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Council grants special‑use permit to reduce required parking at 160 Carpenter Lane with tree‑planting condition
Summary
Harrisonburg approved a special‑use permit allowing Winchester/Valley Equipment Company to provide 28 parking spaces instead of the 51 required by the industrial zoning code, with a condition that new parking triggers street‑tree landscaping requirements.
Harrisonburg City Council on June 10 approved a special‑use permit allowing Winchester Equipment Company / Valley Equipment Company to reduce required parking at 160 Carpenter Lane from 51 spaces to 28, subject to conditions intended to preserve the site’s open space and street canopy.
Staff and the planning commission recommended approval with a condition: the parcel must reserve the area the applicant is not paving as open space, and if the owner later expands parking or maneuvering areas, the city’s landscaping requirements (street trees and landscape borders adjacent to public right‑of‑way per section 10‑3‑30.1) will apply. The planning commission vote was unanimous.
John Garber, principal engineer with Lineage Architects, representing the owner, confirmed the final site plan will upsize the domestic water service but otherwise largely reflect the special‑use permit application. Garber thanked city departments for timely assistance in meeting the owner’s schedule.
Council discussion focused on ensuring the reserved open space remains undeveloped unless the owner returns to the city for a change, and on the requirement to add street trees if parking is added in the future. Staff noted the special‑use permit language prohibits using the reserved green area to satisfy other zoning requirements such as stormwater credits or other ordinance calculations; the reserve must remain open space unless council approves a change.
The council voted unanimously to approve the special‑use permit as presented by staff. The approval includes the condition requiring installation and maintenance of street trees and other landscape elements if the owner later expands the paved area.
