The Harrisonburg Planning Commission held its regular meeting on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 6:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The seven-member commission considered nine public hearing items, including three rezoning requests, two zoning ordinance amendments, and five requests related to the proposed Quarry Heights development (comprehensive plan map amendment, rezoning, and three special use permits). The meeting also included public comments, reports from liaisons, and a discussion on public comment timing procedures.
Hey Meg. Make the you guys have a mouse? Okay. Oh, yeah. Oh, okay. One minute. Do we have any motions or corrections for last month's minutes? We will move on to item three. We will move on to item 3A to consider a request to rezone 3 7 31 Jefferson Street. Good evening. So the first application that we have tonight is for a rezoning from M1 to R3C at 731 Jefferson Street. Here is a site map or a zoning map of the property showing that the property's M1 with R2 across Jefferson Street. Here is a land use guide map showing the land use guide for this neighborhood, which is neighborhood residential. And then an aerial of the site. And then here is a picture of the site from standing on Jefferson Street. A little bit of history about this property. And in that 1939 adoption, the property was zoned at that time, B2, which at the time was the business manufacturing and industrial district, which would have allowed for residential uses on the site at the time. And then in 1963, the city adopted a new zoning ordinance where the property was designated M1, which at that time was our light industrial district, which did not allow for residential uses. And then in April, brings us to today. In April and two April this year, the property unfortunately suffered a fire. And while the city was inspecting the property, staff began investigating whether the conformity was lost at any point during this process. And staff has reasons to believe that since this property became non-conforming, the structure had illegally been converted into a duplex, voiding its nonconformity. But uh the purpose of a non-conforming principle is just for knowledge for everyone, is uh to preserve rights of existing lawfully built structures or buildings and uses that are subject to the rules and policies that are part of our ordinance. Um after discussing with staff, once staff had determined that the structure had lost its nonconformity, um the applicant had decided to rezone the property to allow for at least one residential use to be existing, continuing on this property. Um with the district that they're requesting, the applicant can by right have the a single family residence and would have the ability in the future to convert it into a legal duplex. Um the applicant is profering that um they would dedicate a public sidewalk easement and a temporary construction easement along Jefferson Street to allow in the future for the city if they if the need arises that sidewalks um could be built within that public sidewalk easement and the construction easement for them to have the space to construct it. Um while the applicant's plan uh short-term plans are to bring the property into conformance to allow for a single family uh detached structure. The applicant has expressed interest in the possibility of converting the structure into either a duplex or possibly in the future, a uh multifamily unit uh with their lot area. They would have the ability to do that with the they would have they would like in the future to have that possibility in the R3 district. That would not be a by-right um request, they would be able to request a special use permit for that in the future. Um with the R3 district, um, with those flexibilities, uh it is more than the surrounding R2 neighbors neighborhood would have, but the map on the map on screen um shows that there are existing presumed non-conforming um structures that are of duplex nature or maybe due to lot size, it would not be conforming today, and also multifamily um structures that are existing. Um with all this, um staff does recommend approval of the rezoning request. Okay, thank you. Do we have any questions for staff uh before we invite the applicant up on this request? Is the applicant here? Yes, the applicant is here, and we do have an interpreter with them. Yes. So you're all right. Any questions for staff? Um yes. Yes. These three the last three lots that are M1 that are along the same street. Touch an R2. So in our comprehensive plan, this is still left as M1, correct? If I'm standing and looking at the house on the left or the right, left, only left. Top page top page bottom. Page top. They are they would still they are non-conforming residential uses in the M1 district now. Um this rezoning, they would remain M1, and then the however the comprehensive plan does designate them as well as the neighborhood comp uh neighborhood residential, similarly as this property. That's the one I should be looking at.