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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/15/2017 - Planning Commission - Minutes - Regular APPROVED MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION March 15, 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 March 15, 2017, there being present all the members of said Commission, to wit: Vicki G. Daulton, Samuel R. Carter, Denise P. King, Reid A. Garst II, and N. Jackson Beamer; with Vicki G. Daulton, Chair, 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 January 11, 2017, work session and regular meeting minutes were approved as written. In re: Hold public hearing to consider the request of William D. and Mary Ann Jones, property owners, for rezoning the property located at 146 West Fourth Street (Tax Map #161-7-4) from BCD Business Commerce District to HBD Highway Business District. The Executive Secretary reported that this date and time had been set to hold a public hearing to consider the request of William D. and Mary Ann Jones, property owners, for rezoning the property located at 146 West Fourth Street (Tax Map #161-7-4) from BCD Business Commerce District to HBD Highway Business District; 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 property owners were notified by letters mailed March 3, 2017; and WHEREAS, staff noted the following: the subject property consists of one parcel of approximately an acre; it is located on the south side of Fourth Street, to the west of the intersection with Union Street; the property is currently occupied by a single multi-tenant commercial building; the applicant is requesting to rezone the property to HBD in order to have more flexibility for potential tenants; and this property is located within the 100-year floodplain; and WHEREAS, William D. Jones, property owner, appeared before the Commission explaining the rezoning request; he thanked the Commission members for their service; he noted they would like to change the zoning to make it easier for them to rent the spaces in the building; as the Commission may know, the second floor is especially hard to rent, and he would like the additional uses so that he might be able to lease the empty space; and 2 WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to said request. ON MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER CARTER, AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BEAMER, AND DULY CARRIED, the Planning Commission of the City of Salem doth recommend to the Council of the City of Salem that the request of William D. and Mary Ann Jones, property owners, for rezoning the property located at 146 West Fourth Street (Tax Map #161-7-4) from BCD Business Commerce District to HBD Highway Business District be approved – the roll call vote: all aye. In re: Hold public hearing to consider the request of Turner Morgan LLC, property owner, for rezoning two parcels located at 803-813 Eighth Street and three parcels fronting on vacated Carolina Avenue (Tax Map #s186-11-2&3 and 186- 3-2,3&4 from BCD Business Commerce District to HBD Highway Business District. WHEREAS, the Executive Secretary reported that this date and time had been set to hold a public hearing to consider the request of Turner Morgan LLC, property owner, for rezoning two parcels located at 803-813 Eighth Street and three parcels fronting on vacated Carolina Avenue (Tax Map #s186-11-2&3 and 186-3-2, 3&4) from BCD Business Commerce District to HBD Highway Business District; 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 property owners were notified by letters mailed March 3, 2017; and WHEREAS, staff noted the following: the subject property consists of five parcels of approximately 1.4 acres; they are located on the north side of Eighth Street, at the northeast corner of the intersection with Iowa Street; the property is currently occupied by a multi-tenant commercial building; the applicant is requesting to rezone the property to HBD in order to have more flexibility for potential tenants; and WHEREAS, Ben Crewe of Turner Morgan LLC, property owner, appeared before the Commission explaining the rezoning request; he noted that this is a similar request to the previous request; he stated that he recently acquired this property in the last month and a half ago; in the process of cleaning up the property, they found this unique zoning, BCD, so part of the cleanup is to rezone to HBD to fit some of the more compatible uses for this property; and he noted that he would be happy to answer any questions; and WHEREAS, Commissioner King asked if he had big plans for the property, and Mr. Crewe noted that he has big plans to clean it up; Mrs. King noted in light of the announcement about 3 the sale of the Valleydale Foods building this is a piece of property that is very near that; Mr. Crewe noted that this is correct; he further noted that it was a timely purchase and was not based on anything else that is going on in the area; he had been looking at the building for probably about two years, and it was unique timing that this all kind of happened at the same time; and WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to said request. ON MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER KING, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CARTER, AND DULY CARRIED, the Planning Commission of the City of Salem doth recommend to the Council of the City of Salem that the request of Turner Morgan LLC, property owner, for rezoning two parcels located at 803-813 Eighth Street and three parcels fronting on vacated Carolina Avenue (Tax Map #s186-11-2&3 and 186-3-2,3&4 from BCD Business Commerce District to HBD Highway Business District be approved – the roll call vote: all present – aye. 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 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 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 4 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, Staff has requested that the Commission consider continuing the public hearing on this item until the April meeting. ON MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER GARST, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BEAMER, AND DULY CARRIED, the request to hold a public hearing and 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 is hereby continued to the April 12, 2017, Planning Commission meeting – the roll call vote: all aye. There being no further business to come before the Commission, the same on motion adjourned at 7:10 p.m.