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Record of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting - March 7, 2023: Denial of Glade Spring Crossing Rezoning

Planning Commission — Tuesday, March 7, 2023
BodyBlacksburg, Virginia
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, March 7, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:05:08

Original source
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1:04

Thanks.

1:05

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Blacksburg Planning Commission.

1:11

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

1:18

Hedge Path Chambers at 6 30.

1:22

We're in the Blacksburg Municipal Building at 300 South Main Street.

1:26

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

1:34

Please speak at the podium.

1:36

Please state your name and address.

2:16

Mr.

2:17

Ford?

2:17

Here.

2:18

Mr.

2:18

Hervine?

2:19

Here.

2:20

Mr.

2:20

Cassoff.

2:21

Present.

2:21

Ms.

2:21

Reinhardt?

2:22

Here.

2:23

Ms.

2:23

Walker?

2:24

Here.

2:24

Mr.

2:25

Watson.

2:26

Present.

2:26

I'm Mel Jones.

2:27

I'm here.

2:28

We have a quorum.

2:29

Thank you.

2:31

Uh tonight we'll address the consent agenda.

2:35

We actually have six items, five items on the consent agenda.

2:42

First item on the consent agenda is CUP 23002, which is a request to combine previously approved conditional use permits at Kent Square at 202 and 205 South Main Street to increase the maximum allowable ground floor medical and general office square footage and downtown commercial zoning district by Kent Square LLC.

3:07

And the action is to schedule a public hearing for April 4th, 2023.

5:00

By Larry Barlock, a boxley ready mix for Henry and Susan Henderson, the owners.

5:07

And the public hearing has been canceled, and the application has been withdrawn.

5:13

Do we have a motion?

5:14

I move approval of the consent agenda as presented.

5:17

Second.

5:19

All those in favor?

5:21

Aye.

5:23

Great.

5:24

We'll now move on to our only public hearing for tonight, other than those that were canceled as mentioned in the consent agenda.

5:33

Tonight's consent public hearing is rezoning 22004 ordinance 2007, which is a request rezone 44.85 acres of vacant land from RR1 rural residential to PR Planned Residential at 1006 Glade Road by Meredith Jones of Eden and Associates BC, the applicant for Gary Hopper of Glade Spring Crossing, LLC, the owner.

6:04

And we have a staff presentation.

6:08

Thank you.

6:09

This is a request to rezone approximately 45 acres in the 1000 block of Glade Road.

6:15

The current use is agricultural.

6:17

It is currently zoned RR1.

6:19

The future land use designation is low density residential.

6:24

There are a number of key dates that you see on the screen.

6:27

You can see that we have discussed this at several work sessions.

6:30

Staff has provided you with a number of different staff reports and memos that follow those application updates as we have received them.

6:37

If you all take your action this evening, uh the town council dates will be scheduled following that.

6:42

All of the application materials, staff report and correspondence, or have been provided on the web.

6:48

You all have also received at your dais a correspondence from March 3rd through 3 o'clock this afternoon.

6:55

This has also been posted to the web.

6:58

We held four work sessions with lengthy discussion of a number of different topic areas.

7:05

The subject parcel is seen highlighted in blue on your screen.

7:09

Cutting from north to south, east of the property is the U.S.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Urban Planning█████████████████████████████29%
Affordable Housing████████████████16%
Environmental Protection██████████████14%
Zoning Ordinance███████████11%
Procedural██████████10%
Transportation Safety██████████10%
Stormwater Management█████5%
Public Safety███3%
Parking██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Meeting - March 7, 2023

The Blacksburg Planning Commission held its regular meeting on March 7, 2023, at 6:30 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. The primary action was the denial of a rezoning request for the Glade Spring Crossing development, a 44.85-acre project proposed for 176 residential units at 1006 Glade Road. The vote was 5-2 against approval after extensive discussion and public comment.

Consent Calendar

  • CUP 23-0002: Scheduled public hearing for April 4, 2023, to combine previously-approved conditional use permits at Kent Square (202 and 250 South Main Street) to increase ground-floor medical/general office square footage.
  • ZOA #47: Scheduled public hearing for April 4, 2023, for a Zoning Ordinance Amendment to update the Accessory Apartment Program and add Detached Accessory Apartments.
  • RZN 23-0001/ORD #2014: Public hearing cancelled and rescheduled for May 2, 2023, for a rezoning request at 208 Turner Street NW.
  • SUB 23-0001: Public hearing cancelled and rescheduled for May 2, 2023, for a major subdivision preliminary plat at 2150 Progress Street NW (Northside Park).
  • CUP 23-0001: Public hearing cancelled; application withdrawn for a Medium Industrial use conditional use permit at 3210 Commerce Street (Boxley Ready Mix).

The consent agenda was approved unanimously 7-0.

Public Hearing: RZN 22-0004 – Glade Spring Crossing Rezoning

Request: Rezone 44.85 acres from RR-1 Rural Residential to PR Planned Residential for 176 units (single-family, two-family, townhomes), including 24 affordable housing units. The proposal included 18 variances/modifications from town standards, a connector road to Village at Tom's Creek, and a regional stormwater pond. The applicant (Meredith Jones, Eden & Associates, for Cary Hopper of Glade Spring Crossing LLC) emphasized affordable workforce housing, environmental stewardship (stormwater treatment), and public-private partnerships.

Staff Presentation (Kinsey O’Shea): Detailed the proposed density (4 units/acre), variances (e.g., reduced street trees, sidewalk eliminations, roll-top curb, 15% grade on connector road, reduced public utility easements), and proffers including 24 affordable homes via community land trust, energy efficiency, and a 15 mph speed limit. The applicant requested town ARPA funds for stormwater and affordable housing. Staff noted the development would treat 100% of stormwater on-site, exceeding nutrient reduction requirements.

