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Council tweaks Bluestone master plan to broaden ownership eligibility; developers cite Ryan Homes financing
Summary
Council approved a small amendment to the Bluestone Town Center master plan to revise income‑target language and remove two previously rejected proffer details, enabling developer financing partnerships and slightly expanding eligibility for first‑time buyers below 80% AMI.
Harrisonburg City Council voted Oct. 14 to approve a narrow master‑plan amendment for the Bluestone Town Center that adjusts three proffered provisions and clarifies that two earlier proffers had not been accepted by council in 2023.
Adam Fletcher, director of community development, described the 89.75‑acre project and said the amendment would relax exact income‑restriction language so a larger pool of potential buyers could participate in for‑sale units. Fletcher said the project remains capped at 900 total units per the master plan and that much of the amendment is textual cleanup.
A representative of the joint venture working on the project, Avraham Fector, told council that Ryan Homes (NVR Inc.) is a financing partner and that in other Ryan communities about 25% of buyers are below 80% of area median income (AMI). “If we did not change this language … those buyers that are buying in their other communities would not be able to buy here,” Fector said, arguing the tweak improves feasibility and access.
Several public commenters urged the city to preserve forested areas and to insist on careful environmental and fiscal analysis. One resident urged a clearer fiscal‑impact review before approving high‑density land uses. Council members emphasized that the amendment does not change the unit mix; it only alters proffer language tied to purchaser eligibility and documents prior council decisions about earlier proffers.
The motion to approve the proffer amendment carried on a unanimous vote.
