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Record of Proceedings

Harrisburg Planning Commission Meeting - July 8, 2026

City Council & Planning Commission — Wednesday, July 8, 2026
BodyHarrisonburg, Virginia
SessionCity Council & Planning Commission
DateWednesday, July 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:47:08

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0:03

Okay.

0:04

All right, we're on, and I will call to order the July 8, 2026 meeting Harrisburg Planning Commission.

0:13

First order, and then as termination of quorum.

0:16

Five of the seven commissioners are present.

0:19

Commissioner Al Cindy is not going to be with us tonight.

0:23

And Commissioner Councilmember Dent is out of town and has requested that she be able to participate virtually.

0:30

So I will read the statement in and under our rules.

0:34

We have to uh we have to vote to agree to let a member participate virtually.

0:39

We confirm that she's in the so she has not logged in yet, but if she joins late and you're okay with her joining, I would suggest going ahead with the um the statement and a motion to approve.

0:51

Any objection to that?

0:52

No.

0:53

All right, then I'll just go ahead and read this.

0:54

In accordance with the planning commission's adopted policy for remote participation, Councilwoman Dent has requested to participate remotely in this meeting due to travel that prevents her physical attendance.

1:06

She will be participating remotely from a location in Charlottesville, which is not open to the public.

1:12

A quorum of the planning commission is physically assembled at one primary meeting location, which is true.

1:18

And arrangements have been made for the voice of Commissioner Dent to be heard by all persons at the primary meeting location.

1:24

So if that's acceptable, I'll entertain a motion to allow member Dent to participate virtually.

1:30

I so move.

1:32

Second.

1:32

Moved by Commissioner Kettler, second or Vice Chair Porter.

1:36

Any discussion?

1:38

All in favor say aye.

1:40

Aye.

1:41

Opposed no.

1:42

Alright.

1:42

So uh when she lets us know that she's available, we'll as seamlessly as possible allow her to join the meeting.

1:51

All right.

1:52

Next items are approval of minutes first.

1:55

We have minutes from our uh June 10th, 2026 meeting.

2:09

Motion to approve the minutes.

2:12

Second.

2:13

All right.

2:14

Motion to approve by Commissioner Kettler, second by Commissioner Jesse or any discussion.

2:19

All in favor of presenting approving the minutes as presented, say aye.

2:22

Aye.

2:23

Opposed no.

2:24

All right.

2:25

Uh then that approves the June 10, 2026, and move on to item 3B, minutes from our June 16, 2026 meeting.

2:35

Motion to approve.

2:38

Second.

2:39

All right.

2:40

Uh motion approved by Commissioner Jesse or second by Vice Chair Porter.

2:45

Uh discussion.

2:47

All in favor say aye.

2:49

Aye.

2:49

Aye.

2:49

Opposed no.

2:50

All right.

2:51

So the minutes of the June 16 meeting were approved as well.

2:55

All right.

2:55

So which gets us to our first part of the new business and items 4A and 4B will be taken up together.

3:02

Uh request for rezoning and special use permit at 704 North Liberty Street.

3:11

Good evening.

3:11

I'm Nirma Soffle, planner with community development.

3:16

So the applicant is requesting to rezone a 13,495 square foot property from R2 residential district to R8 seat small lot residential district conditional.

3:28

The parcels are to the east of the property are zoned M1 and to the west are zoned R2.

3:34

The comprehensive plan designates this site as neighborhood residential, which contains a mixture of densities and housing types.

3:42

Staff believes the proposed infill development consisting of one duplex and one single family detached dwelling conforms with the land use guide and is compatible with the existing neighborhood.

4:03

The applicant is also applying for a special use permit per section 10 359.4 subsection 11 to allow for a reduction in the required side-the art setbacks in the R the R8 district.

4:17

So if approved, the applicant plans to subdivide the property into four lots.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████49%
Affordable Housing██████████████████████24%
Procedural██████6%
Economic Development██████6%
Transportation Safety███3%
Public Engagement███3%
Parking Policy███3%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Engineering And Infrastructure█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Harrisburg Planning Commission Meeting - July 8, 2026

The Harrisburg Planning Commission held its regular meeting on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. The Commission voted on several land-use items including a rezoning and special use permit for 704 N. Liberty Street, amendments to the Subdivision Ordinance, and a controversial rezoning request for The Lindsey Apartments (South Main Liberty Street properties). After a 3-3 tie vote, the Commission did not recommend approval of The Lindsey Apartments rezoning. The meeting adjourned at 9:47 PM.

