M E M O R A N D U M DATE: February 8, 2021 TO: The Planning Commission Working Group FROM: Ellen Cook, Principal Planner SUBJECT: Work Session #16 – Housing, Transportation and Community Character Chapters This meeting will continue the process of bringing chapters back for PCWG review of revised materials, and initial reviews of draft Goals, Strategies and Actions (GSAs). The chapters to be covered in this meeting are Housing, Transportation, and Community Character. The cover memos for these chapters summarize activities and discussion to date and introduce the changes to the GSAs. Similar to past PCWG meetings, this meeting will be held electronically due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the Continuity of Government Ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 14 and September 8. Staff will be sharing the Zoom meeting details for you to participate in the meeting remotely. Citizens will be able to submit comments prior to the meeting and view the meeting on the County’s YouTube channel or public access cable channel TV48. The Planning Team looks forward to hearing your thoughts as we prepare for the next phases of the Comprehensive Plan update process. Attachments: 1. Agenda 2. Resolution for Electronic Meetings Agenda Planning Commission Working Group February 8, 2021 4:00 p.m. Held electronically pursuant to a Continuity of Government Ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 14, 2020 and readopted on September 8, 2020. The meeting will be accessible on public access cable channel TV48 or the County’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/jamescitycounty). Citizen comments may be submitted via US Mail to the Planning Commission Secretary, PO Box 8784, Williamsburg, VA 23187, via electronic mail to [email protected], or by leaving a message at 757-253-6750. Comments must be submitted no later than noon on the day of the meeting. Please provide your name and address for the public record. I. Establishment of Call and Resolution of Technical Issues II. Call to Order III. Adoption of Resolution for Electronic Meetings IV. Housing Chapter Materials V. Transportation Chapter Materials VI. Community Character Chapter Materials VII. Other Items for Discussion VIII. Adjournment R E S O L U T I O N PLANNING COMMISSION WORKING GROUP VIRTUAL MEETING WHEREAS, on March 24, 2020 the James City County Board of Supervisors (the “Board”) adopted an emergency Ordinance to ensure the continuity of government in response to the coronavirus pandemic negatively affecting the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of James City County (the “County”); and WHEREAS, on April 14, 2020 and September 8, 2020, the Board readopted the continuity of government Ordinance (the “Ordinance”), which, under certain circumstances, permits the Board and its subordinate boards, committees, and commissions to conduct regularly scheduled, special, or emergency meetings solely by electronic or telephonic means without a quorum of members physically present (a “Virtual Meeting”); and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission Working Group is a committee of the Planning Commission, a subordinate appointed commission of the Board and is therefore eligible to conduct a Virtual Meeting; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission Working Group desires to conduct a Virtual Meeting on February 8, 2021 at which time those items listed on the agenda attached hereto (the “Agenda”) will be considered; and WHEREAS, each of the members of the Planning Commission Working Group have reviewed each of the items listed on the Agenda and have determined that consideration of each is necessary to ensure the continuation of the essential functions of the government during the emergency described in the Ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Planning Commission Working Group of James City County, Virginia, hereby finds and declares that immediate consideration of each of the items set forth in the Agenda is necessary to ensure the continuation of essential functions of the government during the emergency declared by the Board and further described in the Ordinance. -2- ____________________________________ Rich Krapf Chair, Planning Commission Working Group ATTEST: VOTES AYE NAY ABSTAIN HALDEMAN ____ ____ ____ ________________________________ KRAPF ___ ____ ____ Ellen Cook LEVERENZ ____ ____ ____ Secretary to the Planning Commission NULL ____ ____ ____ Working Group O’CONNOR ____ ____ ____ POLSTER ____ ____ ____ ROSE ____ ____ ____ WERTMAN ____ ____ ____ Adopted by the Planning Commission Working Group of James City County, Virginia, this 8th day of February, 2021. VirtualMtgPCWkrGrp-res M E M O R A N D U M DATE: February 8, 2021 TO: The Planning Commission Working Group FROM: Ellen Cook, Principal Planner Brett Meadows, Planner Marion Paine, Assistant Administrator, Neighborhood Development Vaughn Poller, Administrator, Neighborhood Development John Risinger, Planner SUBJECT: Engage 