Planning Commission

CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VIRGINIA MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION City Hall, Council Chambers, 201 James Avenue Wednesday, January 3, 2023 6:00 p.m. AGENDA I. Call to Order II. Roll Call III. Organizational Matters • Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman • Appointment of Secretary • Adoption of Rules of Procedure • Adoption of Planning Commission Meeting Schedule for the Next 12 Months IV. Approval of Agenda V. Approval of Minutes for the December 6, 2023 meeting VI. 2023 Annual Report VII. Manner of Addressing the Commission Each speaker at Commission meetings shall, in an audible voice for the record, give his name and address and who he is representing if other than himself; and unless the Commission grants further time, shall limit his remarks to 5 minutes per issue. Provided, however, that the main proponent of any application, petition, or plan that is the subject of a Public Hearing shall be allowed to address the Commission for a maximum of 10 minutes, and later in rebuttal for a maximum of 3 minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Chairman and the Commission as a body and not to any member or staff person. VIII. Hearing of Citizens Generally IX. Old Business X. Reports 1. Former Chairman – Mr. Hartson 2. Director of Planning and Community Development – Mr. Carter 3. City Engineer or his designee – Asst. Director of Public Works – Mr. Ryan 4. City Manager – Mr. Smith 5. City Attorney – Mr. Fisher XI. Adjournment  MINUTES CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the Planning Commission Wednesday, December 6, 2023 I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. Mr. Hartson welcomed Mr. Carlos Roman and Ms. Patience Bennett, Planning Commissioners from Hopewell, Virginia to the meeting and shared that the two of them would be observing. II. Roll Call Present: Mr. Hartson Mrs. Schiff Mr. Wade Mr. Kohan Mrs. Levenson-Melvin Mrs. Hamilton Absent: Mr. Kwiek Mr. Kwiek previously expressed to the Staff his interest in virtually attending the meeting. Mr. Hartson called for a vote to let Mr. Kwiek participate remotely in the meeting. All Commissioners voted in favor. Staff was not able to reach Mr. Kwiek on the cellphone number on record; therefore, Mr. Kwiek was unable to join the meeting. III. Approval of Agenda Mrs. Levenson-Melvin made a motion to approve the agenda, Mrs. Schiff seconded the motion, and all Commissioners voted to approve the motion. Approved 6-0 IV. Approval of Minutes for the October 3, 2023 meeting Mrs. Levenson-Melvin pointed out that the prefix used for Mrs. Schiff, Mrs. Hamilton, and Mrs. Levenson-Melvin was inconsistent in the document. She pointed out that on pages 5, 6, 7, and 8, the prefixes Ms. and Mrs. were both used and suggested that it should be consistent throughout the document by using one of the two prefixes. She also pointed out that her name was misspelled on page 8 which needed correction. 1  Mrs. Schiff made a motion to approve the minutes as amended, Mrs. Levenson-Melvin seconded the motion, and all Commissioners voted to approve the motion. Approved 6-0 V. Reading of Manner for Addressing Planning Commission. Any member of the public addressing the Planning Commission shall approach the lectern, give his name and address in an audible tone of voice for the record, AND ADDRESS THE COMMISSION AS A BODY RATHER THAN SPEAK TO ANY MEMBER. Unless further time is granted by the Commission, ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC shall address the Commission one time for a maximum of five (5) minutes, regardless of the number of issues he desires to discuss. PROVIDED however, that the main proponent of any application, petition, or plan that is the subject of a public hearing shall be allowed to address the Commission initially for a maximum of ten (10) minutes and later in rebuttal for a maximum of three (3) minutes. Mr. Carter read out the manner for addressing the Planning Commission for the benefit of all participants and mentioned that these rules apply to members of the public addressing the Commission during "Hearing of Citizens Generally" and members of the public choosing to speak during public hearings. VI. Hearing of Citizens Generally No citizens spoke. VII. Recommended PC Rules Changes Mr. Carter pointed out the recommended changes to the PC Rules – the language ‘Old Business’ has been struck from ‘old business and reports’, the language ‘Plans of Development’ has been changed to ‘Preliminary Plans of Development and Subdivision Plans’ and the item ‘determination of quorum’ has been removed as the quorum is determined with the Roll Call. Mrs. Levenson-Melvin asked if the Manner of Addressing the Planning Commission would be read out in every meeting of the Commission. Mr. Carter responded that it was included in the Agenda with the same intent. He added that the same is being done at the Council meeting. Mr. Fisher clarified that the new rules will be presented to the Commission for consideration in the organizational meeting in January 2024 and will be in effect for the entire year 2024. The new agenda layout will completely replace the current agenda specified in Section 7.7 of the Rules of Procedure. Also, given new paragraph (d) of Section 7.7, Section 7.10 will be deleted and the remaining Sections of the Rules of Procedure will be renumbered. Mrs. Schiff made a motion to adopt the changes, Mrs. Levenson-Melvin seconded the motion, and all Commissioners voted to approve the motion. Approved 6-0 2 VIII. Demonstration of Colonial Heights Economic Development website Ms. Amber Wallace, Economic Development Specialist, presented an overview of the Economic Development Website. The Commissioners complimented staff efforts and the appearance of the website. Mr. Hartson asked Ms. Wallace if the website had a chat function for interested parties to contact the staff and ask for information. He also asked her about the Search Engine Optimization efforts. Ms. Wallace replied that at the moment, the Department had not signed up for these services from the website host agency. However, the analytics giving details on the number of hits, most frequently used pages, duration of stay on the website, etc. were available. Mr. Wade asked Ms. Wallace if the city was partnering with the Chamber of Commerce for the business workshops offered on the website. Ms. Wallace replied that there were no active partnerships on the website. Mrs. Levenson-Melvin stressed the tourism aspect of the website and said the Staff should focus on promoting the historical significance of the city – the Brick House, the three museums on the Army Base, and one large museum in the city. She added that opportunities to host conventions, trade shows, and events for businesses in the city should be explored and promoted through the website. The Commissioners suggested that the city should increase partnerships with other regional agencies such as the Chamber of Commerce, colleges in the area, and Fort Gregg-Adams to improve economic development and tourism opportunities. Mr. Smith shared that the city has a good partnership with the Base and details about the events and business opportunities in the city are constantly shared with them during the regular meetings that he attends. IX. Old Business None X. Reports Reports 1. Chairman – Mr. Hartson None 2. Director of Planning and Community Development – Mr. Carter a. Mr. Carter updated the Commissioners that the City Council adopted the floodplain ordinance in November 2023, which will be effective January 11, 2024. Some properties require special approvals from FEMA. FEMA will be sending letters to these properties stating that their special approvals will stay in place, after January 12, 2024. Staff sent letters to the concerned property owners informing them of the same. 3 b. Mr. Carter shared that the Short-Term Rental ordinance passed its first reading. A public hearing is being held in December for the City Council. c. The winner of the Community Planning Scavenger Hunt is Ms. Deannie Williams. She got all of the answers correct. The city rewarded her with a $50 gift card of her choice. d. Mr. Carter asked Ms. Rao to update the Commissioners on the city’s Community Development Block Grant Program. Ms. Rao shared that the current program year 2023 corresponds to the fourth year of the program year 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, which began July 1, 2023, and ends June 30, 2024. The program year 2023 Community Development Block Grant entitlement for the City of Colonial Heights is $96,493. Since 2010, the city has contracted with Project: Homes to administer the construction contracts and provide reporting on the city’s Home Repair Program. A total of 7 households have been selected for this year. All seven applicants are homeowners. Contracts have been signed with 5 of these 7 applicants. Repair work began in these 5 households in late October and was completed by the end of November. Close-out walkthroughs for all 5 houses have been completed by the end of November. After the completion of the selected projects, staff will look to the waitlist to use any remaining funds. Mr. Hartson asked about