Blacksburg Planning Commission Regular Meeting - August 2, 2022
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Blacksburg Planning Commission Regular Meeting - August 2, 2022
The Blacksburg Planning Commission held its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at 6:30 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers of the Municipal Building. The commission unanimously approved two conditional use permits and continued a major rezoning request to September 6, 2022.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (June 7, 2022): Approved 7–0.
- RZN 22-0001 (402 Clay Street SE): The public hearing was cancelled and rescheduled for September 6, 2022, after the applicant submitted revised materials. Approved 7–0.
Public Hearings
CUP 22-0003 – Valley Active Fitness and Rehab (120 Professional Park Drive, Suite 8)
- Staff (Kali Casper) presented a request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow an existing personal improvement services use (previously attached to a medical office) to continue in the Office zoning district. No site changes were proposed. Staff recommended conditions including installation of Town-approved bicycle racks within three months. The applicant was absent due to a family emergency. No public comment. The commission approved the permit 7–0 with staff recommendations.
CUP 22-0004 – Blue Ridge Axe Throwing (125 North Main Street, Suite 200)
- Staff (Kinsey O’Shea) presented a request to relocate the existing axe-throwing facility from Jackson Street to a larger Main Street space, including a modification to reduce required bicycle parking from five spaces to two. Applicant Mitch Tyler presented the floor plan, noted sustainable wood sourcing, LED lighting, upgraded fire suppression, and updated alcohol policies. No public comment. The commission approved the permit 7–0 with staff conditions and the parking modification.
RZN 22-0002 – Whipple Drive Rezoning (1800 Whipple Drive)
- Staff (Kinsey O’Shea) reviewed the initial application (filed June 1, 2022) to rezone 3.08 acres from R-5 Transitional Residential to PR Planned Residential for a 34-townhome (98-bedroom) development. The proposal included 32 bedrooms per acre (a 60% increase over the Future Land Use designation), reduced setbacks, and a modification to reduce public utility easements from 15 feet to 10 feet. The applicant submitted revisions on July 22, 2022, which staff had not yet analyzed. Applicant Steve Semones (Balzer and Associates) highlighted revisions including sight-distance exhibits, a 50-foot throat length, removal of encroachments into easements, 14% tree canopy, and solar panels maintained by the HOA. Discussion focused on density, occupancy, accessibility (three zero-step units but not full ADA), HOA responsibilities for solar panel replacement, and the 10-foot easement. Commissioner Ford expressed concerns about density and who would live there. Commissioner Rinehart noted the need for a comprehensive review. The commission voted 7–0 to continue the public hearing to September 6, 2022.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jason Boyle commented during the Citizen Comment period, arguing that the Town’s requirement for 15-foot public utility easements is a poor use of land because utilities do not require that much space, and noted that adjacent vacant parcels would add another 15 feet, creating 30 feet of unusable land.
Key Outcomes
- CUP 22-0003 approved 7–0.
- CUP 22-0004 approved 7–0 with modification to bicycle parking.
- RZN 22-0002 continued to September 6, 2022, public hearing (vote 7–0).
- RZN 22-0001 (Clay Street) public hearing cancelled and rescheduled to September 6, 2022.
- The next Planning Commission work session is scheduled for August 16, 2022, and the next regular meeting for September 6, 2022.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the regular meetings of the Blacksburg Planning Commission. Um these meetings are held on the first of Tuesday, the first Tuesday of each month at 6 30 p.m. in the Roger Hedgepath Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building, 300 South Main Street. Citizens may address the planning commission during specified times on the agenda and are requested to adhere to the following. Speak at the podium, state name and address. Direct comments only to the commission. Please limit speaking time to the maximum of three minutes. Speak only once during the specific hearing or comment period. A wireless microphone is available to anyone requesting assistance. Please silence cell phones, show respect for all speakers, and allow all opinions to be expressed in a tolerant atmosphere. We'll start with a roll call. Mr. Ford here. Mr. Herbine. Here. Ms. Jones. Here. Ms. Reinhardt? Here. Ms. Walker. Mr. Watson? Here. I am here, so we have a quorum. Thank you. All right. We have a consent agenda with two items. One is approval of the planning commission minutes from June 7th. And second is canceling the public hearing for RZN 22001 and rescheduling it for September 6th, 2022. I move we accept the consent agenda. Second. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed. All right. Consent agenda passes. So now we'll move on to public hearings. We'll start with CUP 2020 22003, a conditional use permit request for a personal improvement service use in the office zoning district at um 120 Professional Park Drive. This is Conditional Use Permit 22-0003 for Sandy Bottom Solutions located at 120 Professional Park Drive, Suite 8. The current use is personal improvement services for Valley Active. The current zoning is office, and the proposed use is per um personal improvement services in the office zoning district. Along the left side of the property, you can see South Main Street and to the right of the property, Professional Park Drive. Phase one includes three buildings and eight suites. It was constructed in 1984 with additional parking constructed in 2000. It does have shared landscaping and parking as well as other amenities. And no new construction is proposed as part of this application.
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