OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Harrisonburg City Council Meeting - April 14, 2026

City Council & Planning Commission — Tuesday, April 14, 2026
BodyHarrisonburg, Virginia
SessionCity Council & Planning Commission
DateTuesday, April 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:05:27

Transcript — Verbatim
1:16

Yes, sir.

1:21

Okay.

1:23

I'll call this April 14th, 2026 meeting of the Harrisburg City Council to order.

1:30

Brian, roll call, please.

1:33

Mayor Reed is absent.

1:35

Vice Mayor Fleming?

1:36

Here.

1:37

City Manager Banks.

1:38

Here.

1:38

City Attorney Brown.

1:40

Here.

1:40

Councilmember Alsa Doom?

1:42

Here.

1:42

Councilmember Dent?

1:43

Here.

1:44

Councilmember Robinson.

1:46

Here.

1:46

Chief Tucker.

1:48

Chief Tobia.

1:50

Okay.

1:51

Anyone who's able to, if you would stand for a moment of silence, and then remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance after this.

2:37

Okay, so we do not have any special recognitions tonight.

2:42

So we can straight to the consent agenda.

2:46

Any item placed on the consent agenda shall be removed and taken up as a separate matter, if so requested by any member of council.

2:53

Otherwise, all items will be voted on with one motion.

3:07

Second.

3:08

Okay.

3:08

All in favor, say aye.

3:10

Aye.

3:10

Aye.

3:11

And just a quick moment, a couple of items on the consent agenda.

3:15

Often we have uh events that are coming up that are on a consent agenda.

3:19

So thought we would just kind of read them out quickly.

3:33

Um we have the Shenandoah Valley Pride celebration, which will be on Sunday, September 20th, 2026.

3:40

And then the Harrisburg Half Marathon on Saturday, October 3rd.

3:44

So all those were approved.

3:50

So we're going to have a next item will be our public hearings.

4:39

Uh to the R eight district, um other differences between R1 and R eight, uh, the reduced setback uh abilities in R eight is what was uh desirable of the applicants to be able to build a single family dwelling on the property and a layout that was functional for their for their desires.

5:00

And what they're we're requesting here this evening is to amend the second proffer of the existing proffers.

5:03

There are only two.

5:04

Uh the first proffer, existing proffer is that uh more than one dwelling is prohibited.

5:10

So basically that just maintains the uh what was uh the R1 designation before prior to it being zoned R8, so they proffered to maintain that under the R8 district.

5:21

And then the second proffer was that they would have uh a setback along Franklin Street of 20 feet rather than the ability to have a 10 foot setback in the R8.

5:31

Um and the that second proffer is what we're discussing here this evening.

5:34

Uh just uh to familiarize yourself again with this site.

5:37

So this is located at the corner of Franklin Street and Monticello Avenue at 361 Franklin.

5:41

Zoning map is what's before you can see that it was rezoned, is uh zoned R8 conditional, uh, and all surrounding properties are R1.

5:52

Uh similarly with the long-term plans for this area of the city, the yellow here represents low density residential, which is similar to what's out there today.

6:01

Uh low density residential carries about four dwelling units per acre, typically single family homes, single family detached homes.

6:09

And then an aerial photograph of the site.

6:11

Um it's been undeveloped for quite some time, and you can see it's one of the last remaining undeveloped parcels in this area.

6:20

You pick up uh another couple here along Franklin Street, but very few left in this area of the city.

6:26

So, as noted, there are two existing profers.

6:28

That's really what's on the screen before you.

6:30

So more than one dwelling is prohibited, and that 20 foot setback off of Franklin Street.

6:34

The text that's here on the screen now is what they would like to add to the second proffer, and it's a very narrowly tailored proffer that would, if you approve it, grant them to the ability to extend a roof overhang to project further into that 20-foot setback.

6:50

So, under today's standards, uh what's already built into the zoning ordinance is that under section 103110A, architectural treatments and functional elements can already project two feet eight inches to the into the setback, but they want to go five feet into the setback to allow for an overhang over their door that fronts along Franklin Street.

7:12

A thing to pay attention to, and I'll show you here in a moment, is that in a separate section of the zoning ordinance, section 10310, so same section but a separate subsection here, subsection D allows for openings for unenclosed porches, uncovered porches, and decks to project one third the distance of a setback.

7:33

So in this scenario, they have a deck that they plan to construct on their planned uh single family detached dwelling.

