By Calvin Pynn, contributor
The Harrisonburg City Council agreed to zoning changes to allow a major housing project to be built around the old Frazier Quarry.
The land, which sits past West Market Street and Waterman Drive on the western part of the city, had previously been zoned as an industrial area, will now be designated as a residential area. The council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning at Tuesday night’s meeting.
The project, spearheaded by Waterman Investments, calls for building more than 900 housing units around the old quarry, which would be converted into a lake. The $216 million construction investment would include 869 multi-family units and 48 single-family units. It will also include walking and biking trails through the area.
The proposed development is estimated to have a tax value over $328 million, which equates to more than $3 million in new property tax revenue.
David Frazier, the vice president of sales for Frazier Quarry, told the council that his family wants the property to be used in a way that benefits the city.
“We, as the Frazier family, wanted to feel a sense of pride in the property in its post-mine land use,” Frazier said.
While some neighbors of the old quarry have embraced the project, others said they still have reservations. The impact of the construction on the site, which is estimated to take place over the next decade, was one such concern that more than a dozen residents expressed during a nearly two hour-long public hearing Tuesday evening.
Micah Shank Zehr, who lives near the site, said the constant noise expected from construction would be detrimental to his mental health.
“Please consider the residents who live here now because this is our home, we love it here, and we want to stay here,” Zehr said. “And I don’t know if we can do that if there is pounding during every moment of daylight over the next 10 years.”
Lori Hostetler, an education professor at James Madison University, said the potential influx of students that could come with the Quarry Heights project could put more stress on the city’s schools.
“The impact we’re looking at in our school system is 20-25 years out, but as goes the housing, goes the city schools,” Hostetler said. “I’m asking that the whole scope of the project be taken into account.”
Rachel Van Patter, who was representing her neighbors at the meeting, presented a list of conditions for the project including:
- A buffer along the shared southeast property line that would retain existing vegetation.
- A new public street along the dead end of College Avenue.
- Removing a proposed 50-foot right-of-way that could connect College Avenue to the public street in Quarry Heights.
- A restriction on construction noise to certain times of the day.
A potential connection between College Avenue and Quarry Heights was a particular concern, as well.
“We strongly believe that if College Avenue becomes a through-street in the future, that will destroy our neighborhood,” Van Patter told the council members.
Edwin Clamp, who lives near a cul-de-sac in the neighborhood, echoed that concern.
“The street itself does not have sidewalks, it floods, so the street itself does not have the capacity, in my opinion, to handle more traffic,” Clamp said. “In its current state, if the traffic is added, it will be detrimental to the character of the neighborhood, but it also brings an element of concern for the safety of the children, who are used to being able to ride their bikes along the street safely.”
Todd Rhea, the attorney representing Liberty Investments, assured residents that the only connection to College Avenue intended for the project would be a walking and biking path.
“The developer, the Frazier family and the neighborhood group that we met with all concur that we don’t see any benefit to either of our communities to see those public streets connected,” Rhea said.
The response garnered applause from the neighbors who attended the meeting.
Council member Monica Robinson said that while the concerns surrounding the project are valid, it addresses Harrisonburg’s housing needs.
“We’re running out of spaces to develop, and we have to be creative so we’re not in a housing desert,” Robinson said. “This hits on the mark of a good development to meet some of our goals.”
The next phase of the Quarry Heights project will entail a year of site planning, with construction expected to take several years. Rhea estimated that the project should be completed after eight years, barring any extenuating circumstances.
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