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The Town of Blacksburg Zoning meeting was attended by about 40 community members on Wednesday.
Neighborhood integrity was the overriding theme, with many folks asking for normalcy within their districts.
Without an agenda, the 'open-floor' led to expletives being repeatedly used during heated comments, by at least one audience member. Several residents wanted to know exactly who to call, and when they were available, when a concern needed addressing. One Council member suggested calling the police, in some instances.
From communication tower heights, to snow removal, a myriad of issues were addressed. Some concerns may have been deemed as being trivial by some, but to those directly affected, they were important.
Parking on grassed areas, including lawns, was one of the most lengthy discussions. Residents were concerned about the commercialism of parking areas in residential neighborhoods, especially during football weekends. Sites were mentioned that already have 'parking spaces for rent' signs in their yards.
Neighbors complained that half-acre lots, zoned R-4, were being sold into two parcels, with one containing only .22 acres, for example; an obvious breach of zoning rules that was not being enforced.
Workforce housing options were discussed by some that said that housing was not available for workers at a rate they could afford, forcing many to drive an hour to come to work, in blue-collar positions.
New Town codes were suggested as one means to solve the many concerns, as others complained that the ones 'on the books' were not being enforced.Noise ordinances were violated regularly, according to some, while the newest concerns were the storefront sidewalk speakers that many businesses have recently begun to use. LED and other lighted signs, including those inside buildings, were not liked by some.
Rental housing continues to be a 'hot' topic, with several ideas being floated, regarding enforcement of everything from grass height, to general maintenance. Some fraternities were said to be violating town zoning rules, from parking to noise violations. It was suggested that once a 'frat' sells or moves, that another could not replace it. Satellite housing was said to be problematic, mostly near fraternities; some specific locations were listed.
An Arts Overlay housing facility was deemed by some as being potentially abused by certain residents, according to their legal designation of being an artist.
Snow-removal policies were discussed, with many agreeing that hauling away some of the plowing residue would make the residents have greater freedom of movement and safety.
All in all, over two hours of rhetoric resulted in six pages of post-board notes being displayed by the Town, reinforcing a common theme: displeasure with lack of enforcement of current zoning, in certain cases, and the probable need to eventually re-write the Town's zoning code. Lots of concerns, a few answers, a few promises and much vagueness about interpretation of existing zoning enforcement.
However, the lively discussion will most likely bring about some requested changes. No more 'passing-the-buck', one citizen remarked. Another commented, "virtually all of the discussions were nothin' new; we've done all this before, but I believe we might actually get something done."
The meeting ended with Zoning members promising that they would study the requests, and that follow-up meetings will be held to help resolve matters.
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