City Council - Special Meeting

First, Mr. Wood, would you lead us in the pledge? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Mr. Wood. Our only item of business is to consider introducing an ordinance for a reasonzoning map amendment request by Wells Land Development LLC to amend the proper for tax map numbers 31-1-8 31-1-108B and 32-2-1B located at 0 Force Drive and 0 Bookerdale Drive, Wesboro, Virginia, also known as the Silver Creek subdivision. Before we consider the item, I would like to communicate to our citizens regarding council's decision to hold this special called meeting. At each of its regular business meetings in April, city council voted to table consideration of the applicant's request to amend the profiters of the undeveloped portion of the Civil Creek subdivision. At the April 27th meeting, council discussed the pros and cons of the motion to table and move quickly to that vote without considering other options. I want to be clear, the city council is committed to making an informed decision with due consideration of the interests of the applicant and property owners adjacent to and around the development. In striking that the balance, I believe introduction of the ordinance acknowledges the need for timely consideration of the applicant's request without compromising the council's ability to weigh concerns expressed by citizens. I'll stop there um and see if there's any remarks from council. Additionally, if anyone present wishes to speak on the matter, council will allow up to four minutes to do so.

Yes, sir. Wayne Noly. I live at a 108 High Point Court, Wesboro, Silver Creek subdivision phase one. I've communicated by email with council members previously and with the planning commission and my while those concerns are are already known, you know, that we have the things about the traffic and all that, the point that was brought up at the city council meeting related to access to Bookerdale Road. And as I understood it from that meeting, that was the reason the the uh motion was tabled. So I would like an explanation from council as to how that question has been addressed in the meantime. I understand that the uh purpose of tableabling was to give the applicant and the city more time to discuss it together and therefore reach a better understanding. Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Yes. Good afternoon, Jason Reamer, 2425 Forest Drive. I'm uh adjacent to this uh discussion. Thank you for uh what you're doing. I currently uh serve our federal government as a loaned position and I understand how important it is to make good policy decisions. We moved here about four years ago. Found it to be a lovely city. uh not many small cities, towns like this have the foresight that obviously has been demonstrated here with our parks, with the improvements. However, uh housing is important, but I feel it's would be unfair to put upon the citizens of Silver Creek phase one, we had to require we had to fulfill all the requirements for the homeowners association. And as I understand it, Silver Creek phase two would have a totally different set of requirements. I think the requirements ought to be the same. If we're going to have phase two, then it should be the same as phase one as far as the requirements or consult the citizens, have the homeowners association vote on it, and go from there. Otherwise, let's rename it something else. I don't mind people having a place to live. I love where I live. However, uh it's easy to just throw up something quick and it's not long lasting. So, I would ask the council to consider renaming it, have it its own homeowners association. I agree with my friend, my neighbor here about the the bridge and the access. Bookerdale is uh it's tough on that onelane bridge right there. And plus, there's potholes all in the road and it really needs some just for the city. It needs some work. So, thanks for your consideration. Appreciate what you do on a day day-to-day basis. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Uh Melissa Stevens, 2424 Forest Drive. Um I'll echo what our our neighbors had just said. I think one additional point that's kind of weighed on me is when the developer purchased this property, they would have had access to and understood the profers that they were committing to in the purchase and further development of phase two and beyond of the Silver Creek neighborhood. And based on on that, I would agree with with what um Jason was saying, either require them to uphold those existing profers or sever the the two neighborhoods, understanding that that they are different. When my husband Mark and I chose to purchase a lot in this subdivision, some of those profers were things that we took into consideration in our purchase and something that, you know, we had a reason to expect those future phases would adhere to as well. So, thank you guys. Appreciate what you do.

Thank you.

Anyone else? Yes, sir.

My name is Tony Everett. I live at 438 Cedar Avenue. Uh I live adjacent to one of Wells's uh most recent projects. Uh have numerous concerns. He took a beautiful field, a little bit of green space, put several units on it. One of them is right on the property line. I don't know if it's the state mandated four or five feet. It looks like it's about 3 feet from the property line, but built it right next to a business with no barrier. Um, he's got no less than 10 plastic PVC sewer cleanouts in the front yard of that field. Um, it's an eyesore. Makes it very ugly. He's put no sidewalks up. He's done the bare minimum to get people in there. Uh then walked away. Uh it's been numerous litter. Uh he's got boxes for crawl space access. They're full of litter. Um got people that are noisy. See drug containers on the ground in the alleyway. And the business next to me has to their customers have to come through all that to get to his business. But he's got vinyl siding. and it's already starting to buckle. Uh in two or three years it's going to be warped, distorted. Um it's going to be ugly. Um the alleyway that all of his tenants have to use to park. Well, he brought in heavy equipment. Um put numerous potholes in that alleyway. He has done nothing to fix them. even his tenants have to go through a huge pothole as soon as they enter the alleyway. Um,

