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Record of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Regular Meeting - November 1, 2022

Planning Commission — Tuesday, November 1, 2022
BodyBlacksburg, Virginia
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, November 1, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
1:13

Main.

1:14

Citizens may address the planning commission during specified times on the agenda and are requested to adhere to the following.

1:21

Please speak at the podium.

1:23

Please state your name and address.

1:25

Please direct comments only to the commission.

1:28

Please limit speaking time to a maximum of three minutes.

1:31

Speak only once during a specific hearing or comment period.

1:35

And a wireless microphone is available to anyone requesting the assistance.

1:39

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

1:47

And with that, we'll have uh we'll call the meeting to order and have a roll call.

1:52

Mr.

1:52

Ford?

1:53

President, Mr.

1:54

Herbine?

1:54

Here.

1:55

Ms.

1:55

Jones?

1:55

Here.

1:56

Mr.

1:56

Cass.

1:57

Present.

1:57

Ms.

1:57

Reinhardt.

1:58

Ms.

1:59

Walker?

2:00

Mr.

2:00

Watson.

2:01

We have a quorum.

2:03

Thank you.

2:04

Well, the majority of tonight's uh hearing is going to be devoted to reading the consent agenda, which is about 12 pages long.

2:14

So mapping is encouraged.

2:18

Um first item on the consent agenda is approval of the planning commission minutes uh from October 4th, and the action is to approve.

2:27

Second item is uh ZOA number 42 ordinance 2002, which is an ordinance to amend the text of the town's zoning ordinance to create, define, and regulate small scale alcohol production facilities, including associated uses such as tasting rooms and retail sales.

2:49

And the action is to schedule a public hearing for December 6, 2022.

2:56

The next item is CUP 22005, a conditional use permit request for additional height in the downtown commercial DC zoning district at 310 Midtown Way by Foresight Design Services, the applicant for midtown readabout partners, the owners.

3:49

Uh BLD, LLC, the owner.

3:53

And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for December 6, 2022.

4:00

The fifth item on the consent agenda is CUP 2206, which is a conditional use permit for multi uh for excuse me for many warehouse use in the planning commercial uh PC zoning district at 1055 Plantation Road by Broad Street Partners, the applicant for Blacksburg Green BLD LLC, the owner, and the action there is to schedule a public hearing for December 6, 2022.

4:30

And the sixth item is ZOA 60 ordinance 2001 zoning ordinance amendment to amend text of the zoning ordinance and create a new downtown northwest zoning district for the area bounded by North Main Street, Turner Street, and Prices Fork Road.

4:49

And the action there is to cancel the public hearing for uh November 1st, 2022 and reschedule for December 6th.

4:58

Is that right?

5:00

Okay.

5:02

Yeah, for November 1st, 2022 and reschedule for uh December 6th.

5:06

So they're canceling for tonight.

5:09

I get the picture.

5:10

All right.

5:11

Do we have a motion?

5:13

I move the planning commission to approve the consent agenda as presented.

5:17

Second.

5:18

All those in favor?

5:22

All right.

5:22

Moving on to public hearings.

5:25

Our first and only public hearing for tonight is 2022 comprehensive plan amendment to add text to the land use chapter and a map and map to land use chapter and a map to the land use chapter map series.

5:45

Sorry.

5:46

Related to a preferred high density student housing locations, as well as housekeeping items, including amendments to the transportation chapter, land use chapter, housing chapter, and future land use map.

5:59

And we have a staff presentation.

6:04

Yes, I want to make sure everyone can hear me well.

6:07

Is that good?

6:08

Okay.

6:10

So last year we completed a five-year update to the comprehensive plan, and this proposed amendment is a follow-up to that and is primarily focused on preferred locations for high density student housing as well as some small housekeeping items included in the amendment as was stated in the consent or in the agenda item.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Urban Planning███████████████████████████████████████39%
Zoning Ordinance██████████████████████████████████████38%
Procedural████████8%
Transportation Safety████████8%
Housing███████7%
Summary of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Regular Meeting - November 1, 2022

The Blacksburg Planning Commission held a regular meeting on November 1, 2022, at 6:30 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. The meeting included a consent agenda, a public hearing on the 2022 Comprehensive Plan Amendment, reports from liaison committees, and a closed session to discuss legal matters related to student housing regulation.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from October 4, 2022, were approved.
  • ZOA #42/ORD #2002: Scheduled a public hearing for December 6, 2022, on an ordinance to create and regulate small-scale alcohol production facilities.
  • CUP 22-0005: Scheduled a public hearing for December 6, 2022, for a conditional use permit for additional height at 310 Midtown Way.
  • RZN 22-0003: Scheduled a public hearing for December 6, 2022, for a rezoning amendment at 1055 Plantation Road.
  • CUP 22-0006: Scheduled a public hearing for December 6, 2022, for a mini-warehouse conditional use permit at 1055 Plantation Road.
  • ZOA #60/ORD #2001: Canceled the public hearing scheduled for November 1, 2022, and rescheduled it for December 6, 2022, regarding a new Downtown Northwest zoning district.
  • Vote: The consent agenda was approved 6-0.

