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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/12/2017 - Planning Commission - Minutes - Regular APPROVED MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION April 12, 2017 A regular meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in Council Chambers, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, at 7:00 p.m., on April 12, 2017, there being present the following members of said Commission, to wit: Denise P. King, Reid A. Garst II, and N. Jackson Beamer (Vicki G. Daulton and Samuel R. Carter – absent); with Denise P. King, Chair Pro Tem, presiding; together with James E. Taliaferro, II, Assistant City Manager and Executive Secretary; Charles E. Van Allman, Jr., Director of Community Development; Benjamin W. Tripp, City Planner; Mary Ellen Wines, Zoning Administrator; and William C. Maxwell, Assistant City Attorney; and the following business was transacted: The March 15, 2017, work session and regular meeting minutes were approved as written. ON MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER BEAMER, AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, due to the absence of the Chair, Dee King is hereby appointed Chair Pro Tem for this meeting of the City of Salem Planning Commission. In re: Consider appointment of Vice Chair of the Planning Commission WHEREAS, Chair Pro-Tem King noted under new business, the Commission was to have a discussion to consider the appointment of a Vice Chair; she is requesting that the Commission table this item, and she asked if there needed to be a vote; it was noted a vote was not needed. Therefore, this item was tabled until the next regular Planning Commission meeting. In re: Hold public hearing to consider adopting a resolution of recommendation regarding The East Main Street Urban Development Area (UDA) and for amending “The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Salem” to reflect the addition (continued from March 15, 2017) WHEREAS, the Executive Secretary reported that this date and time had been set to hold a public hearing to consider adopting resolution of recommendation regarding The East Main Street Urban Development Area (UDA) and for amending “The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Salem” to reflect the addition; and WHEREAS, the Executive Secretary further reported that notice of such hearing had been published in the March 2 and 9, 2017, issues of the Salem Times Register; and WHEREAS, staff noted the following: last year the City of Salem adopted several Urban 2 Development Areas (UDAs) as part of the Comprehensive Plan, one of which is this portion of East Main Street; Urban Development Areas identify areas that have transportation needs where the locality wishes to direct state transportation dollars; more than a decade ago, the city worked with VDOT on a road design for East Main Street that would have been five lanes: two in each direction with a center turn lane between Electric Road and Lynchburg Turnpike and three traffic lights; ultimately, this design was rejected because it would have required a significant amount of right of way from the adjacent property owners; the city and VDOT then reimagined the road as a smaller, multimodal transportation corridor, one with a lane in each direction, a center turn lane the entire length, and bicycle and pedestrian amenities like a greenway, sidewalks, bike lanes, and an attractive streetscape; late last year Salem was awarded technical assistance from the state to help us create new concepts for the area in a multimodal manner that works with the planned road project; this concept would position East Main Street as more of an extension of downtown, than as a highway-oriented commercial area like West Main Street; and WHEREAS, Ben Tripp, City Planner, appeared before the Commission explaining the resolution of recommendation regarding the East Main Street Urban Development Area (UDA) and for amending “The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Salem” to reflect the addition; he noted that the consultant the City has been working with Dena Rhodeside of Rhodeside & Harwell was in attendance at the meeting; he noted that for the record that there was no one in attendance in the audience; the City designated three urban development areas a few years ago, one in downtown, one on East Main Street and one on Apperson Drive; and WHEREAS, Dena Rhodeside of Rhodeside & Harwell, Alexandria, Virginia, appeared before the Commission; she noted that she was here to discuss the Urban Development Area for East Main Street, which came out of the earlier study that designated three urban development areas for Salem; she stated these areas were selected originally as future growth areas because it was quite evident when they were working on this that the downtown was the heart of Salem, and there were many efforts going on at the time to look at opportunities for strengthening the downtown; they felt that these urban development areas in the downtown and on either side of the downtown would serve to strengthen those; the areas are walkable to the downtown, and they are also areas that have different characters then the downtown but could be complimentary to it and to its economic development; she further discussed the East Main Street Urban Development Area (UDA) in detail, including residential areas, shopping and business areas, and also green space; and WHEREAS, Commissioner Garst asked if she had a estimate of the number of new residents the area would be able to accommodate; Mrs. Rhodeside noted they have not counted the number of new residents because they believe as buildings transfer from 3 commercial to other uses that there could be opportunities to expand the concepts shown on the plan; so, they have not looked at exact numbers; Mr. Tripp noted that a lot of this will depend on what kind of density the City chooses for where; if we decide that it is appropriate for apartments, this may be very dense and have a lot of residents; but if we decide it is more of a single family detached form, then this would be a lot less on a per acre basis; the plan is a concept and shows us possibilities of what we could do with the area; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Rhodeside noted that the concept also shows what would be the low hanging fruit – what is available in the shorter term for redevelopment; further, there could be additional parcels that come up which could be developed in the future depending on the character, the topography, what is around it, and the market would dictate how dense it should be; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Rhodeside further discussed the walkability study of the plan, and there was further discussion regarding the study; and WHEREAS, Commissioner Beamer noted that the concept is based on VDOT rebuilding East Main Street from Lynchburg Turnpike to basically Kesler Mill Road, and there would be sidewalks at least on one side of the road; Mr. Tripp noted that the concept for the East Main Street road project has a 5’ sidewalk on one side and a 10’ sidewalk on the other side; Commissioner Beamer noted that East Main Street is currently unsafe for walking; and WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to said request. ON MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER BEAMER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, the request to consider adopting a resolution of recommendation regarding The East Main Street Urban Development Area (UDA) and for amending “The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Salem” to reflect the addition be approved – the roll call vote: all present - aye. There being no further business to come before the Commission, the same on motion adjourned at 7:24 p.m.