Planning, Streets and Traffic Committee

Planning, Streets and Traffic Committee Monday, August 11, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. City Service Center – 915 Quarrier Street – Conference Room Members Present Members Absent Jennifer Pharr, Chair Mary Beth Hoover Bobby Haas Pam Burka Kathy Rubio Becky Ceperley John Gianola – via phone Others Present Staff Donna Hardy w/ Mead & Hunt Dan Vriendt Joyce Ofsa w/Spilman, Thomas & Battle Terry Allen Jeffrey Mace w/ R.IC. Matt Hartline Officer Redden 1. Call to Order 2. Unfinished Business 3. New Business Bill #8059 –amending the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Charleston, West Virginia, enacted the 1st day of January 2006, as amended, and the map made a part thereof, by rezoning from a R-O district to a C-10 district, that certain parcel of land situated at 500 Morris Street, East Charleston Tax District Map 18, Parcel 119 in the City of Charleston, Kanawha County, State of West Virginia. Joyce Ofsa with Spilman, Thomas & Battle and representing Charleston Area Medical Center (“CAMC”) in this matter was present. Dan presented the staff notes for Bill # 8059 to the PS&T Committee. The subject property across from CAMC-General is currently a large parking lot. CAMC wants to develop that as additional medical office space. It is currently zoned R-O. CAMC is requesting that this property be rezoned C-10 – General Commercial. There is Central Business District (CBD) zoning to the west, to the north there is C-10 zoning and to the south is Corridor Village District (CVD). On three sides there is a higher intensity zoning, and the R-O has really large setbacks. There is a 15’ setback. There is no parking in the front setback. There are other reasons that the R-O zoning is problematic. C-10 would give CAMC more flexibility. It is very consistent with the development pattern of the neighborhood. There is no reason for this to remain R-O. R-O is more of a transitional district between residential and commercial. The property surrounding it is commercial property. This is also consistent with the future land use plan for the City of Charleston. 1 Planning, Streets & Traffic Committee August 11, 2025  Taking into consideration all of the above, staff is recommending approval. Bill # 8059 did go before the Municipal Planning Commission. There was no opposition to the request. No one from the public attended the meeting to oppose the request. The Municipal Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of Bill # 8059. Joyce Ofsa addressed the PS&T Committee. CAMC wants to construct a neurosciences institute facility on this site. It is the site of the former Arthur B. Hodges Center. It has been used for parking for the past several years. It will allow them to construct what is envisioned now to be a 3-story structure with parking. It will allow CAMC to offer more treatment and educational opportunities to the community and nursing educational programming to, not only those working throughout the hospital, but throughout the state and the surrounding region in the area of neurological diseases and conditions. There will be treatment facilities, but there will not be beds for overnight care. There will be office space. CAMC decided this is the location where the neurosciences institute should be located. The limitations on an R-O property would make it cost prohibitive. So CAMC has requested the zoning be changed from R-O to C-10. MOTION AND VOTE: Becky Ceperley made a motion that Bill # 8059 be approved. Bobby Haas seconded the motion. John Gianoli voted to abstain. The motion passed and Bill # 8059 was approved by a vote of 4-0-1. There was a presentation by the Regional Intergovernmental Council by Jeffrey Mace and Donna Hardy on a safety study for the area around the Clay Center, CAMC General Hospital and Go Mart Ballpark. 4. Discussion 5. Approval of the Minutes of July 14, 2025, meeting MOTION AND VOTE: A motion was made by Becky Ceperley to adopt the minutes of the July 14, 2025 meeting. Kathy Rubio seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous vote. 6. Adjournment 2 Planning, Streets & Traffic Committee August 11, 2025