A Blacksburg church has asked Montgomery County supervisors to approve rezoning 10 acres of its property to allow for potential future expansion.
That’s one of several items on the Board of supervisors’ agenda when it meets Monday.
The meeting will begin with a closed session at 6:45 p.m. to discuss several board appointments. The regular open meeting will begin at 7:15 p.m. It will take place in the county government center’s second floor board chambers, 755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg.
According to board meeting documents, Northstar Church has 15 staff members and occupies a 32,197-square-foot main building with approved occupancy of 1,576 people, located at 3929 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg. It seeks rezoning of 10 acres in two sections, north and south of the existing church building, from agricultural use to community business use.
The county planning staff’s analysis recommends approval of rezoning, with the stipulation that only these potential by-right uses within the community business designation will be allowed: church, business or trade school; civic club; community center; conference or training center; day care facility; office or business facility no larger than 3,000 square feet; unlighted park; public use or facility; or schools. Any other by-right uses would require amending the zoning application.
There is no specific timing for future projects, according to the zoning application.
According to meeting documents, the county planning vommission held an April 9 public hearing on the rezoning request. Two citizens expressed concern about future development, “particularly of paved parking” close to their homes, and said they would prefer development take place on the north end of the Northstar property, closer to Prices Fork Road, the commission’s report states. Citizens also expressed concern about additional noise, lighting and possible runoff.
Commission members discussed the large amount of impervious surfaces allowed in community business zones, along with concern that landscaping buffers are not required for churches.
The commission voted 5-2 to recommend approval, with one abstention and one member absent.
Other items
Other notable items on the meeting agenda include:
— Supervisors will vote on transferring $710,000 from the county general fund to the capital projects fund for construction of a restroom and a concessions building at Old Town Fields.
— Shah Development LLC seeks a special use permit to allow for creating a contractor’s storage yard at the western end of Flanagan Drive, Christiansburg. It would house the company’s equipment, vehicles and construction materials. The nearly 19-acre property is zoned for agricultural use but is also designated for resource stewardship in the county’s comprehensive plan. Approval is recommended, noting that the facility’s hours would be 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and no trash, litter, debris, junk or construction waste would be stored there.
— Supervisors will vote on a possible $369,600 contribution to Community Health Center of the New River Valley, to help fund construction of a new community health facility. The organization’s funding request notes that it sought but was unable to qualify for funds from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
— Supervisors will vote on budgeting and appropriating more than $286,600 in state Children’s Services Act funds, along with transferring nearly $113,400 from the county’s contingency fund for the local match. Meeting documents note that the county was approved for a $400,000 supplemental allocation of CSA dollars.
You can find the agenda and meeting documents at https://go.boarddocs.com/va/montva/Board.nsf/Public.
