Harrisonburg City Council on Oct. 14 approved a narrowly scoped amendment to the Bluestone Town Center master plan that revises income‑restriction language for some for‑sale units and notes two previously rejected proffers were not approved by council in 2023.

The applicant sought only three text edits to the R‑7 master plan covering 89.75 acres on the city’s western edge near Garbage Church Road. The principal change strikes a specific 80–120% area‑median‑income (AMI) first‑time buyer target and replaces it with language allowing sale to households below 80% AMI where feasible — a move the applicant said would expand the pool of potential buyers and permit the developer‑builder (NVR Inc., doing business as Ryan Homes) to sell entry‑level townhomes to lower‑income buyers.

Why it matters: Council and the applicant framed the amendment as a technical fix that preserves the master plan’s overall unit cap (900 total units) and unit mix while improving feasibility for homebuilders to sell ownership units to lower‑income first‑time buyers. Opponents in public comment urged the council to consider forest preservation, ecological impacts and the long‑term fiscal and community consequences of large developments.

Adam Fletcher, community development director, summarized the master plan history and said the amendment would leave the capped unit totals unchanged. Avraham Fector, representing the joint venture and housing authority partners, told council that Ryan Homes’ experience in nearby communities shows about a quarter of purchasers may be under 80% AMI and that the language change was needed to avoid excluding buyers who otherwise could afford a home.

Public comment ranged from a request to preserve forested land and protect pollinators to a broader critique that prior approvals signaled a shift in development that could concentrate lower‑income housing and strain local water and school capacity. Dawn Keplinger, a resident, urged the council to “preserve forested areas as much as you can” and cited concerns about wildlife and long‑term impacts.

Action: Council approved the master plan amendment on a unanimous roll call (6‑0 at planning commission recommendation; council vote recorded as unanimous). The amendment does not change unit caps or the master plan’s nonmodified provisions; it revises only the three narrow text sections noted by staff.

Ending: Council’s approval clears the textual barrier for homebuilders to structure financing and price points that can reach buyers below 80% AMI, while staff and council noted continued attention to environmental mitigation and infrastructure needs as the project advances through engineering and site‑plan stages.