OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Regular Meeting - August 1, 2023

Planning Commission — Tuesday, August 1, 2023
BodyBlacksburg, Virginia
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, August 1, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 6:00

Transcript — Verbatim
0:56

Welcome to uh the regular meeting of the Blacksburg Planning Commission on Tuesday, August 1st, 2023.

1:02

Regular meetings of uh Blacksburg Planning Commission are held here and uh read uh Roger E.

1:07

Hedgebath Chambers on the first Tuesday of each month at 6 30 p.m.

1:12

citizen uh we won't read the citizens address today because there's no citizens, so um we'll move on to a go ahead and call the meeting to order.

1:23

Can we have a roll call, please?

1:24

Mr.

1:25

Ford here, Mr.

1:25

Herbine here, Ms.

1:27

Jones here, Cassoff.

1:29

Ms.

1:29

Reinhardt, nocker, Mr.

1:33

Ehrman?

1:33

Yep.

1:34

Here we have a quorum and Mr.

1:37

Watson is still on our Mr.

1:40

Britt is absent.

1:42

Well date named either.

1:44

Yes, we'll update the list.

1:48

Okay.

1:49

We'll work it out.

1:50

What we'll we'll set you up.

1:52

All right.

1:52

Uh before we step into the consent agenda, uh Commissioner uh Ford has a statement to read.

1:59

I will abstain from the consent agenda this evening based on my membership on the board of the NRV Bike Kitchen Incorporated, a nonprofit organization in the New River Valley, which was provided with rent-free space for its operations by Habitat for Humanity Restore.

2:14

Uh rezoning 23-002 slash ORD number 2035 is a rezoning request from Habitat for Humanity, the New River Valley.

2:24

And I'm concerned about the perception of a conflict of interest due to the assistance provided to the bike kitchen, and there will therefore we'll abstain this evening from the consent agenda reading.

2:36

Thank you.

2:38

Uh with that, I'll move on and read consent agenda.

2:40

The first action is the approval of the planning commission minutes from Thursday, July 6, 2023, and the action is to approve.

2:48

Second item on the consent agenda is uh ROW 2301, which is a request to vacate approximately tw uh twenty thousand four hundred and thirty-nine square feet of town owned right-of-way adjacent uh to parcel three forty-seven eighty-one at twenty-six hundred research park drive by Gretchen Merrick's a ballzone associates on behalf of Snyder Hunt Company.

3:18

And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for September fifth, twenty twenty-three.

3:47

And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for September fifth, twenty twenty-three.

4:19

Uh uh, which is the contract purchaser.

4:25

And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for September fifth, twenty twenty-three.

4:30

Do we have a motion?

4:32

I move planning commission approve the consent agenda as presented by Chair Cassov.

4:37

Second.

4:38

All those in favor?

4:41

Moving on to public hearings, we have none.

4:44

Citizen comment.

4:46

We have none.

4:47

Unfinished business.

4:49

Uh zoning ordinance review committee.

4:52

Uh we have not met.

4:54

The historic or design review board.

5:00

I think my first one is later this month.

5:02

Great.

5:03

Montgomery County Planning Commission.

5:08

That meant to be me.

5:09

Oh, okay.

5:10

I don't know.

5:11

I think I'm August.

5:14

I'm August.

5:15

You're August.

5:15

Well then I'm September, right?

5:18

Yes.

5:18

Okay.

5:20

I don't have last year's schedule.

5:22

I'm starting in August.

5:24

Yeah, I don't remember what the old one was.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████79%
Zoning Ordinance████████████21%
Summary of Proceedings

