Harrisonburg Planning Commission Meeting Summary - March 12, 2025
Harrisonburg Planning Commission Meeting Summary - March 12, 2025
The Harrisonburg Planning Commission held a regular meeting on March 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM in City Council Chambers. Commissioners voted on four public hearing items and one unfinished business item, all related to zoning and land use. All recommendations will go to City Council on April 8, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (3a): The minutes from the February 18, 2025, Planning Commission meeting were approved unanimously (5-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Boulder Ridge SUP (4a): No public comment.
- Divine Unity Community Church Rezoning (4b): No public comment.
- 532 Hawkins Street Rezoning (4c):
- Patricia Sayer, a resident at 182 Reservoir Street, expressed support for the project, stating she is in agreement for it to go through and believes it will be a good thing for the neighborhood. She noted that the applicant has communicated with her.
- Cat's Cradle Zoning Amendment (4d):
- Sherri Heishman, Executive Director of Cat's Cradle, spoke in favor of the amendment. She explained that Cat's Cradle conducts about 600 adoptions per year at PetSmart and that allowing adoptions downtown would simplify the process, especially for elderly adopters. She also noted the organization's broader work: 3,925 spay/neuter assists and 1,400 trap-neuter-returns in 2024.
- Smithland Road Rezoning (6a):
- Dan Rubly, a resident at 1251 Smithland Road, spoke on behalf of neighbors. He presented a petition with 29 signatures (27 from property owners along the street) opposing the rezoning. He argued that the proposal does not meet Comprehensive Plan goals for low-density mixed residential, citing concerns about tree preservation, open space, and compatibility with adjacent uses. He questioned why density was not based on a workable plan rather than a maximum of 70 units.
- Lee Goshell, a resident at 1270 Smithland Road, raised safety concerns about Smithland Road, noting it is a two-lane road with no shoulders, sidewalks, or bike paths, and poor sight lines. He stated that the road is unsafe for children and pedestrians.
- Anthony Tongan, a resident at 1145 Smithland Road, agreed with neighbors and stated that the developer has not worked with the community. He also noted concerns about the privacy fence being placed only in some areas.
Discussion Items
- Boulder Ridge Special Use Permit (4a):
- Staff recommended approval. The applicant, Seth Roderick from Monteverde, explained that the request is to allow three 24-unit buildings instead of six 12-unit buildings, keeping the total at 72 units. The change improves construction efficiency and open space. The county portion of the development is already under construction. Commissioner Nardi supported the design change as fair and prudent. Vice Chair Finnegan moved to approve, noting the small portion in the city. The motion passed 5-0.
- Divine Unity Community Church Rezoning (4b):
- Staff recommended approval. The church seeks to rezone from M-1 to B-2C to allow half the building for worship and community activities, and the remainder for storage and support, including a potential gym/athletic space for rent. Proffers prohibit certain uses, limit traffic to 100 peak-hour trips, and dedicate 15 feet of right-of-way along Country Club Road. Vice Chair Finnegan asked about tax implications of rental income; City Attorney Wesley Russ noted it depends on the relationship to the church's mission. Commissioner Nardi moved to approve, citing better building utilization and community benefit. The motion passed 5-0.
- 532 Hawkins Street Rezoning (4c):
- Staff recommended approval. The applicant, Gil Colman and James Herr, proposed rezoning from R-3 to R-5C to build four townhouse-style units (two to three bedrooms each) with parking in the rear accessed via an alley. Proffers limit occupancy to three unrelated persons per unit and require 1.5 parking spaces per unit. The property would be sold to Bridge of Hope, which serves single women and mothers. Commissioner Porter noted Bridge of Hope would be outstanding stewards. Vice Chair Finnegan praised the parking layout. Commissioner Nardi supported increasing unit availability. The motion to approve passed 5-0.
- Cat's Cradle Zoning Ordinance Amendment (4d):
- Staff recommended approval. The amendment adds definitions for "pet adoption" and "pet shop" and allows cat adoptions as a by-right use in B-1 (Central Business District) and clarifies B-2 allowances. Commissioner Nardi moved to approve, and the motion passed 5-0.