the eligibility criteria to qualify for funding under the program. Ms. Rao responded that though the program is available city-wide for low to moderate-income homeowners in the Violet Bank-Flora Hill, Shepherd Stadium, Westover-Snead, and Toll House Districts, first-time applicants, persons who are elderly or disabled, larger households, and those needing repairs that threaten the safety or well-being of the household members are given priority. The most important criterion is that the applicant’s family income should be at or below 80% of the area median income which ranges from $ 59, 750 for a one-person family to $ 112, 600 for an 8-person family. e. Mr. Carter brought the attention of the Commission to the Planning Commission meetings calendar for 2024 proposed by the staff. He requested the Commissioners to review the calendar ahead of the organizational meeting in January and act during the January meeting. f. Mr. Carter shared details about the activity that staff conducted towards engaging with the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) on September 28, October 26, and November 16 to engage students in a series of community planning exercises as a part of Community Planning Month. YAC is a leadership organization for teens in grades 6-12. YAC works with members of the City Council and the Youth Services Commission to identify, address, and resolve issues that affect teens. The overall goal is to instill a sense of pride in and around Colonial Heights and encourage responsible citizenship. Meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm in Council Chambers at City Hall. 4  The staff introduced students to the role community planning plays in preparing city government to address challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and support assets as the city continues to physically change and develop. The staff went through a SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Challenges) analysis with the students. Students identified and categorized various elements including landmarks, routes, public spaces, and neighborhoods based on their priorities. Strengths identified by the students were its park and river access, good schools, kind neighbors, history, and small-town feel. Students identified the lack of trees along corridors (especially East Ellerslie Avenue), the mall, traffic congestion (especially on Temple Avenue and surrounding the mall), and placemaking signage as major weaknesses. Most of the discussion about opportunities in the city centered around ideas for the revitalization of the mall which they identified as a major weakness. They also agreed that increased and improved trail and sidewalk infrastructure would go a long way toward improving the city. Lastly, the students identified the difficulty of achieving community buy-in and funding as the greatest challenges towards capitalizing on the city’s opportunities. The staff took a step further to get the students' input on the Fall Line Trail project finalized by the State. Students were asked what would make the trail appealing and enjoyable for residents and visitors. Their top responses were trail amenities like bike racks, bathrooms, water fountains at the Shepherds Stadium, the lookout area at Lakeview Park, and safety measures like improved intersection crossing along the trail, first-aid stations, etc. Mr. Carter added that the staff will continue to engage with the youth council and attend these meetings going forward. Mrs. Hamilton appreciated the staff’s effort in engaging with the youth group. She added that the staff should continue their efforts in spreading the word out in the community about good City Planning. Mrs. Levenson-Melvin asked if the youth group could be involved in the revision of the city’s Comprehensive Plan by sharing their ideas. Mr. Carter replied that it was possible. 3. City Engineer or Designee –Director of Public Works – Mr. Ryan 5  Mr. Ryan updated the Commissioners on the status of the ongoing projects in the city. He shared that the paving project at the Boulevard was completed on time and within the budget. The city has identified the contractor for the Westover Avenue project and has reached mutually agreeable terms, and permanent signalization is complete for the Lakeview Avenue project. The city is continuing its efforts to rehab the sewage system -2.5 miles have been lined. The planned alignment of the Fall Line Trail is along the VSU property. VDOT has initiated an archeological study to verify if the trail can be placed there as it is considered to be a culturally sensitive area. Based on the results