Public Hearings

2022 Comprehensive Plan Amendment

  • Staff Presentation: Comprehensive Planner Maeve Gould presented the proposed amendment, which adds text and a map to the Land Use chapter regarding preferred locations for high-density student housing, along with housekeeping items in the Transportation, Land Use, Housing chapters, and the Future Land Use Map. Key background: Virginia Tech announced a goal to increase enrollment by 5,000 students; between 2017 and 2021, Town Council approved approximately 3,500 new bedrooms of student-oriented housing, bringing total multifamily student bedrooms to about 26,300 at full build-out. The amendment is a follow-up to a 2019 Town Council resolution encouraging redevelopment of older student housing at higher densities.
  • Public Comment: Tasia Persson, 105 Countryside Court, asked whether the amendment provides standards and policies for the location of new high-density student housing, specifically questioning if projects like the Whipple development (previously a 4-4 vote) would be required to locate within designated zones. Staff responded that the proposed map provides policy guidance for where high-density student housing should be located, but each rezoning would still be evaluated on its merits.
  • Commission Discussion:
    • Mel Jones moved to approve the amendment as presented, seconded by Joel Herbein.
    • Jones noted that student housing demand is not fully met and the amendment will help develop high-standard future housing.
    • Latanya Walker highlighted that the town still has a fairly high occupancy rate.
    • Jones added that the majority of developments have an extremely low vacancy rate.
    • Andy Kassoff stated that the amendment sets a high bar for developers and that the town should be prepared for more rezoning proposals.
    • The commission clarified that "pent-up demand" for new units has been largely met, but overall demand remains complex and varied.
  • Vote: The motion passed 6-0.

Unfinished Business

  • Zoning Ordinance Review Committee: Met and will meet again on November 7, 2022, regarding small-scale alcohol production facilities.
  • Historic or Design Review Board: Tim Colley reported that the board has not met recently.
  • Montgomery County Planning Commission: Joel Herbein reported on recent actions, including approval of a warehouse mini-storage on Cinnabar Road (recommended 8-0), an antique store in Riner, and a tabled major solar array proposal near Eastern Montgomery Elementary School (5 MW capacity, 10,560 panels on about 35 acres). Discussion touched on soil quality and decommissioning concerns.

Citizen Comment

  • No members of the public addressed the commission during citizen comment.

New Business

  • No items were reported under Chair's Report, Planning Director's Report, or Town Council Report.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved 6-0, scheduling multiple public hearings for December 6, 2022, and canceling/rescheduling one hearing.
  • 2022 Comprehensive Plan Amendment: Approved 6-0, providing policy guidance on high-density student housing and incorporating housekeeping edits.
  • Closed Meeting: The commission adjourned to a closed meeting at 7:14 PM under Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711(A)(8) to consult with legal counsel on student housing zoning issues. The meeting reconvened and passed a resolution certifying the propriety of the closed session unanimously.
  • Next Steps: The comprehensive plan amendment will go to Town Council for a work session on November 15, 2022, and a public hearing on December 13, 2022.

Meeting Transcript

Main. 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 direct comments only to the commission. Please limit speaking time to a maximum of three minutes. Speak only once during a specific hearing or comment period. And a wireless microphone is available to anyone requesting the assistance. Please silence cell phones, show respect for all speakers, and allow all opinions to be expressed in a tolerant atmosphere. And with that, we'll have uh we'll call the meeting to order and have a roll call. Mr. Ford? President, Mr. Herbine? Here. Ms. Jones? Here. Mr. Cass. Present. Ms. Reinhardt. Ms. Walker? Mr. Watson. We have a quorum. Thank you. Well, the majority of tonight's uh hearing is going to be devoted to reading the consent agenda, which is about 12 pages long. So mapping is encouraged. Um first item on the consent agenda is approval of the planning commission minutes uh from October 4th, and the action is to approve. Second item is uh ZOA number 42 ordinance 2002, which is an ordinance to amend the text of the town's zoning ordinance to create, define, and regulate small scale alcohol production facilities, including associated uses such as tasting rooms and retail sales. And the action is to schedule a public hearing for December 6, 2022. The next item is CUP 22005, a conditional use permit request for additional height in the downtown commercial DC zoning district at 310 Midtown Way by Foresight Design Services, the applicant for midtown readabout partners, the owners. Uh BLD, LLC, the owner. And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for December 6, 2022. The fifth item on the consent agenda is CUP 2206, which is a conditional use permit for multi uh for excuse me for many warehouse use in the planning commercial uh PC zoning district at 1055 Plantation Road by Broad Street Partners, the applicant for Blacksburg Green BLD LLC, the owner, and the action there is to schedule a public hearing for December 6, 2022. And the sixth item is ZOA 60 ordinance 2001 zoning ordinance amendment to amend text of the zoning ordinance and create a new downtown northwest zoning district for the area bounded by North Main Street, Turner Street, and Prices Fork Road. And the action there is to cancel the public hearing for uh November 1st, 2022 and reschedule for December 6th. Is that right? Okay. Yeah, for November 1st, 2022 and reschedule for uh December 6th. So they're canceling for tonight. I get the picture. All right. Do we have a motion? I move the planning commission to approve the consent agenda as presented. Second. All those in favor?

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