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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/11/2024 - Work SessionMINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TOWN OF VINTON PLANNING COMMISSION HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024, AT 6 P.M., IN THE TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT THE VINTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING MEMBERS PRESENT: Keith Liles, Chairman David “Dave” Jones, Vice Chairman Jonathan McCoy (virtually via Zoom) MEMBERS ABSENT: Robert “Bob” Benninger Sarah Reid STAFF PRESENT: Richard “Pete” Peters, Town Manager Nathan McClung, Assistant Planning and Zoning Director Fayula Gordon, Associate Planner Julie Tucei, Planning and Zoning Coordinator Mandy Adkins, Director of Cultural Placemaking and Events OTHERS PRESENT: None AGENDA WORK SESSION—6 P.M. I. Call to Order—Roll Call II. Briefing 1. Review of the proposed FY 2025 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). 2. Vinton 2050 – Comprehensive Plan Update III. Comments of Planning Commissioners and Planning Staff IV. Adjournment of Work Session Chairman Liles called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. He asked Ms. Tucei to call the roll. Ms. Tucei called the roll, and all members were present, except Mr. Benninger and Ms. Reid. Mr. McCoy attended the meeting virtually via Zoom. The following members of Town Staff were also present: Pete Peters, Nathan McClung, Fayula Gordon, Julie Tucei, and Mandy Adkins. Mr. Peters asked if the order of the briefings on the agenda could be switched. Therefore, Mr. McClung first briefed the members on the upcoming Comprehensive Plan Update. A copy of the supporting documents for this briefing will be made a part of the permanent record. He stated that the Town would be working with 3TP Ventures on the update. Mr. McClung said that initially the consultants will want to hold one-on-one interviews with each Planning Commission member either in person or virtually to find out what their thoughts and suggestions are for the plan update. He said they will then do research and come up with a proposed plan to present the next phase of the planning process to the both the Planning Commission and Town Council. The Planning Commission will also be involved in the approval of the final plan with Town Council. Vice Chairman Jones asked how many companies submitted proposals to the Town from the RFP. Mr. McClung stated that there were three companies who submitted proposals, and a committee reviewed the proposals, interviewed each company, and ultimately selected 3TP’s proposal as the contract winner. Mr. McClung mentioned that the trend in comprehensive plans is no longer to include “grandiose” projects without feasible targets and timelines attached to them, but to have realistic projects that can actually be implemented by localities. Vice Chairman Jones said there were a few grandiose ideas in the Town’s previous Comprehensive Plan update. However, Mr. McClung mentioned that almost everything in that Plan has been implemented by the Town. Vice Chairman Jones PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION APRIL 11, 2024 PAGE 2 stated that community involvement is key in these updates, and the during the previous Comprehensive Plan update, the Town did have a lot of citizen involvement. He reminded staff to do things that will draw people in to help with the plans, such as offering food at the meetings. He also said to be sure to involve the movers and shakers in Vinton. Mr. McClung mentioned that the Town will be involving staff from the surrounding localities, as well as citizens from surrounding localities. He also mentioned that we will be having a booth at the Dogwood Festival. Mr. Peters said that the Town plans to send out surveys to parents via school children before the end of this school year. Vice Chairman Jones asked when the current update process was started. Mr. McClung said the Town advertised for RFPs at the beginning of January. He noted that Ms. McMillan had put together all the documents and the scope of work for the RFP. Chairman Liles said it will be about a 15-month process for the entire update. Mr. Peters stated that there is a kickoff meeting next week with the consultant and the Town’s management team. Vice Chairman Jones reminded everyone of the study a few years ago that suggested that the Town needed to have a vintage rental car company in the old Ford dealership building for people to rent vintage cars to use to cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway. He said that was a grandiose idea but mentioned that now that building is doing great things without the car rental place. Chairman Liles stated that the plan he was speaking of was created under a different Planning Commission, and that now Vinton is a much different place. Chairman Liles said this Comprehensive Plan update will be about getting the right plan together and the right people in place to implement it. Vice Chairman Jones also mentioned that the River Park Shopping Center has not become the town center that one of the plans called for. Both Mr. Peters and Chairman Liles told him to give it time. Chairman Liles stated that there is still a lot of land available in that area. Mr. Peters said he thinks everyone will be pleased with the process, and the updated plan will influence this community for years to come. Mr. McClung mentioned