Harrisonburg City Council Meeting – March 26, 2024

The Harrisonburg City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included roll call, a consent agenda, four public hearings, several regular agenda items, public comments, and a closed session. Key actions included the approval of a special use permit for a major family day home, a rezoning on North Main Street, preliminary plat approval for a townhome development, and a resolution to apply for federal funding for drainage and utility projects. A major rezoning request for Port Republic Road was defeated.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from the February 27, 2024 City Council meeting.
• Approved a supplemental appropriation for the General Fund and School and Water Capital Projects Funds.
• Approved special event applications for the Shenandoah Valley Autism 5k (April 27, 2024), EMU Spring Commencement (May 5, 2024), and Valley 4th Run (July 4, 2024). All items were approved unanimously on a single roll call vote.

Public Hearings

• PRR 1 LLC Rezoning and Special Use Permit (1211-1261 Port Republic Road): The applicant proposed 128 dwelling units (26 single-family homes, 28 duplexes, 75 townhomes) on about 20 acres. City staff recommended denial due to non-conformance with the comprehensive plan's low density mixed residential category and the existing pipeline of 584 townhome units citywide. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 4-2. Council members expressed concerns about overloading the market with townhomes and the need for a strategic review of the housing pipeline. A motion to approve the rezoning failed 3-2 (Vice-Mayor Dent and Council Member Fleming in favor; Mayor Reed, Council Member Jones, and Council Member Robinson opposed). The associated special use permit was not considered as the rezoning was not approved.
• Flor Asuzena Bautista Special Use Permit (1451 College Avenue): Request to allow a major family day home for up to 12 children. Staff and Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval. The applicant expressed eagerness to start the business. The council approved the permit unanimously.
• Edwin E. Joya Rezoning (705-707 North Main Street): Request to rezone a portion from M-1 to B-1C to allow residential use. Staff and Planning Commission recommended approval. No public comments. The council approved the rezoning unanimously.

Discussion Items

• JLARC Report on K-12 Funding: Mark Gribbin, chief analyst, presented findings that Virginia trails funding benchmarks, and the SOQ formula is problematic. If all near-term recommendations were implemented, Harrisonburg would receive an additional $5.5 million; a full formula change could yield $23 million. The council discussed the Local Composite Index and potential impacts. No action taken.
• Public Notice Signage Update: Michael Parks presented the final design for new public notice signs, featuring English and Spanish, a QR code, and city branding. The council approved the design unanimously.
• Northside Development Preliminary Subdivision (44 & 81 Wilson Avenue): Request to subdivide 5.23 acres for 58 townhome parcels and 34 multifamily dwellings. Staff and Planning Commission recommended approval. The council approved the preliminary plat with variances.
• Wilson Avenue Closure: Second reading of an ordinance to close a 10-foot strip of Wilson Avenue in exchange for a 10-foot strip along Mt. Clinton Pike. The council approved the closure.
• Affordable Housing Fee Waiver Pilot Program: Liz Webb, Housing Coordinator, proposed a FY25 pilot program to waive water and sewer capital recovery fees (up to $4,000 per unit) for affordable units, targeting 10 units with a $40,000 budget. The council expressed support and directed staff to draft an ordinance for a future vote.
• Ordinance Amendments:
  • Firearms and archery: Amended to allow archery hunting on city property with permission and to include deer, elk, and bear. Approved unanimously.
  • Sewer, water consumption, and fishing: Amendments to address backwater valves, high water usage adjustments (limit to one adjustment per 36 months), and fishing regulations at River Rock. Approved unanimously.
• Congressional Directed Spending (CDS) Resolutions:
  • Suter Street Drainage Improvement Project: Request for $2,779,300 with a $926,500 match. Approved unanimously.
  • Liberty Street Utility Relocation Project: Request for $6 million for undergrounding utilities. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• PRR 1 LLC Rezoning: Denied (3-2 vote).
• Special Use Permit for Major Family Day Home: Approved unanimously.
• Rezoning of 705-707 N. Main Street: Approved unanimously.
• Public Notice Signage Design: Approved unanimously.
• Northside Village Preliminary Plat: Approved unanimously.
• Wilson Avenue Closure: Approved unanimously.
• Ordinance Amendments (Firearms, Sewer, etc.): All approved unanimously.
• CDS Resolutions (Suter Street and Liberty Street): Both approved unanimously.
• Appointments: Tiara Brown appointed to the CPMT (term to March 26, 2025); Sharon Horn reappointed to the Board of Equalization (term to December 31, 2026). Both unanimous.

Other Matters

• Public comment: Panayotis “Poti” Giannakouros spoke on incarceration, recidivism, school board, pollinator event, and No Mow May.
• Council members reported on the NLC conference, meetings with federal representatives, and local initiatives (pollinator event, beekeeping ordinance, youth council ideas).

Closed Session

The council entered closed session at 10:22 PM to discuss legal matters involving contractual negotiations and pending litigation. The session ended at 10:52 PM, and the council certified compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The meeting then adjourned.