Roll Call and Virtual Participation

  • Councilmember Laura Dent participated remotely from Charlottesville after a 5-0 vote to allow virtual attendance.
  • Commissioner Heja Alsindi was absent.
  • Quorum: 6 members present.

Approval of Minutes

  • June 10, 2026 Planning Commission minutes approved (5-0 voice vote).
  • June 16, 2026 Planning Commission minutes approved (5-0 voice vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Item 4.d (The Lindsey Apartments): Over a dozen residents spoke. Positions included:
    • David Bernstein (521 Ot St) opposed, citing JMU's plan to increase on-campus housing to 60%, reducing off-campus demand by 4,700–7,300 bedrooms.
    • Lynn Adams (906 Circle Dr) opposed, concerned about future building condition, parking overflow, and lack of workforce housing.
    • Todd Alexander (Paul St) opposed, cited 120 parking space shortfall, water supply concerns, and lack of affordability. He asked the commission to protect quality of life.
    • Carl Larson (47 S Mason St) opposed, arguing the proposal contradicts the Downtown 2040 Plan (scale, historic preservation) and lacked community support (1,600 petition signatures). Proposed alternative uses: expanded park or context-sensitive 3-story development.
    • Sierra Lambert (E Elizabeth St) opposed, calling the development a negotiation tactic and noting JMU's on-campus housing expansion eliminates need; criticized parking and traffic.
    • Sarah Baker McEwley (business owner 157 N Main St) supported, emphasizing the need for downtown housing to support businesses; said housing supply helps affordability; warned that delay hurts small businesses.
    • Keith May (broker) supported, arguing all new housing contributes to affordable housing via increased supply.
    • Aaron Garber (Paul St) opposed, stating the JMU president has a proven track record of building on-campus housing, making the project obsolete; questioned trickle-down affordable housing.
  • No public comment was made on other items.

Discussion Items

  • 4.a & 4.b: 704 N. Liberty Street Rezoning and Special Use Permit:

    • Proposal: Rezone a 13,495 sq ft parcel from R-2 to R-8C (conditional) and allow reduced side-yard setbacks (5 ft) via SUP. Planned: retain existing house, add a duplex along N. Liberty and a new single-family home along W. Washington.
    • Staff recommended approval with a modification to Proffer #1 (removing language that implies the City would build the sidewalk). The applicant had submitted a separate variance request for sidewalk construction.
    • Commissioners expressed strong support, calling it appropriate infill and workforce housing. Applicant's representative Gil Colman said the development would provide housing for nearby plant employees.
    • Vote on rezoning (4.a): 6-0 in favor, with proffer language deletion.
    • Vote on SUP (4.b): 6-0 in favor, with condition: side yard setbacks no less than 5 ft. Both recommendations move to City Council on August 11, 2026.

  • 4.c: Subdivision Ordinance Amendments:

    • Purpose: Comply with 2025 Virginia State Code changes (HB 2660, SB 974) effective July 1, 2025. Changes include: replacing "Director" with "Designated Agent"; ending exemption for lots >5 acres; eliminating Planning Commission review for subdivisions with ≤50 lots; shortening review timelines (40 days for final plat, 45 days for preliminary); adding an administrative waiver process for public utility easements; renaming "variances" to "variations and exceptions" for subdivisions.
    • Staff recommended approval.
    • Commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval to City Council on August 11, 2026.

  • 4.d: The Lindsey Apartments Rezoning (435-495 S. Main St & 282-298 S. Liberty St):

    • Request: Rezone from R-3 to B-1C (conditional). Applicant (Trenton Inc./Bernard LC) proposed a 4-story, 180-unit multifamily building (max 440 bedrooms) with 5,000 sq ft non-residential space, 320 parking spaces, and a 52-ft height cap. Changes from prior iteration: reduced from 250 units/555 bedrooms; removed occupancy restrictions; reduced cash proffers; increased non-residential minimum from 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft.
    • Staff recommended approval, citing consistency with Comprehensive Plan and Downtown 2040 Plan. Staff noted JMU's strategic plan to build on-campus housing for 60% of students by 2040, but argued the site's walkability to JMU makes it appropriate for student housing.
    • Applicant's representative Todd Ray argued the project meets land use goals and provides needed tax revenue (~$500k/yr). He noted the removal of two stories and height reduction to 52 ft in response to community input.
    • Commissioners discussed: Several expressed concern about the high proportion of 4-bedroom units (85 of 171 units, 77% of bedrooms) making the building student-oriented. Commissioners Seitz, Porter, and Jezior voted against, citing the need for more workforce housing and better unit mix. Chair Baugh and Commissioners Kettler and Dent voted in favor, citing the project's fit with downtown expansion and the need for housing.
    • Motion to recommend approval failed 3-3 (Baugh, Dent, Kettler yes; Seitz, Porter, Jezior no; Alsindi absent). The application will go to City Council on August 25, 2026 without a favorable recommendation.