that eight out of the nine project plans from the previous 2004 Comprehensive Plan have been achieved whether they are exactly as described in the Plan or had evolved from it. There was no further discussion on the Comprehensive Plan update. Next, Mr. Peters gave a review of the proposed CIP for FY25. A copy of Mr. Peters’ PowerPoint about the CIP will be made a part of the permanent record of this meeting. First, he gave a brief introduction to the Town’s revenues. He mentioned that the Town can absorb the ebbs and flows of the economy because it so is diversified. Mr. Peters stated that the real estate tax revenues make up only a very small portion of the Town’s budget. Regarding a chart on the PowerPoint, Vice Chairman Jones asked what the category is that is marked as “Other” and which accounts for twelve percent of the revenue total. Mr. Peters said it is the money from the State of Virginia for roads. He explained that the other miscellaneous category is Western Virginia Water Authority (WVWA) monies that was allocated via the federal ARPA program. Mr. Peters mentioned that Rosie’s continues to perform very well. He pointed out that his chart shows that Rosie’s seems to do very well on holidays, and that is what the spikes are in the chart. Mr. Peters stated that the trend for Rosie’s overall, per week, shows averages of about $30,000 in revenue to the Town, even though the Town only gets a tiny percent of their revenue from them. He said the Town also gets a share of the revenue from all the plays in the Virginia at Rosie’s, not just the Vinton location. Vice Chairman Jones said people who visit Rosie’s also probably buy gas and food while they are in Town. Mr. Peters the Town has an app that tracks cell phone signals as people leave Rosie’s, and he said that McDonald’s and Macado’s are the top two locations in Town that people visit after going to Rosie’s. Mr. Peters said overall, the Town looks to be generating over a million dollars more than what was forecasted this year—all the various tax collections have exceeded forecasts. He went over the year-over-year PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION APRIL 11, 2024 PAGE 3 revenue projections and what is forecast for FY 25. Mr. Peters mentioned that four of the top five restaurants didn’t even exist in 2020. He stated that McDonald’s was the only restaurant in the top 5 that was here in 2020. Vice Chairman Jones said the Town is now a destination, not just a drive-through community. Mr. Peters mentioned that the Town has about four new restaurants that should be opening in Vinton soon. Next, he went over the current CIP to show the investments made this year. He stated that, over the years, there was a lot of deferred maintenance that the Town has been catching up on. Vice Chairman Jones asked about the gateway signage item in the current CIP list. Mr. Peters informed him that there is a valley-wide effort to make the wayfinding signage around the Roanoke Valley consistent. Mr. Peters said there are already a couple of the new signs that have been installed, one on Gus Nicks Boulevard and one on Virginia Avenue near PFG. Next, Vice Chairman Jones asked about the Cedar Avenue Target Redevelopment that was shown in the current CIP list. Mr. Peters explained that the Town helped to relocate the people who were living in the mobile homes on Cedar Avenue with the assistance of the former property owner. Once the mobile homes were all vacated, the Town purchased the property and became the owner of it in March of this year. Mr. Peters said the area will now be returned to green space. Vice Chairman Jones mentioned that with FEMA not insuring the mobile homes and property that had to help the Town with buying the property from the former owner. Mr. Peters hoped it also helped the tenants elevate their living conditions. Next, Mr. Peters discussed the former Cleveland Mart renovation project. He said a lot of the work on this project was done in-kind by the Town. Vice Chairman Jones asked about the house across the street from that project that was recently torn down. Mr. Peters said it was unrelated, but the Cleveland Mart renovation project may have been a catalyst for that demolition and future development on that property. Mr. McClung stated that the owners of that property plan to build either a single-family house or a duplex on the lot. Chairman Liles asked for more information on the Thrasher Church stormwater project. Mr. Peters stated that a portion of the monies, about $40,000, was spent to get the plan together and the revise the plats. He said the project will soon go out to bid for the construction. The Town will also be contributing about $100,000 more to the construction project. Vice Chairman Liles pointed out that a similar project, the one done at Tammy Shepherd’s building, will eventually recoup some of the money spent on the project because that property is taxed. He noted that the church does not pay taxes on their property. Mr. Peters said the Town was able to use some of the ARPA funds for the church project so that no local tax money was used. The ARPA funds were for designated for projects such as those and needed to be spent. Mr. Peters said he thinks the church’s portion for the project will also be around $100,000. Next, Mr. Peters reviewed the proposed CIP for FY25. The complete list of the projects is included in Mr. Peters’ PowerPoint. Vice Chairman Jones asked about