of the study, VDOT is planning to advertise in the Spring for design-build services to construct the trail. Mr. Wade asked Mr. Ryan about the quality of the road surface from Birch Avenue to the city limits as the road is not as smooth as it is on the rest of the Boulevard. Mr. Ryan clarified that a different type of pavement mix was used for this stretch of the road which probably is the reason for the surface being a little rough; however, the new pavement mix is more durable. Mr. Wade shared his observations from the ride-along that he did with the Planning Department staff during the previous week. He mentioned that there has been progress made on some of the properties since the enactment of the clutter ordinance. The code officials are working with the property owners on their committed timelines to bring them to compliance. Mr. Wade shared that ‘No Parking’ signs have been put on Chesterfield Avenue to prevent commercial vehicles and trailers from parking through the median. However, the language on the sign may have to be changed in consultation with the city Attorney to ensure that the residents are not in violation if they need to park their vehicles temporarily or for a short period. 4. Others, as necessary or appropriate a. City Manager – Mr. Smith Mr. Smith shared updates on some recent business in the city. - Towne Place Suites had their ribbon cutting. He mentioned that it is a very nice facility. - Haverty Furniture will operate in place of Ashley Furniture’s previous location as Ashley has moved to the old Toy R Us building. - Mrs. Tina Sadler will be starting as the new Director of Finance on December 18, 2023. Mr. Smith appreciated the efforts of the Interim Director of Finance, Ms. Betty Burrell. - Mr. Smith appreciated the efforts of the city staff in organizing the Christmas Parade together that came about so well. b. City Attorney – Mr. Fisher Mr. Fisher shared that the city has purchased the property at 213 James Avenue. The city also has a sales contract with the owner of the property at 220 Highland Avenue adjacent to the City Hall. Once the tenant vacates this property, the city will close on the property. Both of these properties will be demolished to convert them into parking 6  lots. XI. Adjournment Chairman Hartson asked the Planning Commission if there were any further questions or comments after hearing nothing from the Planning Commissioners, Mr. Hartson thanked everyone for their great work and wished everyone Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Mr. Wade made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Mrs. Schiff seconded the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. Mitchell Hartson Joseph Carter Jr. Chairman Secretary 7  2023 ANNUAL REPORT CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION I. 2023 MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION Mr. Mitchell Hartson, Chairman Mrs. Rita Schiff, Vice Chairman, Planning Commission Representative on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Mr. Robert Wade, Vice Mayor, City Council Representative on Planning Commission Mrs. Mary Ann Hamilton Mr. Carl “Buzz” Kohan, Board of Zoning Appeals Representative on the Planning Commission Mrs. Deborah Levenson-Melvin, Planning Commission Representative on the Architectural Review Board Mr. Noah Kwiek II. 2023 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS All meetings are regularly scheduled meetings unless otherwise specified. Special Meetings are meetings held outside of the adopted schedule due to a specific item to be discussed or to provide a venue for more detailed discussion, such as a worksession. For such meetings, the timing of the meetings was deemed critical and Commissioners who could not make the meeting due to their availability and the limited notice were excused. January 04, 2023 July 05, 2023 March 07, 2023 August 1, 2023 April 04, 2023 (Special Meeting) September 06, 2023 April 04, 2023 October 03, 2023 May 02, 2023 December 06, 2023 May 23, 2023 (Special Meeting) 1  Regular meetings of the Planning Commission Planning Commissioners Virtual participation Absent Mr. Mitchell Hartson Mrs. Rita Schiff Mr. Robert Wade 1 1 Mrs. Mary Ann Hamilton Mr. Carl “Buzz” Kohan, 3* Mrs. Deborah Levenson-Melvin 1 Mr. Noah Kwiek 1 2 * Absent due to medical reasons Special meetings of the Planning Commission Planning Commissioners Virtual participation Absent Mr. Mitchell Hartson Mrs. Rita Schiff Mr. Robert Wade 1 Mrs. Mary Ann Hamilton 1 Mr. Carl “Buzz” Kohan, 1 Mrs. Deborah Levenson-Melvin Mr. Noah Kwiek 1 III. RESOLUTIONS ACTED ON BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION PC RESOLUTION NO. 23-01 AND AN ORDINANCE NO. 23-04 Recommending that the City Council approve the special use permit to Christian Life Center, Inc., property owner, for 1) to allow a maximum lot coverage of 70% within the RL zoning district; 2) to allow a maximum building coverage of 40% within the RL zoning district; and 3) to reduce the minimum width of the Type C Buffer Option 1 required along the southern property line of the RH zoning district to ten feet (10’), located at 505 Lakeview Avenue, also known as parcel identification number 1900010Y001. Approved 6-0 (Absent- Mr. Kohan) on 03/07/2023 PC RESOLUTION NO. 23-02 AND AN ORDINANCE NO. 23-8 City’s proposed FY2024-2028 Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) Approved 6-0 (Absent- Mr. Kwiek) on 04/04/2023 PC RESOLUTION NO. 23-03 AND AN ORDINANCE NO. 23-18 CP-23-01 105 Norfolk Avenue, Request for Comprehensive Plan Amendment Request to amend the City’s Comprehensive Plan (Master Plan) Land Use Map classification for 105 Norfolk Avenue, Parcel identification number 41000402043, from Low Density Single-Family designation to Community Commercial designation. Denied 4-2 (Absent- Mr. Kohan) on 09/06/2023 2  PC RESOLUTION NO. 23-04 AND AN ORDINANCE NO. 23-19 RZ-23-01 105 Norfolk Avenue, Request for Rezoning Request to amend the City’s Zoning Map classification for 105 Norfolk Avenue, parcel identification number 41000402043, from RL – Low Density Residential to BB – Boulevard Commercial. Denied 4-2 (Absent- Mr. Kohan) on 09/06/2023 PC RESOLUTION NO. 23-05 AND AN ORDINANCE NO. 23-20 Amendment to § 286-320.08, 286-320.14, and 286-320.16 of Chapter 286, Zoning, to comply with the regulation issued by the Federal Emergency Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. Approved 7-0 on 10/03/2023 PC RESOLUTION NO. 23-06 AND AN ORDINANCE NO. 23-21 Amending Colonial Heights Code in the following ways: 1) amending § 258-52 of Chapter 258, Taxation, by including a short-term rental dwelling as a hotel for purposes of the transient lodging tax and defining a "Transient" as a person who obtains lodging at a hotel for fewer than 30 consecutive days; (2) adding to § 286-202.10 of Chapter 286, Zoning, definitions for "Operator", "Short-Term Rental", and "Short-Term Rental Dwelling"; 3) adding "Short-term rentals, hosted and non-hosted" to § 286-300.04 of Chapter 286 as a permitted commercial use type in the RL Low Density Residential District; 4) adding to Chapter 286 a new § 286-410.70 regulating short term rentals, and 5) adding to §286-518.18 of Chapter 286 an off-street parking requirement for short term rental dwellings. Approved 7-0 on 10/03/2023 IV. PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION PLATS None V. PLANS OF DEVELOPMENT / PRELIMINARY SITE PLANS PD 23-01 360 Charles H Dimmock Parkway, Dimmock & Jennick Car Wash Parcel ID #68215800009 The proposed plan is for a one-story 4,197 square foot express car wash facility. The existing structure will be demolished to develop the proposed use. The total site area of the property is approximately 1.375 acres. The site is identified as parcel ID #68215800009 zoned GB – General Business. Approved 6-0 (Absent- Mr. Kohan) on 03/07/2023 3  PD 22-08 Southlake Park Pond Fill Parcel ID #69011100003 Property Owner, Roslyn Farms Corporation, requests approval of a preliminary plan of development/site plan for the development of approximately 5.30 acres of land at the intersection of South Avenue and East Roslyn Avenue. The purpose of the application is to fill portions of the existing stormwater management pond on the property to create two (2) developable lots. The property is identified as Tax Parcel 69011100003, which is zoned GB – General Business Approved 6-0 (Absent- Mr. Kwiek) on 04/04/2023 PD 23-02 801 Temple Avenue, Temple Avenue Storage Parcel ID #68035600003 Property Owner, Stallings Oil Company and Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc., proposes a preliminary plan of development of a fully enclosed self-storage mini-warehouse facility, containing a total of 119,900 square feet for the use of 1.89 acres. The site is identified as parcel ID #68035600003 zoned GB – General Business. Approved 6-0 (Absent- Mr. Kwiek) on 04/04/2023 VI. MISCELLANEOUS • Assistant Director, Planning, Aaron Bond started in August 2023 • Assistant Director, Engineering, Matt Ryan Promoted in June 2023 4  Planning Commission Annual Meeting January 3, 2024 Purpose As required by City Code Section 286-602, the Planning Commission is required to develop, adopt, and maintain rules of procedure that govern its operation. The purpose