By Lizzie Stone, city council reporter
City council members approved the construction of a 40-unit development off Erickson Avenue aimed at helping low-income residents.
Developer Frank Gordon said he hopes the housing units, which will be near the forthcoming Bluestone Town Center development, will address a critical need in the city by aiming to help people who struggle to afford housing or have experienced homelessness. Gordon also said he plans to secure funding from the state to make the project economically viable.
The site layout developers presented at Tuesday’s city council meeting will be final because of business zone requirements. It will consist of two buildings with 20 units each — 40 in total — and a parking lot between, with a pedestrian path to Erickson Avenue.
City staff also wanted a pedestrian path to a nearby Walmart in Rockingham County. Gordon asked council members not to require the additional path so as to keep his funding application competitive with the lowest costs possible. He said hopes to pursue the path in the future, because pedestrian access to Walmart will benefit these and other residents in the area.
Only half a parking space will be provided per unit, for 20 in total. Amber Robinson, a permanent supportive housing supervisor at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board, said it is uncommon for people in the supportive housing program to own cars. She said the parking will mostly serve staff and case managers who provide support to tenants.
Council members said they appreciated Gordon’s work to address a city need. His plan will also take advantage of state funding, which the recent city housing study recommended for getting affordable housing built.
“This is what we’re shooting for,” council member Dany Fleming said. “Permanent supportive housing is a successful model that works.”
The council also approved a 12-month extension to the special use permit to allow flexibility. Developers will now have four years to begin construction before the permit will expire.
Council opts for no tax increase over housing trust
Residents and council members discussed budget priorities and concerns about federal funding during the scheduled public hearing.
Two residents called for a housing trust fund in Harrisonburg that could provide additional funds to help build and maintain affordable housing.
Council members said their priority with the budget was to prevent a tax increase for residents. Then, they focused on maintaining city services instead of expanding to prepare for the possible loss of federal funding.
“This budget is tight, and it needed to be tight, because we have no idea what’s coming from D.C.,” Mayor Deanna Reed said.
Council member Monica Robinson said she and other city officials talk about a housing fund regularly. She said they will be ready to take action in the future when funding is available.
Other notes from Tuesday’s meeting:
- Houses in the U-R district, a narrow strip that borders downtown, can now place accessory buildings closer to the edge of their lots. The council passed a zoning ordinance amendment affecting “through lots” which border a public road on two sides. Previously, homeowners had to follow the same 25-foot setback as their front yards unless they applied for an exception. Now, garages and sheds can be built five feet from the road by right.
- The council heard a presentation on the Weldon Cooper report on population and school enrollment which they ordered last year. Researchers project K-12 enrollment will stay steady with a combination of new housing and migration to the city. Without migration, they say school enrollment will fall over the next 10 years.
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