The Blacksburg Planning Commission met on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 6:30 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. Chair Andy Kassoff called the meeting to order with a quorum present. The meeting included approval of a consent agenda, two public hearings, extensive citizen comments on a postponed rezoning, and committee reports.
Over a dozen residents from the Village of Toms Creek spoke, many wearing green to show unity. Tombo Jones of the Toms Creek Sustainability Coalition stated the coalition gathered 223 signatures opposing the proposed rezoning due to high density and safety concerns. Multiple speakers expressed support for affordable housing but argued the current proposal is too dense, requires 13 variances, and poses serious environmental and safety risks. Key concerns included: stormwater and flooding impacts on Toms Creek (a thermally impaired stream), loss of tree canopy, traffic increases on Village Way South, lack of sidewalks, and dangerous intersections. Many requested that the connecting road between Glade Spring Crossing and Village of Toms Creek be limited to pedestrian and emergency access only. Specific questions were raised about the affordable housing plan, ARPA funding, and developer compliance. No applicant rebuttal was given.
Welcome to the regular planning commission meeting. Uh it's Tuesday, February 7th, 2023. Regular meetings of the Blacksburg Planning Commission are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 in the Roger Eadpath Hedge Path Chambers here in the Blacksburg Municipal Building at 300 South Main Street. Citizens may address the 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. 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 the tolerant atmosphere. And with that, we'll call the meeting to order. May we have a roll call, please. Mr. Ford, President. Mr. Herbine, here, Ms. Jones, Mr. Cassoff. Present. Ms. Reinhardt here. Ms. Walker. Here. Mr. Watson. President. And I am here. We have a quorum. Wonderful. Our first item on the agenda is the consent agenda. And the first item on the consent agenda is approval of planning commission minutes of from November 1st, 2022 through December 6, 2022 and January 3rd, 2023. And the action is to approve. The second item is SUB 2301, a major subdivision preliminary plat review for 51 lots on 36 acres at 2150 Progress Street Northwest for North Side Park revised section 12 by Balsa and Associates. And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for March 7, 2023. The third item is rezoning 23001 ordinance 2014, which is a request to rezone 0.816 acres of land from DC Downtown Commercial to PR Planned Residential at 2020 Turner Street, Northwest by Steve Simonis of Balzer Associates, the applicant for 208 Turner LLC, the owner. And the action is to schedule a public hearing for March 7th, 2023. Fourth item on the consent agenda is CUP 23001, which is a conditional use permit request for medium industrial use in the industrial zoning district at 3210 Commerce Street by Larry Bullock of Boxley Ready Mix, the applicant for Henry and Susan Henderson, the owners, and the action is to schedule a public hearing for March 7th, 2023. With that, do we have a motion? Second. All those in favor? Wonderful. Moving on to public hearings for the evening. Our first public hearing is conditional use permit 22007. Conditional use permit request for personal improvement services in the office zoning district at 2200 South Main Street by stall fitness LLC, the applicant for AWA 2200 Holdings LLC, the owner. And we have a staff presentation. As Andy mentioned, this is CUP 220007 for personal improvement services in the Office Zoning District at 2200 South Main Street. The acreage is 0.1 acres as part of the building, but a 2.886 acre total site. The current use is office for TRC companies. The current zoning is office, and the proposed use is personal improvement services for Fitbody Boot Camp. This is an aerial showing the parcel outlined in blue. South Main Street runs along the frontage of the parcel, and you can also see the bus stop locations on this image.