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.
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.