HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/17/2018 - MinutesV
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PLANNING COMMISSION
APRIL 17, 2018
Commissioners Present:
Mr. Wayne, Bower
Mr. Troy Henderson
Mr. Rick James
Mr. Paul Mahoney
Mr. Jim Woltz
Staff Present:
Mr. Philip Thompson, Secretary
Mr. Peter Lubeck, Senior Assistant County Attorney
Mr. John Murphy
Ms. Megan Cronise
Ms. Bailey DuBois
Ms., Cecile Newcomb
Ms. Becky James
Ms. Susan McCoy, Recording Secretary
Work Session
Mr. Mahoney called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Approval of Agenda
Mr. Woltz made a motion to approve the agenda, which passed 5-0.
'Approval of Minutes
Mr. James made a motion to approve the minutes of March 6, 2018, which passed 3-0-
2, with Mr. Mahoney and Mr. Woltz abstaining.
Mr. Mahoney made a motion to approve the minutes of March 20, 2018, which passed 5-
0.
Zoning Ordinance Amendments (Signs)
Mr. Thompson provided a brief overview of the sign ordinance amendment process. Ms.
James reviewed definition changes. Ms. James and the Commissioners discussed
basing the size and number of permitted signs on road frontage or by zoning district.
They discussed calculations to determine the maximum amount of permitted signage.
They discussed signage regulations when more than one business is, located within a
building. They discussed the importance of making the amendments business friendly.
They reviewed the regulations of other localities. Mr. Thompson, Ms. James, and the
Commissioners discussed various options which could be used to calculate the maximum
signage permitted, including road frontage, zoning, and percentage of business facade.
They discussed issues regarding each method. Mr. Murphy and the Commissioners
discussed issues regarding unusually shaped parcels or pipestem lots. Ms. Cronise
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ROANOKE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES APRIL 17, 2018
discussed the difficulty of new businesses when calculating permitted signage. Mr.
Thompson noted permitted signage size could be varied within different zoning districts.
Mr. Murphy stated that existing non -conforming signs are grandfathered in with the
property. Mr. Thompson and the Commissioners discussed standard sizes of
manufactured signs.
Mr. Thompson and Ms. James discussed developing charts, examples, and calculations
for review and discussion with the Commission at a future work session.
Zoning -Ordinance Amendments A ritourism
Mr. Thompson provided a brief history of the agritourism amendment, noting staff has
reviewed other localities regulations regarding this issue, including Albemarle County,
Rockingham County, and Culpeper. He discussed definitions, including the definition of
substantial impact in agricultural districts. Mr. Thompson and the Commissioners
discussed examples and issues, including noise, traffic, lighting, access, parking, and
hours of operation. They discussed regulating and enforcement of these issues. Mr.
Thompson noted agritourism is included in the State Code. He discussed the importance
of determining substantial impact. Mr. Thompson and the Commissioners discussed
tying this use to the land use program or size of acreage. They discussed issues
regarding regulation and enforcement of noise levels in rural areas. They also discussed
the appeals process for applicants. They discussed issues regarding restricting the use
of property, noting 78% of property in Roanoke County is zoned agricultural. They
discussed economic development advantages of agritourism. Mr. Thompson stated staff
will continue to conduct more research to bring back for discussion with the Commission.
Hollins Center and Oak Grove Center Planning Studies
Ms. Cronise provided a PowerPoint presentation, including an overview of the community
meetings, survey results, stakeholder interviews, Roanoke County Public Schools
outreach, and outreach to other organizations. She discussed the community meetings,
noting the Hollins Community Meeting had 100 attendees and the Oak Grove Community
Meeting had 106 attendees. She stated the surveys were provided in both English and
Spanish. She stated Hollins completed 393 in English and 2 in Spanish and Oak Grove
completed 595 in English and 32 in Spanish. Ms. DuBois provided summaries of survey
results for both areas, including preferences regarding transportation and streetscape
improvements, additional features needed for future success of the study area, issues
related to economic conditions, and the best features about the study area. She stated
they want to make sure to meet the needs of existing businesses. Ms. Cronise stated
staff has been conducting stakeholder interviews, noting sixty participants have been
interviewed to date. She stated stakeholders include participants interested in economic
development, planning, environmental advocates, public safety, utilities, transportation,
and key property owners/tenants. She discussed the stakeholder interview results
summary from each section, including development/businesses, transportation, public
safety, and infrastructure.
Ms. Cronise discussed outreach to Roanoke County Public Schools outreach in order to
introduce the concept of community planning to students and faculty. She discussed the
various exercises which were performed with the groups, including a Kahoot quiz, Kahoot
visual preference survey, mapping exercise, story map, concepts for the future of the
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ROANOKE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES APRIL 17, 2618
area, and discussion regarding engaging youth and young adults in community planning.
Ms. Cronise and the Commissioners discussed the results of the exercises. Mr.
Thompson and Commissioners discussed incorporating students in additional County
planning activities.
Ms. Cronise discussed additional outreach, including general outreach, employee events,
and presentations to various organizations. She reviewed major themes for Hollins and
Oak Grove areas. She reviewed the next planning studies and tentative timeline. She
stated Hollins Planning Area Community Meetings will be held on Thursday, May 10,
2018, from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 19, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. — 12:00
p.m. at the Hollins Library. She stated the Oak Grove Planning Area Community Meetings
will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. and Thursday, May
24, 2018, from 4:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. at Oak Grove Church of the Brethren.
Citizen Comments
There were none.
Commissioners' and Staff Comments
Mr. Thompson stated that the Town of Vinton will be holding an open house to receive
public input regarding the Zoning and Subdivision Code Assessment and the Urban
Design Audit and on ideas for potential changes to the Vinton Zoning and Subdivision
Ordinances. He stated the meeting will be held on Monday, April 30, 2018, from 7:00 p.m.
— 8:30 p.m., including a brief presentation at 7:30 p.m., at the Vinton War Memorial, 814
Washington Avenue.
Mr. Thompson stated the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission will be conducting a
community meeting to review the draft 2018 Roanoke Valley Greenway Plan on April 19,
2018, from 4:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. at the Berglund Center, 710 Williamson Road.
Mr. Thompson provided a status update regarding the Western Virginia Regional
Industrial Facility Authority (WVRIFA) Wood Haven Road project.
Mr. Thompson provided a status update regarding Route 419 Town Center and
Tanglewood Mall area.
Mr. Thompson and the Commissioners discussed the timeline for the Zoning Ordinance
Amendments regarding signs and floodplain.
Mr. Thompson and the Commissioners discussed the area plans which are incorporated
into the Comprehensive Plan after they are adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Mr.
Thompson reviewed the progress and implementation of the plans.
With no further business or comments, Mr. Mahoney adjourned the meeting at 8:41 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted:
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ROANOKE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES
c
Susan McCoy
Recording Secretary, Roanoke County Planning Commission
Philip Th mpson
Secreta , Roanoke County Planning Commission
Paul Mahoney
Chairman, Roanoke Count lanning Commission
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APRIL 77, 2078