Planning commission recommends rezoning for 320 S. Main with conditions to ease downtown reuse

The Harrisonburg Planning Commission voted to forward a favorable recommendation to City Council for rezoning 320 South Main from the B-2 (General Business) District to B-1C (Central Business District with conditions), a move that staff said would give the property more flexibility for commercial and office uses while tying future changes to traffic, parking and pedestrian standards.

Staff planner (unnamed in the record) told commissioners the existing building is about 4,670 square feet and currently houses multiple professional and retail tenants. The property is designated Mixed Use in the city comprehensive plan. The applicant proposed three proffers that staff said promote pedestrian-friendly development by prohibiting drive-through facilities, restricting vehicle parking between the front of the building and South Main Street, and limiting new traffic generation to no more than 100 new vehicle trips in a peak hour without a traffic impact analysis…