Blacksburg Town Council Regular Meeting – March 11, 2025
Blacksburg Town Council Regular Meeting – March 11, 2025
The Blacksburg Town Council held its regular meeting on March 11, 2025, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Blacksburg Municipal Building. The council recognized Paul Lancaster with a proclamation, approved a consent agenda with five items, and conducted seven public hearings. The most debated item was a rezoning and alley vacation for a proposed 8-story mixed-use development at 801 North Main Street, which passed on a 4-3 vote despite strong public opposition. Additional hearings included approval of lighting upgrades at a Toms Creek Road park, a rezoning at 402 Clay Street with affordable housing commitments, technical amendments to the subdivision ordinance, and a town-wide speed limit reduction.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of February 18 and February 25, 2025.
- Introduced Ordinances 2061(A), (B), and (C) to consolidate erosion and stormwater management regulations, scheduling a public hearing for April 8, 2025.
- Approved Resolution 3-B-25 transferring $360,000 between Water and Sewer Fund capital projects.
- Approved Resolution 3-C-25 transferring $2,375,572.25 between Water and Sewer Fund capital projects.
- Approved Resolution 3-D-25 approving revisions to the Town of Blacksburg Employee Rules and Regulations.
Public Comments & Testimony
Public comment was heard on three related items (Ordinances 2062, 2063, Resolution 3-E-25) concerning a proposed development at 801 North Main Street. Fourteen residents spoke, all in opposition or requesting delay. Speakers included Karen Overheart (safety concerns), Leslie Harwood (parking and 2019 resolution), Detrick Lindy (urged decline), Rebecca Halsey (affordability, parking, setback), Beth Kelsey (traffic, rent prices), Leann Alton (read a poem in opposition), Jean Cobb (student housing not town's responsibility), Brian Wheeler (parking, traffic), Ronnie Collins (traffic, safety), Carl Fossum (graduate student concerned about congestion and walkability), Pete Macido (project too large for town), Steve Gillespie (precedent), Kim Homer (threat to Blacksburg Bagel), and Shannon Slusser (high density, 'student-ville'). No public comment was offered on the other public hearings.
Discussion Items
Staff presented each item. Council deliberation focused on the North Main Street development: Vice Mayor Sutphin and Mayor Hager-Smith supported the project as a necessary response to housing shortages, stressing walkability and flood improvements. Councilmembers Anderson, Colliver, and Ford opposed due to the building's eight-story height, density, and parking ratio (0.5 spaces per bedroom). The council discussed potential neighborhood parking permits as a remedy. For the Toms Creek lighting, staff and Parks Director Crane explained the safety benefits of LED upgrades. The Clay Street rezoning was supported for its affordable housing component. The sewer code and speed limit changes were procedural and non-controversial.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 2062 (rezoning 801 North Main Street): Passed 4-3 (Hager-Smith, Mattingly, Sutphin, Watson in favor; Anderson, Colliver, Ford opposed).
- Ordinance 2063 (alley vacation): Passed 6-1 (Anderson opposed).
- Resolution 3-E-25 (conditional use permit for alley): Passed 6-1 (Anderson opposed).
- Resolution 3-F-25 (Toms Creek park lighting): Passed 7-0.
- Ordinance 2068 (Clay Street rezoning): Passed 7-0.
- Ordinance 2070 (sewer code amendments): Passed 7-0.
- Ordinance 2071 (speed limit reduction): Passed 7-0.
The meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Will council please come to order and will the clerk please call the rule? Anderson present. Oliver Ford? Here. Hager Smith. Here. Addingly. Here. Watson. President. Will the Vice Mayor please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge of allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America. Which expansion one nation under God. We are going to uh begin our meeting this evening with a recognition for Paul Lancaster. If you'll meet me at the uh is that a podium or a dias, or what is that for? Thank you for being here. Thank you. I want to say it's been too long, but you probably don't feel that way. It depends. Looking at tonight's agenda, yeah, uh it's hasn't been too long. Whereas Paul Lancaster is a native of Dunkirk, New York, and graduated from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. Whereas Paul has extensive experience in broadcast journalism, public affairs, public relations, interviewing, media training, and management. Whereas Paul used this experience on his appointments to the many boards and committees he served, such as the Board of Directors for the United Way of Montgomery County, the Blacksburg Planning Commission and its long-range planning committee, the Blacksburg Open Space Conservation Committee, Blacksburg Affordable Housing Management Team, the ADA Committee, and the Blacksburg Town Council. Whereas Paul's life has always been centered on making Blacksburg exceptional for all who admire, respect, and love the town of Blacksburg. Whereas Paul's devotion to this community is demonstrated by his strong civic involvement in the town of Blacksburg. Now, therefore, I, Leslie Hager Smith, mayor of the town of Blacksburg, do hereby proclaim March 11th, 2025 as Paul Lancaster Day. And call on all friends and family to gather to celebrate this wonderful person and to acknowledge and appreciate what he has meant to each and every one of us. Also, consolidation of our erosion and stormwater management regulations. An ordinance 2061B to repeal existing town code sections 18-600 through 18-629 pertaining to stormwater management regulations as part of adopting a new consolidated erosion and storm water management ordinance. An ordinance 2061B to repeal existing town code sections 18 600 through 18 629 pertaining to stormwater management regulations as part of adopting a new consolidated erosion and storm water management ordinance and ordinance 2061 C to amend the town code by incorporating the provisions of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's model erosion and stormwater management ordinance into the town code chapter 10 at new sections 10-100 through 10-130. Our action this evening will be to introduce this ordinance and schedule it for a public hearing on April 8th. Next is resolution 3B25, transferring $360,000 between water and sewer fund capitable projects. We also have a resolution 3C25, transferring $2,375 in change between water and sewer fund capital projects. And a resolution 3D 25, approving revisions to the town of Blacksburg employee rules and regulations. What is towns uh what is um council's pleasure on the consent agenda? Move that we approve the consent agenda. Second. We have a motion and a second. Will the clerk please call the roll? Oliver. Aye. Board? Aye. Eager Smith. Aye. Addingly? Aye. Set Finn? Aye.
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