Good Morning on this fine Friday: the first day of October 2021. I am dedicating this episode of the James Exchange to Monday’s Planning Commission meeting.
Change is in the air. And, I don’t mean just the new alarm siren on the pump station which everyone should be able to hear in case of a flood event!
The Planning Commission is holding two public hearings at their meeting this coming Monday. The Blenheim project is for 24 building lots situated one street with a cul-de-sac. The second is 48 building lots on the Upper Bird tract. The Planning Commission has negotiated that landscaping on the Blenheim project will incorporate native plantings and the trail will have a public access easement. On the Bird tract, 25% of the units “shall be duplex, triplex, or quadplex. The applicant did not consent to the remaining “roughly eight-acres be added to the open space and conveyed at no cost to the ownership and control of the Town.”
If you want your voice heard, whether for or against, this public hearing is your chance. The meeting starts at 7:00 and is held in Council Chambers and also through ZOOM.
Parking on Valley Street is again on the table for discussion. A business owner has requested additional two-hour parking on the 400 block. Four businesses will be affected, and “their opinions are mixed.”
There are two additional Special Use Permits entering the application process. Hollis Lumpkin is applying for mixed-use for 1075 Valley Street, or Lumpkins. This business has been operating with a restaurant and over-night accommodations. It is non-conforming because it started prior to the Town boundary adjustment in the 1990s. This property is currently for sale. The second is 360 East Main Street, known as the historic Tavern. It has two apartments and the property owner is applying to create tourist lodging in one of them.
Tiger Fuel Company is requesting a zoning map amendment on their James River property. They have applied for a boundary adjustment to include the driveway that runs parallel to Valley Street. This enables them to meet necessary set-backs on their proposed “Market” offerings which include a gas station, car wash, and convenience store.
Other agenda items include the Flood Hazard Overlay which was last amended in 2014. This is an update that FEMA and DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) have published. “Compared to the Town’s current law, the new model is more clear on the responsibilities of the local floodplain administrator; it has stronger rules about sheds and mobile homes in the floodplain; it provides more flexibility in repairing and renovating historic buildings in floodplains. This is important in balancing the needs of flood safety with historic preservation in places with important historic districts, like Scottsville.”
Also, on the agenda discussion on Planned Unit Developments. “This draft zoning is an alternative to the model of by-right and special use permits. It provides much greater flexibility in designing a site with a mix of uses, building types, and landscaping, but it requires case-by-case approval from Town Council. The Town has a draft ordinance which still needs careful review, especially of the goals and intent statements on the first page. This is not urgent, but will be a valuable tool in the future,” according to Matt Lawless, Scottsville Town Administrator.
That’s it for me. I will be back on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Change is Coming to Scottsville