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BV Planners Recommend Rezoning, Permit
A zoning change and a conditional use permit for a proposed townhouse development on the east side of Magnolia Avenue in Buena Vista were among the approvals the city’s Planning Commission voted on at its regular meeting last week.
The Commission also approved the development’s site plan and the abandonment of an alleyway between the two parcels of land on which the development is proposed to be built.
The proposed development is one of the largest housing developments proposed in the city in quite some time, and will sit on the east side of Magnolia Avenue between Sixth and Ninth streets. The developer, DWK Holdings LLC is proposing 22 townhouses be built on the land, with a one-way private drive running through the development. The entrance to the drive will be on Magnolia Avenue at the northern end of the development and it will exit onto East Sixth Street.
Before the Planning Commission at its March 11 meeting were a request for a rezoning of the property for the development from R3, Residential Limited, to R4, Medium Density Residential, and a conditional use permit for amendments to the setbacks and height limits in the new zoning district.
Buena Vista City Council, School Board seek detailed cost estimates for proposed new school. See page A5.
The request was for the front setback along Magnolia Avenue to be reduced from 30 feet to 20 feet, and for the side setback on the Sixth Street side of the property to be lowered from 15 feet to 10 feet, as well as increasing the height limit from 35 feet to 40 feet.
Marilyn Cash moved to approve the zoning amendment, with Tim Petrie providing the second. Petrie made the motion to approve the conditional use, which Cash seconded. Both motions passed in 5-1 votes. Harold Kidd voted nay, and Bryson Adamson abstained from the discussion and votes due to his involvement with the project as a contractor. City Manager Jason Tyree and City Council representative Melvin Henson were not in attendance.
Petrie also made the motion to approve the site plan, which Cash also seconded. The vote on that motion was also 5-1, with Kidd again voting against. The final vote, on abandoning the alleyway on the proposed site, was unanimous. Kidd commented that he voted in favor “because I don’t think there’s an alley there.” Justin Wiseman made that motion, with Sarah Henson providing the second. -Prior to the votes, a public hearing was held for all four aspects of the project, during which some city residents who live near the proposed site expressed concerns about various aspects of the proposed project.
“I don’t even like the project, but since they’re gonna put it there, I would like to see it set back 25 feet instead of 20 feet, like the code calls for,” said Lester Wheeler who resides at 575 Magnolia Ave. “I think it’s gonna look bad sitting up close to the street. At least the ones I look at do.”
David Hall of 536 Magnolia Ave. expressed concerns about increased traffic from the development on Sixth Street and about line of sight for traffic coming out of Sixth Street onto Magnolia Avenue.
Planning Commission Chair Dennis Hawes proposed making the eastern side of the 600 block of Magnolia Avenue a no parking zone to address the issue as a proffer from the city. No formal vote was taken on that proposal.
Several members of the Planning Commission expressed positive thoughts about the proposed development during their discussion.
“I think it will enhance that side of Buena Vista tremendously,” Cash said. “When people come into town and see that, they’ll think ‘That town’s not dead – they’re coming back to life.’ It’s a beautiful plan, and I know there’s a few little things that need to be worked out, and I feel like they will be worked out as construction begins and they can see it. I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“I realize it may not look exactly like the artist renditions when it’s built, but it’s got a lot of architectural design … unlike some other townhouses where they’re pretty much all the same,” Hawes added. “That’s one of our main corridors, too – one of our two main entrance corridors. So coming into town and seeing that kind of project, I think, is a welcoming thing coming into town.”
Kidd raised concerns about several things that the developer needed to complete before beginning work that had not been completed yet, including a map revision of the 100-year floodplain boundary for the south side of Pedlar Gap Run, which currently is shown to be running through the property and includes a portion of the proposed development site. A preliminary computed floodplain map, which more accurately follows the contours of the land, has been submitted to FEMA for review and must be approved before work on the development can begin.
“I think it’s a good project, but I think it’s premature at this point,” Kidd said. “I think there’s some approvals you need prior to [the city] approving the project.”
The zoning change, conditional use permit and alley abandonment will go to Buena Vista City Council for final approval at a future meeting. The site plan stands approved with the Planning Commission’s vote, though it will need to be resubmitted for a new approval if there are substantial changes to the project, such as a change in the number of units or a reconfiguration of the proposed layout.