the 3rd Street Core Drill Analysis on the list. Mr. Peters explained that there is a depression in the pavement along 3rd Street, and they want to take some cores to analyze the road base to see what will be needed to fix the road. Regarding the refuse truck listed on the FY25 CIP, Vice Chairman Jones asked why the Town did not buy the one-arm bandit as was discussed during previous years’ CIP meetings. Mr. Peters explained that said some areas of Town are not accessible to the one-arm bandit trucks. Regarding the Downtown Redevelopment Incentives for Lee Avenue, Mr. Peters said the Town is working to help the downtown property owners who were affected by the fire to rebuild their buildings in downtown. He said the Town is setting some incentives aside in the CIP. He stated that the insurance money paid to the property owners is not sufficient for the rebuild. Next, Mr. Peters mentioned that for the upcoming War Memorial renovations, the Town will likely issue bonds along with other localities to finance the renovation work. He stated that the War Memorial generates about $100,000 in revenue, and the adjacent community center also about $100,000. The Town hopes to use those revenues PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION APRIL 11, 2024 PAGE 4 to repay the soon-to-be borrowed money for the renovations. Mr. Peters mentioned that some of the Comprehensive Plan update will be funded within the CIP. Also, within the CIP, some money is being set aside for stormwater projects because the Town does not currently have a stormwater fee. And Mr. Peters explained that some money is being set aside for unexpected projects that may come up. For example, the Town had recently been asked by Chairman Liles to look at the medians along Virginia Avenue to see if they could be made to function better for businesses and citizens in that area. Mr. Peters said that is a good example of an unexpected project that was not previously planned. Vice Chairman Jones said someone had asked him if there was a big water project in the Town. Mr. Peters said WVWA’s goal is to replace about 2 percent of their lines each year. So, they have done various projects large and small within Vinton this year. He stated that the Town had given them a sizeable amount of the ARPA funds to use for the water and sewer improvements they have been making. He mentioned that they are also doing a big project in the Lindenwood subdivision. Mr. Peters stated that Town paving projects have been planned around water authority projects so new pavement would not be disturbed by line replacements. He mentioned that another big project, the Mountain View Road project, should begin construction in August of this year. Next, Mr. Peters showed them a list of known capital needs for the future. He displayed photos of the new refuse truck that the Town plans to purchase. Mr. Peters stated that the new refuse truck will have a small area for the staff to get out of the elements during the routes and will be safer. It has a larger capacity for refuse so there will be less trips to the transfer station so the routes can be collected faster with fewer breaks in the routes to tip. Mr. Peters also displayed the planned paving schedule for the upcoming years in the Town. Then, he showed some photos of the proposed War Memorial updates. He mentioned that it will entail a lot of cosmetic improvements, but there are some other types of items included that are more than cosmetic. Mr. Peters stated that the last renovation of the facility was in 2007, and it is beginning to look dated again. Mr. Peters also showed them a concept drawing of the proposed roundabout at the Hardy Road and Bypass Road intersection, which is already fully state funded. He stated that the Town is looking at construction of it in 2027 or 2028. He mentioned that there is another roundabout that could be constructed in 2031 or 2032 at the Bypass Road and Washington Avenue intersection if funded through the VDOT SMART SCALE program. He stated that the Planning Department Staff are working with VDOT to apply to this grant program to help pay for its construction. Vice Chairman Jones asked about the photos of the Gish Mill project that had been included in the provided PowerPoint. Mr. Peters said the current plans are to have seven short-term rental units, two restaurants, and additional space for another tenant. Vice Chairman Jones asked if that project was behind schedule. Mr. Peters explained that higher interest rates and inflation have delayed the project. As far as the proposed FY25 CIP, Mr. Peters stated that Town Council has already seen it and blessed it. He mentioned that the May 6th Council meeting is when the CIP will be finalized by Council. Vice Chairman Jones thanked Mr. Peters and said he had given them a great presentation. Mr. Peters reminded each of them that, if they have questions about any of the CIP items, to please contact him and he will be happy to help. The next item on the agenda were the comments of the Planning Commission and Staff. There were no further comments from Commissioners or Town Staff. PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION APRIL 11, 2024 PAGE 5 With there being nothing further to discuss, the work session was adjourned on a motion by Chairman Liles and a second by Vice Chairman Jones at 7:14 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Anita McMillan Planning Commission Secretary