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Record of Proceedings

Blacksburg Town Council Meeting - December 13, 2022: Comprehensive Plan Updates, Fare-Free Transit, and More

Town Council — Tuesday, December 13, 2022
BodyBlacksburg, Virginia
SessionTown Council
DateTuesday, December 13, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:51

Please come to order.

0:52

And will the clerk please call the roll?

0:54

Anderson.

0:55

Present.

0:55

Bush.

0:56

Here.

0:56

Oliver?

0:57

Here.

0:58

Or here.

0:59

Here.

1:00

Addingly?

1:01

Here.

1:02

Here.

1:02

Will the vice mayor please lead us in the pledge of allegiance?

1:07

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

1:13

To the Republic for which it stands one nation.

1:18

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:34

It's okay to check your phone.

1:36

Okay, we'll begin tonight with a consent agenda, and that includes approval of the minutes of December 6th.

1:44

The recommended capital improvement program for 2023 through 24.

1:50

We're going to schedule a public hearing for January 10.

1:53

We have a conditional use permit request for increased height at three town midtown way.

2:00

And uh we'll take that up at a public hearing on January 10th.

2:05

Ordinance 2002, an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance to define and regulate small scale alcohol productions facilities by amending sections 2103, 3141, 3151, 3161, 3191, 3201, 3211, 3301, and 5502, and adding a new section 4562.

2:29

And in that case, we will be scheduling a public hearing also on January 10.

2:43

Item E is the Blacksburg Police Department 2023 towing contractor agreements.

2:50

We'll authorize the police chief to sign agreements with campus automotive with Walnut Springs Automotive and Auto Repair Specialists and also all called towing.

3:01

Resolution 12A22, amending the proffer statement of the North End Special Signage District located near Prices Fork and Turner Street.

3:09

We'll adopt that as well as the Blacksburg Transit Safety Plan.

3:15

What is council's pleasure on the consent agenda?

3:18

I move approval of the consent agenda.

3:20

Second.

3:21

We have a motion and a second.

3:23

Will the clerk please call the role?

3:25

Bush.

3:26

Oliver.

3:26

Igor Smith.

3:29

Aye.

3:31

Sutton?

3:32

Aye.

3:32

Anderson.

3:33

Aye.

3:35

We'll move on now to public hearings, and the first is for resolution 12B22, approving 2022 updates to the comprehensive plan.

3:44

And Maeve Gould will have the staff report.

4:20

And the corresponding map is proposed to be a new map in the land use map series.

5:01

And in 2019, council wanted to articulate a more specific policy around high-density student housing and demand for student housing development.

5:14

And at that time, council passed a resolution that encouraged the redevelopment of older existing student housing at higher densities.

5:22

So between 2017 and 2021, 3,500 new bedrooms, approximately 3,500 new bedrooms of multifamily student housing were approved by town council.

5:34

So at full build out, we will have about 26,300 bedrooms of student-oriented housing in town.

5:42

Keep in mind that does not include students who choose to live in single-family homes and those bedrooms located outside of town limits.

5:51

And from a housing perspective, council has addressed the immediate pent-up demand for new student housing.

6:00

This amendment provides policy guidance around high density student housing only.

6:05

High density student housing means large-scale purpose-built housing for undergraduates.

6:11

It's all often characterized by large building mass and structured parking.

6:16

And typically these developments have many four-bedroom units or units, and are often rented by the bedroom.

6:26

Also, typically the units in these developments include bed bath parity and other student-oriented amenities such as gyms and study rooms.

6:36

So the definition of high density student housing can evolve over time, but generally speaking, this is how we are currently characterize high-density student housing.

6:44

And the hub and the union are examples of the type of student housing that this amendment is pertaining to, and those are pictured on the slide.

6:56

The high density student housing designation reflects areas where this type of housing is currently located and has historically been located.

7:06

It reflects the areas that are most appropriate for more intense undergraduate student housing now and into the future.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Urban Planning███████████████████19%
Housing██████████████████18%
Public Engagement███████████████15%
Transportation Safety███████████11%
Procedural█████████9%
Budget Equity Analysis█████████9%
Emergency Management██████6%
Capital Improvement Planning██████6%
Procurement Management████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Blacksburg Town Council Meeting - December 13, 2022

The Blacksburg Town Council met on December 13, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. The meeting covered a consent agenda, five public hearings, an appointment, and council announcements. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

  • Town Council Minutes: Approved minutes from December 6, 2022.
  • Capital Improvement Program FY2023/2024–2027/2028: Scheduled a public hearing for January 10, 2023.
  • Conditional Use Permit (CUP 22-0005) for Increased Height at 310 Midtown Way: Scheduled a public hearing for January 10, 2023.
  • Ordinance 2002 (Small-Scale Alcohol Production Facilities): Introduced the ordinance and scheduled a public hearing for January 10, 2023.
  • Blacksburg Police Department 2023 Towing Contractor Agreements: Authorized the Police Chief to sign agreements with Campus Automotive, Walnut Springs Automotive, Auto Repair Specialists, and All-Call Towing.
  • Resolution 12-A-22 (North End Special Signage District): Adopted the resolution amending the proffer statement.
  • Blacksburg Transit Safety Plan: Approved the plan.