  • 5.a: Initiate Zoning Ordinance Amendments on Manufactured Housing and R-8 Lot Width:

    • Purpose: Comply with 2026 State Code (HB 655 and HB 1212).
    • Manufactured housing: State prohibits localities from treating manufactured homes differently from site-built homes if certain conditions are met (converted to real property, issued CO within 5 years of manufacture, placed on individual lots). Staff will draft amendments to allow manufactured housing in appropriate districts.
    • Minimum lot width in R-8: State requires localities with over 50,000 population to have a zoning classification allowing single-family dwellings on lots ≤3,000 sq ft with ≤30 ft minimum width. Harrisonburg's R-8 district requires 2,800 sq ft but 35 ft width. Staff proposes reducing to 30 ft.
    • Motion to initiate the amendments passed 6-0. Staff will return draft ordinances for future hearings.

Key Outcomes

  • 704 N. Liberty Street Rezoning: Approved 6-0, recommended to City Council (Aug 11, 2026).
  • 704 N. Liberty Street Special Use Permit: Approved 6-0 with condition, recommended to City Council (Aug 11, 2026).
  • Subdivision Ordinance Amendments: Approved 6-0, recommended to City Council (Aug 11, 2026).
  • The Lindsey Apartments Rezoning: Motion failed 3-3, no recommendation. Proceeds to City Council (Aug 25, 2026) without a favorable recommendation.
  • Manufactured Housing and R-8 Lot Width Amendments: Initiated 6-0; staff will draft ordinance amendments.

Other Reports & Matters

  • Rockingham County Planning Commission Liaison: Commissioner Kettler reported on July 7, 2026 meeting; all items unanimously recommended.
  • City Council Report: Councilmember Dent noted a presentation on the Zoning Ordinance update communications plan and the formation of a City-JMU working group.
  • Housing Study Update: Staff announced a July 6 kickoff with HousingForward Virginia to study a housing fund and affordable dwelling unit program.
  • JMU Non-Voting Member: Commissioners discussed adding a non-voting representative from JMU to the Planning Commission. Staff will explore and report back.
  • Next Meeting: A work session on the Zoning Ordinance Update is scheduled for July 21, 2026 at 6:00 PM in City Hall Room 11. The next regular meeting is August 12, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. All right, we're on, and I will call to order the July 8, 2026 meeting Harrisburg Planning Commission. First order, and then as termination of quorum. Five of the seven commissioners are present. Commissioner Al Cindy is not going to be with us tonight. And Commissioner Councilmember Dent is out of town and has requested that she be able to participate virtually. So I will read the statement in and under our rules. We have to uh we have to vote to agree to let a member participate virtually. We confirm that she's in the so she has not logged in yet, but if she joins late and you're okay with her joining, I would suggest going ahead with the um the statement and a motion to approve. Any objection to that? No. All right, then I'll just go ahead and read this. In accordance with the planning commission's adopted policy for remote participation, Councilwoman Dent has requested to participate remotely in this meeting due to travel that prevents her physical attendance. She will be participating remotely from a location in Charlottesville, which is not open to the public. A quorum of the planning commission is physically assembled at one primary meeting location, which is true. And arrangements have been made for the voice of Commissioner Dent to be heard by all persons at the primary meeting location. So if that's acceptable, I'll entertain a motion to allow member Dent to participate virtually. I so move. Second. Moved by Commissioner Kettler, second or Vice Chair Porter. Any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed no. Alright. So uh when she lets us know that she's available, we'll as seamlessly as possible allow her to join the meeting. All right. Next items are approval of minutes first. We have minutes from our uh June 10th, 2026 meeting. Motion to approve the minutes. Second. All right. Motion to approve by Commissioner Kettler, second by Commissioner Jesse or any discussion. All in favor of presenting approving the minutes as presented, say aye. Aye. Opposed no. All right. Uh then that approves the June 10, 2026, and move on to item 3B, minutes from our June 16, 2026 meeting. Motion to approve. Second. All right. Uh motion approved by Commissioner Jesse or second by Vice Chair Porter. Uh discussion. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed no. All right. So the minutes of the June 16 meeting were approved as well. All right.

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