but uh I've never seen it that bad. Um, but I've tried to fill some of the potholes with gravel, but it needs a lot of that that alleyway needs a lot of work and it's a lot of traffic because of him going through it. Now, uh, my yard, he I have a transformer in my backyard. He dug up my backyard so he could tap into the transformer. Uh they put the dirt back. They didn't put any grass seed down. And then I ended up with a huge sinkhole. I had to put a half a ton of dirt in that sink hole and I had to put my own grass seed down. Um, I've got people turning around in my driveway delivering food to the place because there's no front access. Emergency services are confused when they go there because there's no front access. Um, but his buildings they took away by mountain views. Um, but the business next door, uh, he's done a lot of damage to them. They have a a residential front door 20 ft from a business entrance with no barrier. Uh he asked the the owners of the business if they had any objections and they said no, but they didn't know the scope of the work being done. Um but uh there's a corner over by a fire hydrant. I actually maintained it all the way the sidewalk around the the yield sign. I've maintained it since 2019 since he's built those. I no longer do that and he has the landscape people leave it high. Um thinking that somebody else is going to come in there and maintain it. I'm

not going to do that for him. But uh please thank you very please take in consideration what I've told you. there need to be some controls. Uh he needs to be pay attention to details. From what I've seen, he does not. So, please take that in consideration. Thank you very much for your time.

Yes, ma'am.

Hi, I'm Judy Alman. I live at 2417 Belleview and I just have in addition to what's been said at the planning meetings and council meetings and everything else I just want to make sure you realize that there are currently two access roads that he said that there are and they are they are three houses apart literally. So all the cars that are coming up and if he doesn't have to build that main road to Bookerdale until the 801st house is built house is built that means there's 80 houses two cars each 160 coming up those two ways that are three houses apart all onto Belleview and that to me is a traffic problem and everybody keeps saying no no no no but it is in a quiet little neighborhood that we currently live in having that many cars coming through that little area is a a lot of cars and um when we purchased the house we you know you're all told that oh they're going to build that road to Bookerdale when they start building all this it's going to be a bridge and everything. Well now that isn't going to happen till the end the very end of this whole project and that's just crazy. So that's all I wanted to say.

Thank you. Good afternoon, council. Mark Stevens live at 2424 Forest Drive. Uh, appreciate you all hearing and being mindful. Uh, professionally, I work with developers and my vocation is dependent upon development. So, I am I'm sensitive to the the moving parts and and and a lot of what you're considering. Um, zooming out a little bit, I don't know that it's reasonable to shift the shift burden from uh from a developer who purchased the property with uh zoning ordinance established in 2006 by FallFax, the previous developer. I don't I don't know it's a reasonable to shift that toward our taxpayers. Um, we're going to need that that bridge at Bookerdale. That's I don't when the last time I drove through there. That's a tough spot. and given the increased traffic count um it's going to be further problematic. Uh reviewed the notes from the the staff provided from the working session. I believe it was earlier this week and I I've got a positive review of the of the professional staff and their and their notes and comments. um you know like to you know piggy back off uh what my neighbor said you know that if and if and when we get a bridge which is I believe uh given pro given proper number two may go away entirely um in the in the zoning proposal which I don't think it should um you know these road you know these develops would stall Silver Creek stalled once in the early in the mid 2000s nothing to say I won't do it again and we'll end up with 30 houses and no no transportation improvements. We've got emergency services that are now being served off uh Ludit uh you know one of the profers that was

in place was uh dealing with future construction traffic um one and uh that was tied into to the profer regarding uh the 15 to 25 year storm water concern. Uh but staff did not make comment on the uh on dealing with construction traffic and I think that matters. The uh pretty well everyone in Silver Creek was aware of the amendments the uh homeowners association and the architectural landscaping requirements as well as very aware of the profiters established for future development. And I don't think it's reasonable to put upon those who followed rules to make it easier for someone else to make it easier for a for-profit developer to uh provide housing. this was a nonprofit affordable housing developer. You know, the conversation may be different, but I don't think it's fair to put upon the residents of that community as well as the tax base as a whole to uh make it easier for a market rate developer.

Appreciate your time. Thank you. Now, is there a motion to introduce the ordinance? I'll make the motion to introduce the ordinance. Is there any discussion? All in favor say

I. This ordinance having been introduced, seconded, and discussed will be on the agenda for final consideration the May 11th regular business. I believe the city manager has

Yes sir, I do. Um, as you know, we are in the process of prepare finalizing a a budget for the fifth fiscal year 2027. Um, having exchanged some information, it appears to me that there is not a need for the scheduled work session um on Monday, May the 4th. And accordingly um unless I get different guidance from council this afternoon, we'll instruct the clerk to cancel that meeting and notice as much Thank you. That's all I have. Is there a motion to adjourn?

I move to adjourn. Is there a second? Any discussion? Thank you, Mr. Wood. All in favor say I. I. I.