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update, Housing Chapter The Housing Chapter Technical Report, Community Guidance Summary, and short-term rental briefing paper are provided for the Planning Commission Working Group’s (PCWG’s) second review. In addition, the revised and updated Goals, Strategies and Actions (GSAs) are provided for the PCWG’s first review. A final review of these documents will begin after the third and final round of public engagement has been documented (March/April). Revisions to the Chapter Text, Technical Appendix and Community Guidance PCWG Comments from the November 9, 2020 meeting and from email communications. Housing Trends o There were comments to update ACS data around housing stock and rentals. Staff have inserted data. o There was a concern about the accuracy of bullet #4 on H-3. Clarifying text was added into the Affordability section on page H-4. Production and Preservation o There was a request to see the chapter do a better job of painting a picture of the lack of affordable housing in the County and the approaches that the WHTF recommended to address the problem. Staff has incorporated several textual changes in the Introduction, Trends, and Production sections. o There was a question as to how the 20% AMI figure was determined on page H-5. The 20% figure was used to match the language that was in the County’s Housing Opportunities Policy (HOP). The 20% figure in the HOP was developed based on a number of factors, including the numbers/percentages of housing that had been typically proffered in past years in the County, benchmarking programs and ordinances in other Virginia localities, and information from the state code language for affordable dwelling unit ordinances. Due to changes in State Code related to proffer policies, the HOP was repealed by the BOS on June 28, 2016. Recommendations on how to replace the HOP with new tools were included as part of the Workforce Housing Task Force recommendations in 2019. o There was a question as to why there is no mention of the funding strategies included in the WHTF report. Funding strategies are detailed in the GSAs under goal H6. Implementation o There was a suggestion that it would be helpful to add a phrase or two regarding the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) to indicate exactly how the program does what is advertised. Staff has added several sentences to address this on page H-12. Engage 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update, Housing Chapter February 8, 2021 Page 2 o There was a reference to the Board of Supervisors’ approval of a budget appropriation that will allow the County to participate in the Virginia Department of Health’s Virginia Environmental Endowment Septic System Repair Cost Share Program. This endowment system is expiring due to lack of use. o There was a reference to the Board of Supervisors’ approval of a budget appropriation that will allow the County to participate in the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Acquire, Renovate, and Sell Program. This is addressed generally with GSAs under H 1.3. o Comments were received about various past funding sources and projects. These are covered by GSAs under H 1.3 and H 6. Mobile Homes o There was a request to give more attention in the chapter text and GSAs to mobile homes. Staff added text to the chapter, and GSAs under H 1.2 references pursing actions for the preservation and redevelopment of Manufactured/Mobile Home Parks per the recommendations of the Workforce Housing Task Force. Other topics of discussion o There was a question about how the County plans for the potentially large change in the character of housing demanded by seniors, and the significant amount of housing likely to be sold by seniors. Staff has added text to the chapter introduction to incorporate aging population. For housing programs the County administers, the County can only restrict based on income, not where people have been living. o There was a comment with concern that including proffers to people in the 80% AMI range and above risks diverting limited resources to those earning 30-80% AMI, as asserted by the WHTF. The chapter text now references the target range from the WHTF. o There was reference to adopting Workforce Housing task force recommendations A-1, A- 2, A-3, B-2, B-4, and D-2. Staff has incorporated all WHTF recommendations into the GSAs or blended them with existing GSAs that already meet the recommendations. However, the recommendation about the PDR program will be covered in the Community Character and/or Land Use sections. o There was concern about how to reconcile the conflict between residents’ wishes that we do more to protect the natural environment, environmentally sensitive areas, and the County’s rural character while providing housing opportunities that are affordable to our workforce. One way that this is covered is by the input tackled through the Land Use Map update (e.g., steering new growth to be located inside the PSA).