Public Comment (17 speakers): Residents from Village at Tom’s Creek and nearby areas overwhelmingly opposed the rezoning, citing:

  • Safety: Concerns about the connector road’s steep grade (15%), narrow width (19 feet), and lack of sidewalks; driveways too close to intersections; school bus and emergency vehicle access.
  • Environmental: Impacts on Toms Creek (temperature rise from wet pond, loss of mature hardwood trees, reduced tree canopy, stormwater runoff from compacted soils).
  • Variance Precedent: Unprecedented 16+ variances were seen as cost-cutting measures that compromise town standards; some speakers argued affordable housing should not justify lowering standards.
  • Connectivity: The proposed connector road would create a dangerous intersection with driveways within 2 feet, increase cut-through traffic, and harm neighborhood character.
  • Parking and Density: Insufficient off-street parking (2 spaces per unit, no garages) would force street parking on steep roads; density too high for the environmentally sensitive site.
  • Affordable Housing Details: Lack of specifics on unit sizes, location, and long-term affordability; ARPA funding timeline concerns.

Several speakers suggested alternative connection points or pedestrian-only access. A few supported affordable housing but opposed this specific plan.

Commission Discussion:

  • Motion to Approve (Mel Jones, seconded by Andy Kassoff): To approve the rezoning with all 18 variances and modifications, citing the Comprehensive Plan amendment, density match, affordable housing need, innovative public-private partnership, and stormwater benefits (100% on-site treatment).
  • Arguments for Denial: Joel Herbein, Susanna Rinehart, Liam Watson, Latanya Walker, and Jerry Ford expressed that the trade-offs (safety, environmental impact, precedent) outweighed the affordable housing benefits. Herbein noted a recent Board of Zoning Appeals case reinforcing standards. Rinehart hoped for a better future plan. Watson and Walker agreed the costs were too high.
  • Arguments for Approval: Jones and Kassoff emphasized the housing crisis, need for density in appropriate locations, net environmental benefit (stormwater, nutrient reduction), and that variances reflect outdated zoning. Kassoff argued that the connector road is flawed but necessary for safety (two ways out).

Vote: Motion to approve failed 5-2. Ford, Herbein, Rinehart, Walker, and Watson voted no; Jones and Kassoff voted yes.

Citizen Comment (Post-Hearing)

  • Mike Stein (1225 Village Way South) suggested hiring an engineering firm to explore an alternative connector road location.
  • Natalie Nagi emphasized that affordable housing should meet the same quality standards and that environmental justice is social justice.

Unfinished Business

  • Zoning Ordinance Review Committee: Met Feb 27 to discuss ZOA #47 (Accessory Apartments); public input meeting scheduled for March 9 at Blacksburg Motor Company.
  • Historic or Design Review Board: No report (Tim Colley absent).
  • Montgomery County Planning Commission: Mel Jones reported on Feb 2023 meeting, including a Love’s Travel Center rezoning discussion; noted value of drone imagery for site evaluation.
  • Additional Items: Joel Herbein raised ongoing technical issues with the Planning Commission listserv, requesting town IT fix.

New Business

  • Chair’s Report: None.
  • Planning Director’s Report: Anne McClung reminded commissioners of local training on April 20, 2023 (solar and meeting scenarios).
  • Town Council Report: Jerry Ford reported council discussed budget and Glade Spring Crossing.

Key Outcomes

  • Glade Spring Crossing Rezoning (RZN 22-0004): Denied 5-2. The application will not proceed to Town Council.
  • Consent Agenda Items: Approved unanimously; public hearings scheduled for April 4 (Kent Square CUP, Accessory Apartment amendment) and May 2 (Turner Street rezoning, Northside Park subdivision).
  • Next Meetings: Work session March 21 at 5:00 PM; regular meeting April 4 at 6:30 PM.
  • Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 9:34 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Thanks. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Blacksburg Planning Commission. Regular meetings of the Blacksburg Planning Commission are held here on the first Tuesday of each month in the Roger E. Hedge Path Chambers at 6 30. We're in the Blacksburg Municipal Building at 300 South Main Street. 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. Mr. Ford? Here. Mr. Hervine? Here. Mr. Cassoff. Present. Ms. Reinhardt? Here. Ms. Walker? Here. Mr. Watson. Present. I'm Mel Jones. I'm here. We have a quorum. Thank you. Uh tonight we'll address the consent agenda. We actually have six items, five items on the consent agenda. First item on the consent agenda is CUP 23002, which is a request to combine previously approved conditional use permits at Kent Square at 202 and 205 South Main Street to increase the maximum allowable ground floor medical and general office square footage and downtown commercial zoning district by Kent Square LLC. And the action is to schedule a public hearing for April 4th, 2023. By Larry Barlock, a boxley ready mix for Henry and Susan Henderson, the owners. And the public hearing has been canceled, and the application has been withdrawn. Do we have a motion? I move approval of the consent agenda as presented. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Great. We'll now move on to our only public hearing for tonight, other than those that were canceled as mentioned in the consent agenda. Tonight's consent public hearing is rezoning 22004 ordinance 2007, which is a request rezone 44.85 acres of vacant land from RR1 rural residential to PR Planned Residential at 1006 Glade Road by Meredith Jones of Eden and Associates BC, the applicant for Gary Hopper of Glade Spring Crossing, LLC, the owner. And we have a staff presentation. Thank you. This is a request to rezone approximately 45 acres in the 1000 block of Glade Road. The current use is agricultural. It is currently zoned RR1. The future land use designation is low density residential.

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