 bedrooms per acre), 309 vehicle parking spaces (1.1 per bedroom), 342 bicycle parking spaces (1.2 per bedroom), 21% open space, and a maximum 57% lot coverage. The site is subject to the 2006 First and Main rezoning proffers, as amended in 2013, and the overall country club parcel is limited to 400 bedrooms.
• The applicant requested exceptions to Town use and design standards for more than two contiguous townhomes in a series, a reduction in separation between townhouse series from 20 feet to 13 feet, street-facing entrance/window requirements for certain buildings and end units, and yard standards for buildings 9 and 12.
• Staff recommended conditions addressing substantial conformance with the revised application, maximum bedroom counts and occupancy (family plus two unrelated individuals or no more than three unrelated individuals), no conversion of flex/attic space to bedrooms, installation of bicycle parking before certificates of occupancy, relocation/dedication of a trail easement, HOA documents covering the Town's homestay regulations, and a sanitary sewer acknowledgement agreement. Staff did not consider the applicant's proposed Energy Star certification a significant commitment, and suggested a percentage above building code or a third-party certification instead.
• Applicant representative Steve Semones said the applicant incorporated many work-session and neighborhood comments, did not widen trail connections for safety reasons, was committed to the bedroom and occupancy limits, and was open to HOA-managed parking policies and discussing stronger energy efficiency measures.
• Public comment: Mike Lawless of 1210 Draper Road said he was neither for nor against the project, but expressed concerns about increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic, density, and possible conversion to student housing. He praised continued dialogue between the applicant and Town and hoped concerns could be tightened before the case moved to Town Council.

Commission Discussion

• Jerry Ford moved to approve CUP 21-0006 with all requested exceptions/modifications and staff recommended conditions; Jack Davis seconded. Ford said he supported moving the project forward and refining conditions later.
• Mel Jones opposed the motion. She cited townhouse density next to the elementary school and single-family neighborhood, said a by-right multifamily building might be better managed and more energy efficient, expressed concerns about the yard exceptions for buildings 9 and 12, and worried about over-occupancy and maintenance.
• Jack Davis responded that Blacksburg needs more family housing and diverse housing types, that proximity to the elementary school and shopping was a positive, and that the HOA could address occupancy issues. He urged the applicant to upgrade the energy system.
• Andy Kassoff suggested parking allotments and visitor parking controls as a more enforceable way to manage over-occupancy than bedroom limits. Applicant representatives indicated willingness to consider HOA parking policies.

Key Outcomes

• The Commission approved CUP 21-0006 by a 6-1 vote: Colley, Davis, Ford, Herbein, Kassoff, and Rinehart voted yes; Jones voted no. The motion included all requested exceptions/modifications and staff recommended conditions.
• There was no citizen comment during the citizen comment period.
• In unfinished business, the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee and Historic or Design Review Board had not met, and the Montgomery County Planning Commission did not hold a December meeting.
• Jerry Ford reported on the Town Council's review of the Town's street inventory, which is submitted to VDOT every two years and affects funding.