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Harrisonburg council defers vote on six‑story 'Link' rezoning, orders facilitated community review
Summary
After nearly three hours of public comment on a proposed six‑story downtown development called the Link, Harrisonburg City Council voted unanimously to defer a final rezoning decision and direct staff to run a facilitated engagement process with the developer and residents, targeting Sept. 23 for follow-up.
Harrisonburg City Council on Aug. 12 voted to delay a decision on a contested rezoning request for the Lindsay property — branded by its developer as “the Link” — and directed city staff to convene a focused, facilitated public engagement process with the developer and community before returning to council.
Vice Mayor Fleming said the pause would give residents, council and staff time to review newly submitted proffers and gather more targeted input. “This proposal has been public for just about a month,” Fleming said, explaining why he would propose a six‑week window for additional review and engagement. Council seconded the motion and approved it on a roll‑call vote, with Mayor Dina Reed and the other members voting aye.
The Link, proposed by Timberwolf Capital Partners and presented at the meeting by attorney Todd Ray, would rezone roughly 2.75 acres in South Downtown from R‑3 to B‑1C to allow a mixed‑use project that staff and the applicant say would include a structured parking garage, ground‑floor commercial space and up to 265 residential units. Staff recommended approval and the planning commission had voted unanimously to recommend approval; supporters emphasized added housing supply and downtown economic activity.
Residents and preservation advocates had urged delay or denial, citing the project’s scale (renderings show a six‑story massing up to 75 feet), potential parking spillover into neighboring streets, and the demolition of the historic Lindsay Funeral Home. Civic and business speakers were split: some urged the council to approve the rezoning to add housing and tax revenue, while others asked for a smaller, more context‑sensitive alternative.
Under the council’s motion, staff will design a facilitated process involving the developer and residents, with a proposed target date of Sept. 23 for council follow‑up. City staff cautioned that substantive changes to proffers could require returning to the planning commission before council action. The developer said it would participate in good faith; Todd Ray said Timberwolf would be “happy to participate actively and enthusiastically in a timely city‑facilitated further engagement process.”
