Harrisonburg Planning Commission Meeting Summary - May 14, 2025
Harrisonburg Planning Commission Meeting Summary - May 14, 2025
The Harrisonburg Planning Commission met on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 6:00 PM in City Council Chambers. All seven members were present except Kate Nardi. The meeting included public hearings for several zoning and special use permit requests, two alley closure requests, and reports from staff and city council. The meeting adjourned at 9:06 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from the April 9, 2025 meeting were approved by a voice vote of 5-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the designated public comment period. Staff announced the city had issued a mandatory water conservation notice effective immediately due to debris from heavy rains impacting the water treatment plant.
Discussion Items
Alley Closure at 291-295 Franklin Street (Item 5.b, taken out of order)
- Staff presented a request from John S. McGehee and Sandra L. Quigg to close an undeveloped 2,500 sq. ft. alley. The alley dead-ends and is used as a driveway by the applicant. Staff recommended approval with a condition requiring a shared access agreement among three affected property owners (291 Franklin, 295 Franklin, and 294 Campbell Street). After discussion, Vice Chair Finnegan opposed on principle, citing a desire to preserve public pathways. Commissioner Porter made a motion to approve with the condition, seconded by Councilmember Dent. The motion passed 5-1 (Finnegan opposed). The recommendation will go to City Council on June 10, 2025.
Special Use Permit for Reduced Parking at 160 Carpenter Lane (Item 4.a)
- Winchester Equipment Co. requested a special use permit to reduce required parking from 51 to 28 spaces at 160 Carpenter Lane (zoned M-1). Staff recommended approval with a condition to plant trees along the public street. Applicant representative Jonathan Garber noted utility work also needed. The commission voted unanimously (6-0) to recommend approval, forwarded to City Council on June 10.
Rezoning at 302 West Bruce Street (Item 4.b)
- Paul C. Riner requested rezoning from R-2 to R-8C (Small Lot Residential Conditional) to make the 5,397 sq. ft. lot conforming with minimum lot size requirements. Proffers included sidewalk easements along Academy and Bruce Streets. Staff recommended approval. A local resident, Todd Rhea, spoke in support, noting the utility of R-8 districts. The commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval, forwarded to City Council on June 10.
Rezoning (Proffer Amendment) and Special Use Permit at 865 Port Republic Road (Items 4.c and 4.d)
- 865 East LLC requested a proffer amendment to add wireless telecommunications facilities and vape shops as permitted uses (to bring existing uses into compliance) and a new special use permit to allow reduced setbacks for a future building addition. The special use permit had been set to expire July 1, 2025. Staff recommended approval of both with a condition that the reduced setbacks apply only to the existing building and addition. The commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of both items, forwarded to City Council on June 10.
Alley Closure Request – Newtown Cemetery (Item 5.a)
- Newtown Cemetery Trustees requested to close an undeveloped 17-foot wide, 8,659 sq. ft. alley adjacent to the cemetery to allow future burial expansion. Ground penetrating radar in April 2025 identified three potential unmarked graves in or near the alley. Staff recommended denial, citing public access and pedestrian connectivity, but offered alternatives (partial closure with easements). The applicant sought closure of the entire alley with no conditions. After extensive discussion, Commissioner Porter moved to close the entire alley with no conditions, seconded by Commissioner Washington. The motion passed 4-2 (Finnegan and Alsindi opposed). The recommendation will go to City Council on June 10.
Reports and Other Matters
- Rockingham County Planning Commission Liaison Report: Vice Chair Finnegan reported on items from the county meeting, including tabling of a townhome expansion, a veterinary clinic rezoning, and short-term rental safety regulations.
- City Council Report: Councilmember Dent summarized recent City Council actions, including approval of Smithland Road development, a UR district ordinance amendment (five-foot setback), multifamily housing at Erickson Avenue, and a Weldon Cooper Center population projection presentation. The projections indicated that housing does not drive population growth; in-migration and births do, with older housing generating more K-12 students.