- Smithland Road Rezoning (6a) - Unfinished Business:
- This item was tabled from the February meeting. Staff continued to recommend denial due to concerns about the street network layout. The applicant (David Gast of River Bank Companies) and land planner Connor O'Donnell presented two new conceptual layouts, but staff noted that the layouts still require variances and lack certainty. Commissioner Finnegan struggled with the decision, acknowledging the need for housing but citing staff concerns about the street network. Commissioner Porter supported approval, emphasizing the need for affordable housing and infill. Commissioner Nardi, Porter, and Baugh voted to deny (3-2), sending the request to City Council with an unfavorable recommendation.
Key Outcomes
- Boulder Ridge SUP (4a): Recommended approval (5-0). Goes to City Council on April 8, 2025.
- Divine Unity Community Church Rezoning (4b): Recommended approval (5-0). Goes to City Council on April 8, 2025.
- 532 Hawkins Street Rezoning (4c): Recommended approval (5-0). Goes to City Council on April 8, 2025.
- Cat's Cradle Zoning Amendment (4d): Recommended approval (5-0). Goes to City Council on April 8, 2025.
- Smithland Road Rezoning (6a): Recommended disapproval (3-2). Goes to City Council on April 8, 2025.
Committee Reports
- Rockingham County Planning Commission Liaison: Reported on two items: a 16,120 sq. ft. addition to Redi-Mix facility was approved, and an ordinance amendment requiring special use permits for data centers was also approved. The County is exploring manufactured housing based on a regional housing study.
- City Council Report: At the February 25 meeting, City Council approved the Lucy Drive special use permit and rezoning as presented, and approved the zoning ordinance amendment for nonconforming single-family homes in B-2 and M-1 districts.
- Next Month's Applications: Three items: a special use permit, a rezoning, and an alley closing for Newtown Cemetery.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. All right. I will call the March twelfth meeting of the Hirschburg Planning Commission's order. Uh roll call determination of quorum. We have five the commissioner's president. Commissioners are present. Um next item of business is approval of minutes. Do we have motions, comments? Anything along those lines. No. Minute standard approved. All right. Next item. First item underneath this is for a public hearing considerable request blue stone of Harrisonburg. For special use permit from more than twelve units at uh Boulder Ridge development. The applicant is requesting for a special use permit to allow more than dwelling units of more than twelve units. Uh the area in red is the 5.5 acre uh multifamily development area in front of it is a commercial uh lot and then South Main. It will be accessed by a new road called Boulder Ridge. So in February 2021, City Council approved requests to amend the land use guide to modify that 5.5 acres from commercial to medium density residential and to rezone it from B2 General Business District to R5C. So looking at this map here, the yellow at the bottom is uh South Main. The blue line is the county and city line. The pink areas are the zoned B2 commercial. The road Boulder Ridge will access the residential areas, and as you see, it's a small area that is part of a greater development in the county. And the original proposal was for six buildings of 12 units each. One of the proppers approved back in 2021 limits the property to a maximum of 72 units. So the number of units does not change. This is the current uh layout of the development. At the bottom is the portion that is in the city. That's the line between the city and the county. And this is a close-up of what it would look like. The three buildings of 24 units each. Staff has no concerns with the request. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. So again, six buildings with 12 units. That was the original plan. The current plan is three units with 24 units per three buildings with 24 units per building. And they would be consistent with the approved multifamily buildings that are being constructed in Rockingham County. And we recommend approval of the special use permit. Questions? Thank you. Yeah, questions of staff. All right then. Um this point we invite the applicant or applicant's representative to speak. Good evening, Seth Roderick, Monte Verde Engineering and Design Studio representing the applicant. Um pretty straightforward request here. When the project was first proposed, we were thinking standard 12-unit, three-story, four per floor, uh garden style apartments. Uh since then, the owners uh opted for a which is essentially two of those units pushed together. There's a firewall in between. Outside of that, everything remains the same. There's two breezeways on a building instead of one singular.
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