The Town Council voted to deny the rezoning request for the Airport Road property. This outcome preserves the low density designation and ensures the development remains compatible with our neighborhood. We will monitor future filings to ensure this land use remains protected.
April 4, 2016
Final supporters
A property developer has filed a proposal with the Town of Blacksburg to change the land use of 801 and 803 Airport Road from low density residential to medium density, multi-unit. The proposal allows the developer to construct 60 rental units immediately next to Margaret Beeks Elementary School (See Picture).
We oppose this proposed change and request that Blacksburg keep the existing land use designation at Low Density Residential.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PETITION TO KEEP THE EXISTING LAND USE DESIGNATION.
The town has designated this area low density residential in the Comprehensive Plan since the beginning. We welcome development of the site in a manner consistent with the current low residential designation. That is not what the developer is proposing.
The proposal will allow undergraduate student style apartments and car parks that are out of scale and character with this quiet residential neighborhood. We have serious and legitimate concerns about the safety and quality of life of the community and Beeks' families that such a large development will bring.
Increasing the housing density designation solely benefits the developer. Keeping this location as currently designated benefits the neighborhood, the school and the whole community.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PETITION TO KEEP THE CURRENT LAND USE DESIGNATION.
The next opportunity for public comment on this issue is at the Long Range Planning Committee Meeting on April 28 at 4 p.m. at the Blacksburg Motor Building Company, 400 S. Main Street, Blacksburg.
If you would like more details please contact Jane at [email protected].
Note: We encourage everyone to read the developer's proposal before reaching a conclusion regarding who will or will not benefit from this development. A few people recently "signed" this petition then posted comments either disagreeing with our stated position or disparaging the comments of others. By definition, signing a petition endorses its position. Therefore we have deleted and will continue to delete the signatures and comments of anyone whose comments clearly indicate they do not agree with our position, not wanting to count those signatures in the total tally of signatures we present to town representatives.This is a petition in support of maintaining the existing future land use designation of 801-803 Airport Road, and opposing the Lester Group's request to change that designation. The town holds multiple public forums to debate proposed development. The next one is The Long Range Planning Committee's upcoming meeting, on April 28 at 4 p.m. at 400 South Main Street.
Updates
March 24, 2016
The petition reached 100 signatures this morning. I am now finalizing the formal letter to the Blacksburg Planning Commission to ensure this data is included in the official public record of the proposal.
Reached 250 supporters
March 23, 2016
Reached 100 supporters
March 21, 2016
97 Comments
As a resident of Airport Acres I strongly opposed this proposed change and request that it continue as low-density residential. This neighborhood and school would be horribly disrupted (short and long-term) with this proposed zoning change.
This location makes no sense for higher density student apartments. This is why we have a comprehensive plan and future land use map - not so it can be changed whenever a developer can make a buck.
My children attend Margaret Beeks ES. I am very much against increasing the housing density near the elementary school, particularly when the new housing will not blend with the single family home neighborhood.
I grew up just north of, and attended, Beeks. I walked past these lots to go to a friend's house after school. Unless they are proposing a single entrance via 1st and Main, the traffic alone would be an extremely adverse impact on the character of the neighborhood.
This will turn our quiet, close knit family neighborhood, into a chaotic, congested mess. This plan will introduce a permanent revolving door of hundreds of strangers, with cars and parties, right next to an elementary school. There are better locations for this kind of development.
This will bring over population and will mess up the community feel of this neighborhood!
Ok, so this is not a signature as there is a comment feature on this board. Very authoritarian on your part to not encourage a discussion or address the concerns. The town will approve this when we put forth our worries about discrimination and exclusionary zoning. While colorful in expression, I agree with the spirit of this concern. From Notta NIMBY's post: You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Never have I seen a more shrill group of over entitled nimbys. You sound like people back in the 50's and 60's that did not want blacks to move into their suburban neighborhoods. Why would you want to deny affordable housing near a school like this ? Do you know what a blessing housing like this would be to a stressed out single mom ? Lets cut to the chase here, I have driven through that neighborhood and it is lily white, very upscale now with homes being snapped up by professors and professionals that work at the crc. It raises red flags when that affluent demographic screeches about socioeconomically disadvantaged, marginalized peoples might dare to want to live in the same neighborhood, frightening your poor, precious "free range children" God forbid people of color may be hootin and hollerin disturbing your safe spaces. For the mom that is offended by students she has to live with, I know such a mom that lives in the town houses off nellies cave road and her place is a dump compared with the well taken care of town houses that the students live in right next to her!! I know many of you, you are good, partisan, progressives and you should be ashamed. You will put a black man in the whitehouse, but freak out if they want to live in your neighborhood. Get a life and let a few folks not as fortunate as yourselves into your enclave.
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The Town Council voted to deny the rezoning request for the Airport Road property. This outcome preserves the low density designation and ensures the development remains compatible with our neighborhood. We will monitor future filings to ensure this land use remains protected.