Blacksburg Planning Commission Regular Meeting - August 1, 2023

The Blacksburg Planning Commission held its regular meeting on August 1, 2023, at 6:30 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. The meeting was called to order by Chair Andy Kassoff, with a quorum present. Commissioner Jerry Ford Jr. read a statement of abstention due to a perceived conflict of interest related to a rezoning request by Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley, and then left the chambers during the consent agenda vote. The meeting adjourned at 6:36 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the July 6, 2023 meeting were approved.
  • ROW 23-0001: Request to vacate approximately 20,439 square feet of Town-owned right-of-way at 2600 Research Center Drive, adjacent to Tax Parcel 347-8 1. Action: Scheduled public hearing for September 5, 2023.
  • RZN 23-0002/ORD 2035: Request to rezone approximately 1.1 acres from R-4 Low Density Residential to PR Planned Residential in the 1200 block of Airport Road (Tax Map Numbers 317-2 31, 32, 34A & 317-2 32A, 33, 34) by Balzer and Associates on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley. Action: Scheduled public hearing for September 5, 2023.
  • ROW 23-0002/ORD 2032: Request to vacate approximately 0.13 and 0.09 acres (total 0.22 acres) of Town-owned right-of-way in the 1200 block of Airport Road by Balzer and Associates on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley. Action: Scheduled public hearing for September 5, 2023.
  • The consent agenda was approved 5-0, with Commissioner Ford abstaining.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • None.

Discussion Items

  • Commissioner Ford’s Abstention Statement: Commissioner Jerry Ford Jr. stated he would abstain from the consent agenda due to his membership on the board of the NRV Bike Kitchen, a nonprofit that received rent-free space from Habitat for Humanity Restore. He expressed concern about the perception of a conflict of interest regarding the Habitat for Humanity rezoning request (RZN 23-0002).
  • Zoning Ordinance Review Committee: Chair Kassoff reported the committee had not met.
  • Historic or Design Review Board: Commissioner Michael Ermann stated the board will meet later in August.
  • Montgomery County Planning Commission: Assignment schedule discussed; it was clarified that Commissioner Ermann will serve in August and Commissioner Ford in September.
  • New Commissioners: Planning Director Kali Casper welcomed new commissioners Brian Britt (absent) and Michael Ermann (present).

Key Outcomes

  • The consent agenda was approved with a 5-0 vote (Ford abstained), scheduling public hearings for September 5, 2023, for all three right-of-way and rezoning items.
  • No public hearings or citizen comments were held.
  • The meeting adjourned at 6:36 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to uh the regular meeting of the Blacksburg Planning Commission on Tuesday, August 1st, 2023. Regular meetings of uh Blacksburg Planning Commission are held here and uh read uh Roger E. Hedgebath Chambers on the first Tuesday of each month at 6 30 p.m. citizen uh we won't read the citizens address today because there's no citizens, so um we'll move on to a go ahead and call the meeting to order. Can we have a roll call, please? Mr. Ford here, Mr. Herbine here, Ms. Jones here, Cassoff. Ms. Reinhardt, nocker, Mr. Ehrman? Yep. Here we have a quorum and Mr. Watson is still on our Mr. Britt is absent. Well date named either. Yes, we'll update the list. Okay. We'll work it out. What we'll we'll set you up. All right. Uh before we step into the consent agenda, uh Commissioner uh Ford has a statement to read. I will abstain from the consent agenda this evening based on my membership on the board of the NRV Bike Kitchen Incorporated, a nonprofit organization in the New River Valley, which was provided with rent-free space for its operations by Habitat for Humanity Restore. Uh rezoning 23-002 slash ORD number 2035 is a rezoning request from Habitat for Humanity, the New River Valley. And I'm concerned about the perception of a conflict of interest due to the assistance provided to the bike kitchen, and there will therefore we'll abstain this evening from the consent agenda reading. Thank you. Uh with that, I'll move on and read consent agenda. The first action is the approval of the planning commission minutes from Thursday, July 6, 2023, and the action is to approve. Second item on the consent agenda is uh ROW 2301, which is a request to vacate approximately tw uh twenty thousand four hundred and thirty-nine square feet of town owned right-of-way adjacent uh to parcel three forty-seven eighty-one at twenty-six hundred research park drive by Gretchen Merrick's a ballzone associates on behalf of Snyder Hunt Company. And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for September fifth, twenty twenty-three. And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for September fifth, twenty twenty-three. Uh uh, which is the contract purchaser. And the action there is to schedule a public hearing for September fifth, twenty twenty-three. Do we have a motion? I move planning commission approve the consent agenda as presented by Chair Cassov. Second. All those in favor? Moving on to public hearings, we have none. Citizen comment. We have none. Unfinished business. Uh zoning ordinance review committee. Uh we have not met. The historic or design review board. I think my first one is later this month. Great. Montgomery County Planning Commission. That meant to be me. Oh, okay.

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