- Bylaw Amendment Discussion: Vice Chair Finnegan raised a concern about the Planning Commission bylaw requiring at least half of members to own real property, noting it is outdated given that 60% of residents are renters. Deputy City Attorney Russ confirmed the requirement comes from state code and may be difficult to amend. The matter was not voted on.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes (5-0).
- Recommended approval of Franklin Street alley closure (5-1) with condition; forwarded to City Council June 10.
- Recommended approval of reduced parking at 160 Carpenter Lane (6-0); forwarded to City Council June 10.
- Recommended approval of rezoning at 302 West Bruce Street (6-0); forwarded to City Council June 10.
- Recommended approval of proffer amendment and special use permit at 865 Port Republic Road (6-0); forwarded to City Council June 10.
- Recommended approval of Newtown Cemetery alley closure with no conditions (4-2); forwarded to City Council June 10.
Meeting Transcript
Four minutes until microphones are on. Microphones are on. All right. With that, I will call the May 14, 2025 meeting the Harrisburg Planning Commission to order. At the present time we have a quorum. Commissioner Nardia knew you let us know she was not gonna be able to make it enough. Do we know that uh uh Councilmember Dent's not gonna be here? I have not heard from Okay, so we have not heard from her, but in any case, the other five members are present, so we have a quorum. Um all right, next item is review of minutes from the April 9, 2025 meeting. Um chair, I move to approve minutes from last month's meeting. All second moved by Commissioner Finnegan second with Commissioner Porter. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye, opposed no. All right, minutes stand approved. Before we move on to new business, I guess we need to take this. Okay, well, here we go. All right, so uh he's here. Um the item actually is the last item 5B, but uh applicant had contacted us and indicated that they have had some other things come up this evening and wanted to know if we could take them out of order and let them be the first thing on the agenda. Um that request has been made. Are we okay with that? All right, all right. So hearing no objections, we will do that. So just for the benefit of anybody watching, uh it's item five B under new business will be taken up as our first uh first item this evening. So with that, uh invite staff to come forward and give this presentation on the request uh for an uh uh closed undeveloped public alley between two ninety-one and two ninety-five Franklin streets. All right, good evening. Um the applicant is requesting to close a portion of an undeveloped alley between two ninety-one and two ninety-five Franklin Street. The property is zoned UR, or it's surrounded by zone property zone UR as well. The property the property is identified as a neighborhood residential within our comprehensive plan. And then here is an aerial of the site. The applicant is requesting to close a 2,500 square foot portion of or 200 2500 square foot undeveloped public alley um between those these two sites that are identified as tax map 26L1 and 12 or um 26L1 and 12. And then the applicant is the owner of 295 Franklin Street. A little background. In 1901, the subdivision was create a subdivision was reported to create these lots within the city along Franklin Street, and then that included an alley in this general area. And then in 1907, the existing alley that was in the there at the time was closed and adjacent property owners dedicated a portion of the dedicated right-aways along five foot on each side along their property lines to create a new alley for this area. Um since the 1907 um a new alley recording, um the the alley's act uh access has been continued to be maintained by the property owners. Um when while on GIS it appears that there are existing property lines that would separate this alley out to be its own parcel. That is not exactly true. Um there is an easement that is over top of this and the land that is in the public alley is actually the in the pro it is owned by their uh the adjoining property owners. Um today, um in the applicant's letter, they explain that they would like to wish to limit the ability for people to cut through their property, but this being a public access alley. Um the public does have the right to walk through or drive through this um alley. Um they would like to limit this ability. Um however, this alley does serve as the driveway for 295 Franklin Street and does provide access to the rear property of 291 Franklin Street and 294 Campbell Street. With this in mind, staff does recommend approval of the alley closing request with the following condition that a private shared access agreement shall be established among the owners of 291 Franklin Street, 295 Franklin Street, and 294 Campbell Street to maintain the ability of rear access. Rear access to the rear yard for all three of these properties. Um the applicant has been made aw aware of this recommended condition, and they have been working with each other to provide an access agreement for all three sites. Okay. Questions to staff. I have a question.
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