of the annual meeting is to elect a chairman and vice-chairman, appoint a secretary to serve the Planning Commission, adopt the rules of procedure (“by-laws”), review the previous year’s activity, and forward the annual report to the City Council. Overview Attached to this memorandum are the following documents that need Planning Commission action: • Appointment of Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary • Rules of Procedure proposed for adoption • 2023 PC Annual Report • Proposed Planning Commission Meeting Schedule for the Next 12 Months Appointment of positions Chairman Harston and Vice Chairman Schiff have informed the Planning Commission that neither is interested in serving another term and would like other commissioners to assume the Chairman and Vice-Chairman positions. The duties of these officers are listed in the Planning Commission Rules of Procedure. Officers shall serve from January 1 to December 31 and shall be eligible for reelection. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman to be elected cannot be a member of City Council, the Board of Zoning Appeals, or the City Manager per the Rules of Procedure, Section 3.3. Director Joseph Carter Jr. served as the Secretary of the Planning Commission. Typically, the Director of Community Development and Planning serves as the Planning Commission Secretary. Rules of Procedure The attached Rules of Procedure reflect the changes adopted at the December 6, 2023 Planning Commission meeting. Page 1 of 2 Annual Report In 2023, the Planning Commission considered six (6) resolutions that includes a special use permit, the proposed FY2024-2028 Capital Improvements Plan, a rezoning, a change to the City’s Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map, an amendment to the Floodplain Overlay District regulations, and an amendment to the City Code for the establishment of a Short-Term Rental use. Four (4) resolutions were approved and two (2) were not, which are PC Resolution No. 23- 03 and PC Resolution No. 23-04 regarding the rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment for 105 Norfolk Avenue. All resolutions approved by the Planning Commission were subsequently approved by City Council. The applications for 105 Norfolk Avenue have been deferred by the applicant until further notice; therefore, these applications have yet to be forwarded to City Council. The Planning Commission did not consider any preliminary subdivision plats. The Planning Commission considered three (3) preliminary plans of development. The Planning Commission is required to forward an Annual Report to City Council; therefore, the Planning Commission must take action and vote to forward this item as presented or with any changes made. Meeting Schedule Staff proposes the meeting dates included in the attached Planning Commission meeting calendar. Planning Commission may also adopt meeting days different from those proposed. Staff recommends the Commissioners bring a personal calendar to the meeting, or notate which days they are not available to attend a Planning Commission meeting for any potential discussion. The meeting calendar has all meetings taking place on the first Tuesday of the month with the exception of meetings that would be held on or adjacent to national holidays or city events. The meetings for the months of August, September, November and December are proposed to be held on the first Wednesday of the month due to National Night Out, Labor Day, Election Day, and the City’s Christmas Parade, respectively. As part of the Planning Commission’s adoption of the schedule of meeting days, the Planning Commission must also establish a meeting time. This past year the Planning Commission has met at 6 PM. Staff is proposing to maintain the 6 PM meeting time. Recommendation Staff recommends the Planning Commission elect a Commissioner to the Chairman and Vice- Chairman positions, adopt the Rules of Procedure as presented, appoint Director Joseph Carter Jr. as Secretary to the Planning Commission, and approve the meeting days and meeting time included in the Planning Commission Meeting Schedule for Year 2024 and the 2025 Annual Meeting. Staff is available to answer any questions on this item. Page 2 of 2  COLONIAL HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION RULES OF PROCEDURE Article 1 – Objective of the Commission 1.1 The official title of this Commission shall be the Colonial Heights Planning Commission. 