7:42

That deck is permitted by right to project further than the allowance that they're requesting for this evening, and I'll show you here in just a moment, just to give you some perspective uh of uh the alleviation that they're trying to um uh achieve.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation█████████████████17%
Budget Equity Analysis██████████████14%
Public Safety███████████11%
Zoning And Land Use█████████9%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%
Public Engagement███████7%
Historic Preservation██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Affordable Housing███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Harrisonburg City Council Meeting - April 14, 2026

The Harrisonburg City Council met on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. Vice-Mayor Dany Fleming presided in the absence of Mayor Deanna R. Reed. The meeting included a consent agenda, public hearings, multiple regular agenda items, public comments, board appointments, and a closed session that ended at 11:27 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from the March 24, 2026 City Council meeting were approved.
  • Special Event Application for Massanutten Regional Library's Summer Reading Kick-Off Celebration on May 31, 2026, at Turner Pavilion approved.
  • Special Event Application for the Shenandoah Valley Pride Celebration on September 20, 2026, approved.
  • Special Event Application for the Harrisonburg Half Marathon on October 3, 2026, approved.
  • Supplemental Appropriation for the General Fund and Water Capital Projects Fund approved on second reading.
  • Supplemental Appropriation for the General Fund, Water Fund, and Stormwater Fund approved on second reading.
  • Supplemental Appropriation for Harrisonburg City School Board (HCPS) approved on second reading.

All consent items were approved by a 4-0 recorded roll call vote.

Public Hearings

  • Rezoning (Proffer Amendment) – 361 Franklin Street (6a): Applicant Katherine S. Moran and Marcie E. Harris requested to allow a roof overhang to extend five feet into a 20-foot setback. Adam Fletcher, Director of Community Development, noted staff and Planning Commission (6-0) recommended approval. Matthew Robertson (Stratford Companies) spoke for the applicant, explaining the second floor is for an exercise room or guest bedroom. Panayotis Giannakouros, a city resident, spoke on zoning principles, urging the council to reconsider exclusionary practices in the zoning rewrite. The council approved the rezoning 4-0.
  • Rezoning and Special Use Permit – 851 Madison Street (6b & 6c): The Center for Health and Human Development (CHHD) requested rezoning from R-2 to R-8 and a special use permit to eliminate parking requirements for two planned affordable housing units. Mary Ta, representing CHHD, explained the nonprofit's mission to house formerly homeless individuals, many without cars, using public transit. Panayotis Giannakouros cautioned about the lack of binding conditions for supportive services and potential future parking conflicts. The council approved the rezoning (4-0) and the special use permit (4-0) with the condition that the parking reduction applies only to the two planned units.

Discussion Items

  • Planning Commission Annual Report 2025 (7a): Adam Fletcher presented data showing 42% of cases were rezonings, 22% special use permits, with lower activity in 2025 compared to prior years. Council discussed comparisons to other localities and economic factors. The report was received and filed.
  • Sculpture Design for Roundabout at Spraygrounds, Ralph Sampson Park (7b): Steve Carpenter presented a 30-foot-diameter, 12-foot-high powder-coated aluminum sculpture by Maxwell Emcays, featuring children playing double Dutch. The design, not yet finalized on colors, was approved 4-0. The city will assess structural integrity and potential lighting.
  • Harrison House Project Update (7c): Tom Hartman, Director of Public Works, presented plans to demolish part of the hall house to create a terrace connecting to Denton Park. The budget is $1 million ($500,000 city, $500,000 from the Community Foundation). Design will proceed in 2026, construction in 2027. Independent archaeological work will be included. No action required; update received and filed.
  • Artificial Intelligence Policy Overview (7d): Bud Ritchie, Cybersecurity Specialist, described the AI policy, emphasizing security, transparency, and human oversight. GovAI, a secure generative AI tool, is in use with 71 active users in the last 30 days. No immediate public-facing AI is planned. Update received and filed.
  • City Manager’s Proposed FY 2026-2027 Budget (7e): City Manager Ande Banks presented a balanced $407,354,000 budget with no tax rate increases. Highlights include a 3% employee compensation increase, $1.4 million for stormwater infrastructure, 21 new positions (mostly grant- or fee-funded), and a slight decrease in the city's transfer to HCPS for the first time in ten years. The council gave consensus to proceed with the $1.10 per $100 real estate tax rate. The budget is available online and will have a public hearing on April 28.
  • Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) Overview (7f): Police Chief Joe Tucker reported 30 cameras (28 fixed, 2 mobile) in use since 2023. They have helped solve 48 cases, including recovered stolen vehicles and homicide suspects, and recovered over $1.5 million in personal property. Data is retained 21 days, and use is restricted to criminal justice matters per state law. No council action was taken; presentation received and filed.
  • Restoration and Renovation of City Hall Complex (7g): Deputy City Manager Amy Snider presented plans to renovate the historic City Hall North and make targeted renovations to the 2014 City Hall South to address space constraints. The project cost is estimated at $25.8 million, to be funded through bonds structured to avoid a tax increase. Solar power from Turner Pavilion will be routed to the north building. Update received and filed.
  • Virginia Municipal League (VML) Policy Committees 2026 (7h): Vice Mayor Fleming indicated his desire to move to the Finance Committee; other council members wished to remain. Council decided to follow up with Mayor Reed before voting. The item was tabled.

