Planning commission approves 10-home Clydes View rezoning with occupancy and solar-ready proffers

The Blacksburg Planning Commission on June 3, 2025, approved Rezoning 25-2 (Clydes View), allowing a 0.655-acre site at 103 Jefferson Street to be rezoned from R-5 Transitional Residential to PR Planned Residential for 10 detached single-family homes with 20 bedrooms total.

Staff said the applicant, Balzer and Associates (on behalf of owner Shaw Development LLC), revised the application after a work session to add two proffers reinforcing occupancy standards, commit to solar-ready construction, replace an open-space patio with a flexible community space managed by the homeowners association, update waterline and stormwater plans, request removal of sidewalk requirements alongside the parking lot, and add utility easements behind all units.

The PR district review noted the site’s future land-use designation is medium-density residential, which the staff said allows up to 20 bedrooms per acre; the proposal yields 30.5 bedrooms per acre. Staff and the applicant agreed occupancy will be limited to a family plus one unrelated individual, or no more than two unrelated individuals. The applicant is also offering solar-ready construction (panels not installed but infrastructure and conduit provided) to reduce retrofit costs, and requested a reduction in the PRD open-space requirement from 20% to 13% because the project is under two acres. The application proposes 20 parking spaces total (1.1 spaces per bedroom and two spaces per unit) and six bike parking spaces; staff recommended private contractor trash service or, if town service is used, provision of town containers.

Resident Charles Shade, of 401 Claremont Drive, spoke in opposition and said the site is likely to attract students. "I suspect it's gonna be very attractive to students, almost an attractive nuisance," Shade said, and raised concerns about on‑street parking, preservation of trees, and the absence of designated affordable units. The applicant representative said the small, two‑bedroom design and pricing intention aim to provide modest for‑sale housing near downtown and that the design includes front porches and a common green to foster neighborhood interaction. A commissioner on the dais said the development adds a housing type the town has lacked and expressed hope the market will determine occupancy.

Commission action: a motion to approve Rezoning 25-2 with the stated proffers and requested modifications was made and seconded; the motion passed (vote recorded on the dais as "Aye" with no roll-call tally provided in the public record).

Details and constraints: staff estimated the development will generate about 1,900 gallons per day of wastewater to connect to an existing 6‑inch sewer on East Roanoke Street; applicants proposed private drainage and 7.5‑foot public utility easements behind units; a variance to the standard 15‑foot public utility easement was requested. The applicant also requested sidewalk modifications along East Roanoke Street because of steep topography and asked to remove sidewalk requirements along sides of the parking lot. Staff confirmed a revised stormwater concept plan had been submitted and approved by staff for this application.

The commission vote approved the rezoning and binding proffers; no formal numeric vote tally was recorded in the transcript. The project will proceed under the approved PRD plan and the binding proffers unless the applicant seeks substantive changes via the PRD amendment public‑hearing process.