Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
CHRISTIANSBURG – Christiansburg Town Council has approved the rezoning of a property located on the south side of Scott Street NE and the north side of Roanoke Street for the purpose of multiple-family residential with the goal of a planned housing development of 47 townhomes.
The associated conditional use permit (CUP) of the property at Scott Street was discussed by town council members ending in a 6-0 vote against the approval of the requested permit. Concerns of density on the approximately two-acre property and the need for sidewalks were among the most important topics needing to be addressed.
“I personally feel like a lot of people, when they buy their houses, even after, and they buy their houses and there are no sidewalks, it’s the fact that it is not really a walkable town in a lot of places,” Council Member Johanna Hicks said. “I feel like sidewalks are so important, not just for pedestrian walking but as far as like anybody that has any kind of disability.”
The property is proposed to have a density of 13 units per acre, which is greater than the 10 units per acre maximum that would be allowed with the planned housing development.
Several other rezoning requests were also heard by the town council during the meeting.
Steve Semones of Balzer & Associates represented Caliber Collision in a rezoning request on 2.03 acres of property located at the southeast corner of Rt.460 Bypass and Roanoke Street. RWW36, LLC is the property owner, with Insight acting as the developer on the proposed project.
According to the town council’s agenda, the purpose of the request is to rezone the parcel to Limited Industrial (I-1) from its current zoning status of General Business District (B-3). On May 15, 2023, the Planning Commission voted five-to-two, recommending approval of the rezoning request.
“The project proposed is a little over 14,000 square feet Collision Center,” Semones said. “The average time of vehicles on-site is 10-15 days; typically, the circumstances for a vehicle being up there up to that 15 day would normally be supply chain issues, waiting for a part to come in, but pretty much their cycling these things in and out pretty quickly.”
Another rezoning request, also presented to the town council by Semones, in representation for Shepherd Contracting LLC of All Natural Tree Experts, is a request to rezone a property at 4600 Roanoke Street in Christiansburg from General Business (B-3) for the associated conditional use permit (CUP). The proposed CUP, contingent upon approval of the rezoning, would request a Contractors Storage Yard. On May 15, 2023, the Planning Commission voted seven-to-zero recommending approval of the request.
The revitalization of the property, as conditions stated from the planning commission, would include evergreen screening and board-on-board fence, no burning of materials on the property, no outside storage of wood materials or wood by-products, and requirement to reappear before the planning commission in one year to prove progression of requirements, according to Semones.
Denise LaCour, Managing Director of Denstock, LLC, presented a rezoning request for a conditional use permit of a proposed 209 multi-family residential dwelling planned housing development. The 18.77-acre property is located on Farmview Road NE, in divided parcels listed in the meeting’s agenda.
As stated on the agenda, the Planning Commission voted seven-to-zero on May 15, recommending approval of the request with the following conditions: 1. The project shall be developed in general conformance with the masterplan submitted dated April 3, 2023 and revised May 4, 2023. 2. The approved CUP shall only be for the specific residential use as described in this application. 3. Indoor amenities including, but not limited to, the media room, 24-hour fitness center, game room with billiards table, kitchen, business center, and leasing center shall be completed prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the 75th apartment unit.
Of the many residential projects completed by Denstock, The Adams at Peppers Ferry in Christiansburg is one of the company’s properties, and presented as an example of the proposed residential housing the company can provide to the community.
“In trying to blend in with our neighbors, we used a cementitious siding on it that matched the colors of the duplexes or quadraplexes that were across the street,” LaCour said. “We also found that we have two demographics with all of our residents; most of them are young professionals or the other ones are the empty nesters.”
A clubhouse with gas grills and outdoor TVs, a swimming pool, and outdoor dog park are also amenities that are included with the housing project.
Additional public hearings will be held on July 11, 2023.
The first public hearing will be for a CUP request by Burch Properties LLC, the lessee, Kevin Lagos. The request is for the purpose of a proposed public billiard parlor and poolroom on the property located at 1635 North Franklin Street.
A second public hearing is a request to rezone the property at 100 Akers Farm Road NE from B-1, Limited Business Conditional to B-3 General Business zoning. The request is being submitted by Summit Community Bank, Inc., with the property designated as business/commercial on the Future Land Use Map of the 2013 Christiansburg Comprehensive Plan, according to the town council agenda.