April 4, 2016
Final supporters
A property developer has filed a proposal with the Town of Blacksburg to change the land use of 801 and 803 Airport Road from low density residential to medium density, multi-unit. The proposal allows the developer to construct 60 rental units immediately next to Margaret Beeks Elementary School (See Picture).
We oppose this proposed change and request that Blacksburg keep the existing land use designation at Low Density Residential.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PETITION TO KEEP THE EXISTING LAND USE DESIGNATION.
The town has designated this area low density residential in the Comprehensive Plan since the beginning. We welcome development of the site in a manner consistent with the current low residential designation. That is not what the developer is proposing.
The proposal will allow undergraduate student style apartments and car parks that are out of scale and character with this quiet residential neighborhood. We have serious and legitimate concerns about the safety and quality of life of the community and Beeks' families that such a large development will bring.
Increasing the housing density designation solely benefits the developer. Keeping this location as currently designated benefits the neighborhood, the school and the whole community.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PETITION TO KEEP THE CURRENT LAND USE DESIGNATION.
The next opportunity for public comment on this issue is at the Long Range Planning Committee Meeting on April 28 at 4 p.m. at the Blacksburg Motor Building Company, 400 S. Main Street, Blacksburg.
If you would like more details please contact Jane at [email protected].
Note: We encourage everyone to read the developer's proposal before reaching a conclusion regarding who will or will not benefit from this development. A few people recently "signed" this petition then posted comments either disagreeing with our stated position or disparaging the comments of others. By definition, signing a petition endorses its position. Therefore we have deleted and will continue to delete the signatures and comments of anyone whose comments clearly indicate they do not agree with our position, not wanting to count those signatures in the total tally of signatures we present to town representatives.This is a petition in support of maintaining the existing future land use designation of 801-803 Airport Road, and opposing the Lester Group's request to change that designation. The town holds multiple public forums to debate proposed development. The next one is The Long Range Planning Committee's upcoming meeting, on April 28 at 4 p.m. at 400 South Main Street.
Updates
March 24, 2016
The petition reached 100 signatures this morning. I am now finalizing the formal letter to the Blacksburg Planning Commission to ensure this data is included in the official public record of the proposal.
Reached 250 supporters
March 23, 2016
Reached 100 supporters
March 21, 2016
97 Comments
No idea why it recorded me as being from Roanoke. I live in the Margaret Beeks school district and my son goes to school there. I have a vested interest in this issue. -Jess Jones
As a resident of Airport Acres I strongly opposed this proposed change and request that it continue as low-density residential. This neighborhood and school would be horribly disrupted (short and long-term) with this proposed zoning change.
This location makes no sense for higher density student apartments. This is why we have a comprehensive plan and future land use map - not so it can be changed whenever a developer can make a buck.
My children attend Margaret Beeks ES. I am very much against increasing the housing density near the elementary school, particularly when the new housing will not blend with the single family home neighborhood.
I grew up just north of, and attended, Beeks. I walked past these lots to go to a friend's house after school. Unless they are proposing a single entrance via 1st and Main, the traffic alone would be an extremely adverse impact on the character of the neighborhood.
This will turn our quiet, close knit family neighborhood, into a chaotic, congested mess. This plan will introduce a permanent revolving door of hundreds of strangers, with cars and parties, right next to an elementary school. There are better locations for this kind of development.
This will bring over population and will mess up the community feel of this neighborhood!
Ok, so this is not a signature as there is a comment feature on this board. Very authoritarian on your part to not encourage a discussion or address the concerns. The town will approve this when we put forth our worries about discrimination and exclusionary zoning. While colorful in expression, I agree with the spirit of this concern. From Notta NIMBY's post: You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Never have I seen a more shrill group of over entitled nimbys. You sound like people back in the 50's and 60's that did not want blacks to move into their suburban neighborhoods. Why would you want to deny affordable housing near a school like this ? Do you know what a blessing housing like this would be to a stressed out single mom ? Lets cut to the chase here, I have driven through that neighborhood and it is lily white, very upscale now with homes being snapped up by professors and professionals that work at the crc. It raises red flags when that affluent demographic screeches about socioeconomically disadvantaged, marginalized peoples might dare to want to live in the same neighborhood, frightening your poor, precious "free range children" God forbid people of color may be hootin and hollerin disturbing your safe spaces. For the mom that is offended by students she has to live with, I know such a mom that lives in the town houses off nellies cave road and her place is a dump compared with the well taken care of town houses that the students live in right next to her!! I know many of you, you are good, partisan, progressives and you should be ashamed. You will put a black man in the whitehouse, but freak out if they want to live in your neighborhood. Get a life and let a few folks not as fortunate as yourselves into your enclave.
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No idea why it recorded me as being from Roanoke. I live in the Margaret Beeks school district and my son goes to school there. I have a vested interest in this issue. -Jess Jones