Public Hearings

A. Resolution 12-B-22 – 2022 Updates to the Comprehensive Plan

  • Staff Presentation: Town Comprehensive Planner Maeve Gould presented updates including a new high-density student housing map, housekeeping changes to street classifications, transportation priorities, and corrections. Key statistics: approximately 3,500 new student housing bedrooms approved since 2017, with a total of 26,300 bedrooms at full build-out (excluding single-family homes and off-campus housing). The plan designates areas for high-density student housing near campus and infrastructure.
  • Planning Commission Recommendation: Recommended approval 6-0.
  • Public Comment: Javad Torabinejad of 1600 Winslow Drive expressed concern that the plan does not adequately address the student housing issue and that action is decades too late, but urged approval of the resolution followed by meaningful legislation.
  • Action: Council unanimously approved Resolution 12-B-22.

B. Ordinance 2000 – Fare-Free Blacksburg Transit Service

  • Staff Presentation: Transit Director Brian Booth noted fare-free service began during the pandemic, with benefits including faster boarding, elimination of fare disputes, and improved staff efficiency. Annual fare revenue loss is approximately $50,000 (less than 1% of the total budget), which will be absorbed by existing revenue sources (50% state/federal grants, 50% from partnerships with Virginia Tech, Town of Christiansburg, and advertising).
  • Public Comment: None.
  • Action: Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2000.

C. Ordinance 2004 – Rescue Chief Position

  • Staff Presentation: Town Manager Marc Verniel explained the ordinance transitions the volunteer rescue chief to a paid town employee at the department head level, reflecting the growing complexity of the rescue squad.
  • Public Comment: None.
  • Action: Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2004.

D. Ordinance 2005 – Competitive Negotiation Threshold

  • Staff Presentation: Town Attorney Lawrence Spencer stated the ordinance increases the threshold for small purchases of professional services from $60,000 to $80,000, correcting an incomplete amendment from 2019.
  • Public Comment: None.
  • Action: Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2005.

E. Ordinance 2006 – Budget Amendment for Revenue Sharing Funds

  • Staff Presentation: Town Manager Marc Verniel described the ordinance accepting and appropriating $655,849 in VDOT FY19 revenue sharing funds, $340,849 in developer funds, and $201,755 in FY21 revenue sharing funds to the General Capital Improvement Fund. These funds were previously cut during the pandemic and are now available again.
  • Public Comment: None.
  • Action: Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2006.

Citizen Comments

No citizens spoke.

Appointment

  • New River Valley Emergency Communications Regional Authority: Council unanimously reappointed Town Manager Marc Verniel to this authority, which operates the 911 center in Christiansburg for Blacksburg, Montgomery County, and Virginia Tech.

Unfinished Business

None.

New Business

Councilmember Susan Mattingly raised the issue of the recent Montgomery County property reassessment, noting many citizens experienced 50–100% increases. She requested a conversation with county officials and potential relief options. Council agreed to place the topic on the January 2023 work session agenda. It was noted that the deadline to file a claim with the county was December 16, 2022.

Council Announcements

  • Free downtown parking from December 17, 2022 to January 2, 2023.
  • Free screening of Polar Express at the Lyric Theatre on December 23.
  • World Cup final screening at the Lyric on December 18 at 10 a.m.
  • Upcoming meetings: Work session and regular meeting scheduled for late December were canceled; next work session is January 3, 2023.

Meeting Transcript

Please come to order. And will the clerk please call the roll? Anderson. Present. Bush. Here. Oliver? Here. Or here. Here. Addingly? Here. Here. Will the vice mayor please lead us in the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the Republic for which it stands one nation. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. It's okay to check your phone. Okay, we'll begin tonight with a consent agenda, and that includes approval of the minutes of December 6th. The recommended capital improvement program for 2023 through 24. We're going to schedule a public hearing for January 10. We have a conditional use permit request for increased height at three town midtown way. And uh we'll take that up at a public hearing on January 10th. Ordinance 2002, an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance to define and regulate small scale alcohol productions facilities by amending sections 2103, 3141, 3151, 3161, 3191, 3201, 3211, 3301, and 5502, and adding a new section 4562. And in that case, we will be scheduling a public hearing also on January 10. Item E is the Blacksburg Police Department 2023 towing contractor agreements. We'll authorize the police chief to sign agreements with campus automotive with Walnut Springs Automotive and Auto Repair Specialists and also all called towing. Resolution 12A22, amending the proffer statement of the North End Special Signage District located near Prices Fork and Turner Street. We'll adopt that as well as the Blacksburg Transit Safety Plan. What is council's pleasure on the consent agenda? I move approval of the consent agenda. Second. We have a motion and a second. Will the clerk please call the role? Bush. Oliver. Igor Smith. Aye. Sutton? Aye. Anderson. Aye. We'll move on now to public hearings, and the first is for resolution 12B22, approving 2022 updates to the comprehensive plan. And Maeve Gould will have the staff report. And the corresponding map is proposed to be a new map in the land use map series. And in 2019, council wanted to articulate a more specific policy around high-density student housing and demand for student housing development. And at that time, council passed a resolution that encouraged the redevelopment of older existing student housing at higher densities. So between 2017 and 2021, 3,500 new bedrooms, approximately 3,500 new bedrooms of multifamily student housing were approved by town council. So at full build out, we will have about 26,300 bedrooms of student-oriented housing in town. Keep in mind that does not include students who choose to live in single-family homes and those bedrooms located outside of town limits.

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