JABA rezoning request rejected

By April Taylor , Record Editor
Published: December 24, 2008

Greene County’s Planning Commission unanimously rejected a request by the Jefferson Area Board of Aging (JABA) to rezone 15.16 acres located near Preddy Creek Road and Harlowedge in Ruckersville.  Rezoning would make way for up to 225 housing units for low-to-moderate income seniors.
The decision was made at the body’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, December 17. 
Faced with neighborhood opposition and calls for more detail by Greene County’s Planning Commission, JABA had deferred the request in November.
As promised, Chris Murray, JABA’s director of business development, came back to the planning commission this month with a list of proffers and a rough analysis on the project’s potential impact on such issues as traffic and utilities.
The list of proffers included, among other items: a community center building, to be constructed in the first phase of the projects development; an agreement to negotiate for a well site with the county, “in consideration for a waiver of hook-up fees”; and at least one transit stop for Greene County Transit or another mass transit provider. 
JABA envisions a mix of income-qualified housing (Phase 1); market-rate housing (Phase II); and independent-living apartments (Phase III). The dwellings would be for seniors age 55 and older, plus persons with disabilities.
  As part of his presentation before commissioners, Murray attempted to show such benefits as less water used by the senior community. He also said that seniors tend to take fewer trips per day than others.
  But with the issue of traffic looming in the minds of concerned neighbors as well as planning commission members, Murray failed to prove his case.
“Traffic appears to be a difficult nut to crack,“ commented planning commission vice-chair Norm Slezak, before voting against the request. He told Murray: “I’ve heard nothing… no solutions to this problem. That’s my primary concern, and that’s my stumbling block.“
The planning commission is made up of five members: Slezak, Chair Davis Lamb, Bill Martin, Anthony Herring, and Jim Frydl.  After Herring made a motion to deny the project, all voted in favor of that action. The issue will eventually go before the Board of Supervisors.
In the meantime, Murray remarked: “We are in the process of looking at other sites. We have to. We need affordable housing.“ 
If the Harlowedge project gains approval, the request would rezone land belonging to Mark Seale of Preddy Creek Road from “R1, Residential” to “SR, Senior Residential.“
The current zoning allows for 4.4 units per acre. The proposed SR zoning would bump that to 25 units per acre.
The proposed site is within the county’s growth area. Last month, Murray noted that the by-right alternatives for the property would be at least 39 houses, which “could bring in less tax revenue and cost more for the county.“
But planning commissioners were not swayed.
“I’m looking for some commitments to offset the impact of the additional density,“ said Frydl. 
During Wednesday’s public hearing, several neighboring residents signed up to speak against JABA’s proposed development, a fact noted by planning commissioner Bill Martin.
“I keep waiting to hear one person from the local community to support this, (but there is none), and that sends up a red flag.“
Many concerned neighbors along Preddy Creek Road said the proposed project would bring additional traffic to what was described as an already precarious situation. 
At one point Murray said:
“I’m sympathetic to the traffic issue, but our (mission) is affordable housing for seniors.“
He said: “The issue of … traffic is almost a conundrum… VDOT says a traffic study is not needed.“ He added: “If this project needed to add a million dollars of road improvements, it wouldn’t work.“
Founded in 1975, JABA is a nonprofit agency serving the city of Charlottesville and the counties of Greene, Louisa, Albemarle, Fluvanna and Nelson.  Its stated mission: to promote, establish and “preserve sustainable communities for healthy aging,“ providing services to that end.
Some of JABA’s housing developments include Woods Edge Apartments on Rio Road in Charlottesville and Park View on South Pantops Drive.
In Greene, JABA has also approached the town of Stanardsville with a possible housing project there.
The nonprofit’s eagerness to partner on such developments comes at a time when the senior population continues to grow—and the agency seeks new ways to make money in light of dwindling federal funds.
“Social programs are disappearing,“ said Murray. “We need to meet our mission.“