Council and community remain split over The Link; Vote delayed until June

By Lizzie Stone, city council reporter

The Harrisonburg city council on Tuesday heard a second round of public comments on a proposed mixed-use development downtown, then delayed their rezoning vote on development of The Link apartments. Developers have proposed the complex to be built where the Lindsey Funeral Home on Main Street stands.  

Council members and developers agreed on the 60-day delay to consider additional changes. Todd Rhea, attorney for the developers, said it would be enough time but not too much to lose track of progress.

The proposed six-story building would include a maximum of 250 units, as well as 2,000 to 5,000 square feet of retail space and a minimum of 480 off-street parking spots. It has generated debate among city residents and supporters and opponents across Harrisonburg since it first went before the city council in August. Council members initially tabled their vote, but the proposal had to return to the planning commission because of a problem with the initial public hearing, which recommended approval in a 5-1 vote.

Members of the public came to Tuesday’s meeting to participate in the public comment session, which lasted about three hours. Fewer people showed up than in August, where the public comment lasted about five hours and seating spilled into an overflow room.

Council members thanked city residents for engaging in discussion about the development. 

After some people brought up aesthetic concerns with the original building design proposed in August, the developers made a “full redesign” including setbacks on the 5th and 6th floors to reduce the visible height of the building from the street. The setbacks will reduce space for units, meaning the maximum of 250 units is lower than the 265 maximum proposed in August.

If the rezoning is approved, developers will be expected to agree to certain proffers regarding the location of the building, attached features, entrances and exits, as well as architectural features, the setbacks and a mural on the garage.

With the new proffers, The Link will be a maximum of 250 units, with 555 total bedrooms. It will be required to have a minimum of 110 studio apartments or 1-bed units, and a maximum of 85 4-bedroom units. The 4-bedroom units will be restricted to one family or a maximum of four unrelated individuals, which staff presenter Thanh Dang, deputy director of community development for the city, said is intended for college students.

An onsite garage will provide 480 parking spots, with 65 reserved for public use. Secure indoor bike storage for 120 bikes will also be provided, plus 14 exterior bike spaces.

Additionally, developers adjusted the cash proffer amounts for the project. Those funds are available to offset community effects from a project. From The Link, the city could use up to $60,000 for traffic calming, $30,000 for traffic enforcement and $93,738 for affordable housing in the community.

Still, both council members and people who spoke Tuesday were divided on the building despite the changes made based on prior public feedback.

Residents and council members discussed the economic impacts of the development, the scale for the site and surrounding buildings, the city’s vision for the future and how the building will affect the city over time.

The decision to delay the rezoning vote was unanimous, but council members said their decision would have been split if they voted on the rezoning Tuesday.

Mayor Deanna Reed said she was hoping for more focus on workforce housing, although she liked the proffer changes to the unit sizes. She said she wished it could be smaller.

“If we had to vote tonight, I would be voting no,” Reed said. “For me I’m just not at a yes yet. That’s not to say I couldn’t get there, but I’m not there yet.”

Council member Laura Dent said she sees The Link as positive for downtown, especially with walkability and sustainability. She said the main concern she is hearing is about scale. To work toward a yes from everyone, she said she supported tabling the vote. 

“I’ll admit that pains me slightly because I’ve been an enthusiastic supporter of this project,” Dent said. “And for that reason, I’d want to see it get to a solid yes.”

Council member Monica Robinson said the city does need housing, but more student housing will not address the problem or open options for residents. 

“I just do not think we have seen or have explored an option that will work well for this space and our town,” Robinson said. “Once a decision has been made we can’t go back.”

Council member Nasser Alsaadun said the developers have taken in a lot of community feedback and made changes. He said that kind of response matters, and no project will be completely perfect.

“I also believe that The Link is good example of the kind of higher density development that belongs in and around downtown,” Alsaadun said. “Development that supports local business and helps us grow in a healthier and more intentional way.”

Fleming said he still has questions that needed to be answered “at a higher level of certainty” because of where the building will be. For him, some of those issues include the building’s “cumulative effect on downtown” and whether it could still work if it was smaller.

“In some ways this project is ahead of our planning downtown,” Fleming said. “…The question isn’t is this viable, but is this the right location for it to be viable. Whether it can meet what the community wants to see and still be viable is not clear to me.”

During public comment, community feedback was a mix of opinions for and against the development. 

Many residents said they were still against the project because it doesn’t fit the downtown location. People had a variety of ideas about other sites for downtown housing, about shrinking this building and other possible uses for the Lindsey lot besides housing.

“If you allow such drastic changes with a six-story apartment building at its entry point, you will fundamentally change Harrisonburg as a city,” one speaker said.

Other residents pointed out that the whole city envisions a vibrant, dense downtown. They said projects like this were necessary to create the thriving downtown everyone wants.

“[They] don’t happen by accident, they happen by planning,” another said.

The economic benefits of more dense housing continued to be a main topic of discussion across the community. Several small business owners in favor of the development said it will put more customers at their doorstep.

“The consistency of local support is what keeps businesses alive,” Sarah Baker-McEvilly, the owner of BMC Bakes, said. “All we can do is show up, be part of the community, and create opportunity for people to discover how we meet their needs. That is why I’m in favor of this development, because I believe it creates that opportunity.”

At the core of the discussion was a debate about Harrisonburg’s future.

“If this rezoning is approved and the structure is built, it will shape this community for generations to come,” one resident said. “That’s what legacy is. You’re the gatekeepers. You’re the ones we elected to protect us and our interests.”

With the rezoning vote tabled, council members expect some changes to be made by developers to address ongoing concerns. However, too many changes could derail the approval process for a second time.

City Attorney Chris Brown said there is “some flexibility, but not much” to adjust proffers at this stage. Developers have 60 days to make adjustments for the council, but if changes get too big, the whole project might need reapproval.

“Hopefully that will be enough time to bring something back to us, for us to kind of look at this again,” Reed said. “But I’m not sure I want to start the process over, that it has to go back to planning commission.”

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