Key Outcomes

  • Rezoning at 361 Franklin Street approved 4-0.
  • Rezoning at 851 Madison Street approved 4-0.
  • Special Use Permit at 851 Madison Street approved 4-0 with the condition that the parking reduction applies only to the two planned units.
  • Sculpture design for Ralph Sampson Park roundabout approved 4-0.
  • FY 2026-2027 Budget presented; council gave consensus to proceed with no tax rate increase.
  • VML Policy Committee nominations tabled.
  • Public comment included a request from Sam Nichols for a council letter to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding TPS status, and a request from Panayotis Giannakouros for support of No Mow May.
  • Boards and Commissions: Rob Alexander reappointed to EPSAC (term through April 25, 2029); Camryn Raynes and David Husain appointed to first terms on EPSAC (voice vote, unanimous). Joyce Sampson-Franklin appointed to the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (HRHA) for an unexpired term through February 11, 2028 (voice vote, unanimous).
  • Closed Session: Council entered closed session at 11:04 PM under Virginia Code § 2.2-3711(A)(7) for consultation on actual or probable litigation. The session ended at 11:27 PM, and the council certified that only exempt matters were discussed.

Meeting Transcript

Yes, sir. Okay. I'll call this April 14th, 2026 meeting of the Harrisburg City Council to order. Brian, roll call, please. Mayor Reed is absent. Vice Mayor Fleming? Here. City Manager Banks. Here. City Attorney Brown. Here. Councilmember Alsa Doom? Here. Councilmember Dent? Here. Councilmember Robinson. Here. Chief Tucker. Chief Tobia. Okay. Anyone who's able to, if you would stand for a moment of silence, and then remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance after this. Okay, so we do not have any special recognitions tonight. So we can straight to the consent agenda. Any item placed on the consent agenda shall be removed and taken up as a separate matter, if so requested by any member of council. Otherwise, all items will be voted on with one motion. Second. Okay. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. And just a quick moment, a couple of items on the consent agenda. Often we have uh events that are coming up that are on a consent agenda. So thought we would just kind of read them out quickly. Um we have the Shenandoah Valley Pride celebration, which will be on Sunday, September 20th, 2026. And then the Harrisburg Half Marathon on Saturday, October 3rd. So all those were approved. So we're going to have a next item will be our public hearings. Uh to the R eight district, um other differences between R1 and R eight, uh, the reduced setback uh abilities in R eight is what was uh desirable of the applicants to be able to build a single family dwelling on the property and a layout that was functional for their for their desires. And what they're we're requesting here this evening is to amend the second proffer of the existing proffers. There are only two. Uh the first proffer, existing proffer is that uh more than one dwelling is prohibited. So basically that just maintains the uh what was uh the R1 designation before prior to it being zoned R8, so they proffered to maintain that under the R8 district. And then the second proffer was that they would have uh a setback along Franklin Street of 20 feet rather than the ability to have a 10 foot setback in the R8. Um and the that second proffer is what we're discussing here this evening. Uh just uh to familiarize yourself again with this site. So this is located at the corner of Franklin Street and Monticello Avenue at 361 Franklin. Zoning map is what's before you can see that it was rezoned, is uh zoned R8 conditional, uh, and all surrounding properties are R1. Uh similarly with the long-term plans for this area of the city, the yellow here represents low density residential, which is similar to what's out there today. Uh low density residential carries about four dwelling units per acre, typically single family homes, single family detached homes. And then an aerial photograph of the site.

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