Harrisonburg Planning Commission Meeting - March 13, 2024
Harrisonburg Planning Commission Meeting - March 13, 2024
The Harrisonburg Planning Commission met on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 6:00 PM in City Council Chambers. Four members were present (Brent Finnegan, Adriel Byrd, Valerie Washington, Richard Baugh), with two absent (Laura Dent, Heja Alsindi) and one vacancy. The meeting included seven public hearings and one other business item, resulting in approvals, a tabling, and a substantial accord finding. The meeting adjourned at 7:42 PM.
Approval of Minutes
- The minutes from the February 14, 2024 meeting were deferred to the next month because Chair Finnegan, who was absent at the prior meeting, recused himself from voting, leaving only three members.
Discussion Items
Public Hearings:
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Convenience Store Special Use Permit (206/210 Charles Street): The applicant requested a SUP to relocate an existing convenience store to an adjacent parcel and unify three parcels under one permit. Staff recommended approval, noting compatibility with commercial uses along Charles Street. The Commission approved (4-0) with plans to remove unsafe front parking spaces. The recommendation moves to City Council on April 9, 2024.
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Short-Term Rental Special Use Permit (1088/1094 College Avenue): The applicant sought a SUP for a short-term rental in an accessory structure. Staff recommended approval with conditions limiting accommodations to three guest rooms and six guests. The Commission approved (4-0), agreeing that the use does not remove a dwelling unit from the housing market. The recommendation moves to City Council on April 9, 2024.
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Short-Term Rental Special Use Permit (1048/1048A College Avenue): Staff discovered building code discrepancies regarding the structure's classification (duplex vs. single-family home) and whether a doorway between units was original or later addition. They recommended tabling the request for further investigation. The Commission voted to table (4-0), with the item expected to return on April 10, 2024.
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Personal Service Establishment Special Use Permit (220 Reservoir Street): The applicant, owner of Alley Cat Tattoo, requested a SUP to relocate the tattoo shop to a former medical office building. Staff recommended approval, finding the use similar to other by-right nonresidential uses in the R-3 district. The Commission approved (4-0), citing better parking and space. The recommendation moves to City Council on April 9, 2024.
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Rezoning to Amend Proffers (325/335 North Liberty Street): The applicant, Sage Bird Ciderworks, requested to remove a parking proffer from the 2018 rezoning to allow their food truck to park on site and enable community events. Staff recommended approval, noting increased on-street parking and changed conditions since 2018. The Commission approved (4-0), with discussion that removal would not harm parking availability. The recommendation moves to City Council on April 9, 2024.
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Zoning Ordinance Amendment (M-1 District): The applicant requested adding a new by-right use for mercantile establishments selling parts for over-the-road tractors, trailers, and heavy equipment. Staff supported the amendment as compatible with existing industrial uses. The Commission approved (4-0), noting it fills a gap in the zoning code. The recommendation moves to City Council on April 9, 2024.
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Fire Station #5 Substantial Accord Determination (450 Mt. Clinton Pike): The City is purchasing a 15.23-acre site to build Fire Station #5. Staff found the location and character in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan, citing Chapter 13 objectives for reducing response times. The Commission agreed (4-0), noting equity in emergency services and consistency with industrial zoning. Findings will be presented to City Council on April 9, 2024.
Other Business Items:
- Preliminary Subdivision for Tuscan Village (Country Club Road/Keezletown Road): The applicant sought preliminary plat approval for a 16.65-acre mixed-use development including 57 townhomes, multifamily units, duplex lots, and a single-family lot. Five variance requests were made, including reduced street widths and omission of a sidewalk segment in favor of a shared-use path. Staff recommended approval with a condition for a raised crosswalk. The Commission approved (4-0), with support for the shared-use path and traffic-calming features. The recommendation moves to City Council on April 9, 2024.
Key Outcomes
- All votes were 4-0 in favor of staff recommendations or motions.
- The short-term rental at 1048/1048A College Avenue was tabled (4-0) for further investigation.
- All approved items will be forwarded to City Council on April 9, 2024, except the tabled item (expected April 10).
- The Commission discussed plans for a facilitated roundtable meeting in summer 2024 to discuss broader zoning ordinance revisions, with staff to bring back a plan.
Meeting Transcript
Microphones are on. Call this meeting of the Harrisonburg Planning Commission to order for um Wednesday, March thirteenth, twenty twenty-four. Um we barely have a quorum with four members present. Um I do want to make a note up top, um to officially thank uh Commissioner Armstrong, who um has resigned her post. Um I want to thank Commissioner Armstrong for uh her years of service to the city on this on this board and um sorry, I couldn't be there last month. Um which was her last month. So she she let us know the next day, so she didn't tell us. We must go. I guess not or those who said goodbye have to have approached her individual. Uh I think she said she was it was running late, she meant to say something that was like everybody go home. So no, you didn't uh opportunity to be there. All right. Um speaking of last month's minutes, I don't know how we may want to we don't have our attorney present. Um Chair Finnigan would like to accuse himself from voting on the minutes here last time. So with only three members. I'm not sure if they can proceed to vote with the minutes, or we can just defer it to the next meeting for coming up. You're okay, but I also see the wisdom of we got a couple people who don't have an opportunity. Okay, so are we okay with adding last month's minutes with the minutes from today for next month? Okay, that's correct. All right. At 206 and 210 Charles Street, the applicant is requesting a special use permit to allow for convenience stores in the M1 district. The property is currently zoned M1 or is zoned M1 with a land use guide of uh designation of General Industrial with uh surrounding commercial designations. And then here is an aerial of the site. Um a little bit of history on the site. In 2014, City Council approved a special use permit to uh on 206 Charles Street, which is identified as tax map 41B2 to allow a church to operate. While staff was reviewing this special use permit at the time, it they became aware that there was a convenience store operating at 210 Charles Street without the approved special use permit. In August of 2015, City Council did approve that uh special use permit to allow for the convenience store on 210 uh Charles Street. Know that the special use permit for 210 Charles Street applied purely to just that tax map parcel, not the group of parcels that are being talked about today. So that it doesn't transfer to the rest of the property. And then here is a site uh uh an image of the building from standing on Charles Street. The applicant is looking to relocate the existing keen convenience store uh to the adjacent parcel, which is currently addressed as 206 Charles Street where the church was previously located. If approved, uh along with relocating the existing business, they are planning to demolish the existing portion of the building at 210 Charles Street uh to build and provide more parking for the site. The applicant also provided a uh concept plan that's not conditioned or with the with it being a special use permit's conditioned, not proffered, but it's not conditioned. Uh the submitted concept plan illustrates where the new parking would be located, which includes removing the existing parking along the front of the property where there is backing out into the public right away to maneuver in and out of the spaces. Uh the the supplied sorry, the submitted plan is not conditioned as part of the application is only represent a representation of what they are thinking of doing. Well, the subject pri while the subject property is identified as industrial in the comprehensive plan, a majority of the properties along that street are do have that uh designation of commercial. And given the plan for more commercial uses along this uh portion of the street and the relatively small size of the site, staff does recommend approval of the special use permit. Okay, thank you. Any questions for staff before we open the public hearing? Um so uh just a question. Can you go back to the um well, I guess, yeah, that's the job. So and we'll probably get into this when the applicant uh speaks, but so we're getting rid of those parking spots and the front facing Charles so that there's not cars backing in and out. That is their plan, correct. It's not conditioned part, it's not a condition of it, but is there so it's not a can it's not a condition to remove those parking spots from the front? Correct. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. With that, I'll open the uh let me read the also read the phone number.
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