Land eyed for development in Williamsburg affected by state intervention on parking minimums
Plus, James City Good Neighbor Grant, 50 years for JCC fire department, beyond the classroom learning for WJCC students
The city expects to pass an State-mandated update to its zoning ordinance in order to comply with a new state law reducing local ability to impose off-street parking requirements within 0.5 miles of a designated public transit facility. The agenda for the Williamsburg City Council includes consideration a new state law that specifically applies to new residential development only, not existing homes. The city’s Transportation Center at 440 N. Boundary Street marks the center of the half mile radius.
The changes will encompass much of downtown Williamsburg, including several areas where residential development has been discussed previously. These include more than 150 acres owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation north of Lafayette Street near the Visitor Center and the new Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center (which opened last month). Other sites within the new parking boundaries include city-owned land poposed for redevelopment such as the commercial Triangle Building and the Blayton Building, which serves as housing for elderly residents.
New state guidelines for off-street residential development near transit centers:
Duplexes and single family homes: minimum parking requirement of 1 space per unit, down from 2
Apartments: minimum of 0.5 spaces per unit, down from 1.25 to 1.5 depending on unit size
Townhouses and planned unit developments: minimum of 1 space per unit, down from 2
Visitor parking: the additional 0.25 space per unit requirement previously applied to multifamily and townhouse development is removed
View the presentation scheduled for later this week.
Several months ago, Williamsburg City Council voted unanimously to hire a consulting firm budgeted for $600,000 to update the city’s Comprehensive Plan. That process will impact how the city manages growth over the next several decades. Perhaps the most contentious issue is the the potential for more high-density development within the city’s downtown core. City leadership has also stated that it wants to consider incremental zoning decision based on the consultant’s recommendations before the final plan is complete.
In other news:
James City County opens Good Neighbor Grant applications for neighborhood projects James City County has opened its Good Neighbor Grant application period, offering matching grant awards up to $500 for neighborhood associations to implement environmentally sustainable projects that enhance sustainability and community sense. The program supports projects such as common area improvements, water conservation initiatives, and specialized plantings including moon gardens, according to the county. Previous grant recipients have implemented water conservation efforts, native and pollinator garden installations, and erosion control measures, the county states. The application deadline is September 15, with grant award amounts contingent upon the number of applications received and available funding.
James City County Fire Department is celebrating 50 years of service to the community. In a commemorative video, firefighters past and present reflect on the department’s history, advancements through the years, what makes the department unique, generations of service, family aspects of the department, and hopes for the future.
Students from Williamsburg-James City County schools get “learning beyond the classroom” with a focus on music arts and culture. James River and Norge Elementary Students Visit Virginia International Tattoo and Chrysler Museum, where they attended world-class performances and viewed art collections at both venues. Following their return to school, the students recreated dances and musical performances and also used recycled materials and clay beads to designed their own chandeliers inspired by artwork from the museum.