1.2 The objective of this Commission shall be to discharge those duties assigned to it pursuant to the Code of Virginia and the Code of the City of Colonial Heights, including those duties specified in the City’s Charter, so as to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Colonial Heights, Virginia. Article 2 – Duties of the Commission 2.1 The Commission shall have the following duties: a) To draft and submit to City Council a Master or Comprehensive Plan, and any amendments thereto, which shall show the Commission’s recommendation for land use, community facilities and transportation within the city; (b) To make recommendations to the City Council for the preservation of historical landmarks; for the design, location, removal, relocation and alteration of statuary or other works of art which are or may become the property of the City; and to consider and suggest the design of bridges, viaducts, airports, stadia, arenas, swimming pools, street fixtures and other public structures and appurtenances; (c) To prepare and revise annually as required, a program of capital improvement projects and proposed funding for the ensuing five (5) years. Such program shall meet the requirements set forth in Section 17.8 of the City Charter and shall be delivered to the City Manager; (d) To prepare and submit to Council any suggested changes to the City Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 286 of the City Code), including its recommendations regarding the rezoning of property, that Council may request or that conditions may warrant; (e) To act as the subdivision platting agent for the City of Colonial Heights in accordance with the provisions of Section 17.29 of the City Charter;  (f) To present to Council an annual report setting forth the Commission’s activities; and (g) To perform any other duty prescribed by the Code of Virginia or the City Code (including the City Charter), or properly assigned to it by Council. Article 3 – Membership and Composition 3.1 The Colonial Heights Planning Commission shall consist of seven (7) voting members who shall be appointed by Council. 3.2 In addition to seven (7) voting members appointed by Council, the City Manager or his designee shall be a non-voting member. 3.3 The composition of the Commission shall meet the following criteria: (a) one (1) member shall be a member of the City Council and shall serve for a term coincident with his term on the Council; (b) one (1) member shall be a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals for a term coincident with his term on the Board; (c) one (1) member shall be the City Manager or his designee; and (d) five (5) members shall be qualified voters of the City who serve for a four (4) year term beginning the January 1 following appointment, and continuing to December 31 four years later. 3.4 Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled for unexpired portions of terms. Article 4 – Appointments and Election of Officers 4.1 In January of each year the Commission shall annually elect a Chairman and Vice- Chairman from among the citizen members of the Commission as provided in Section 3.3(d). Such officers shall serve from January 1 to December 31 and shall be eligible for reelection. 4.2 The Commission shall annually appoint a Secretary, who may be a City employee. 4.3 The Commission shall appoint one (1) member to the Advisory Board of Recreation and Parks for a two (2) year term beginning September 1. 4.4 Vacancies in any elected office or appointment shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term. Article 5 – Duties of Officers 5.1 The Chairman shall: (a) preside at all meetings; (b) appoint all committee chairmen and members; (c) rule upon all points of order of procedure (subject to reversal by two-thirds majority of Commission members); (d) receive, report upon, or arrange for a report upon all official communications by the next regular meeting; (e) act as an ex-officio member of all committees; (f) ensure preparation of the annual report; and (g) assume any other appropriate duties. 5.2 The Vice-Chairman shall: (a) assume the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Chairman in cases of that individual’s absence or inability to act; and (b) assume any other appropriate duties. 5.3 The Secretary shall:  (a) record the minutes of all business transacted by the Commission and maintain a record of all actions; (b) notify all members in writing of all regular and special meetings at least five (5) days prior to the date of such meetings and include the meeting’s agenda and supporting documents with each notice; (c) attend to the correspondence of the Commission; (d) prepare and publish advertisements relating to public hearings; (e) prepare the annual report during the first quarter of the calendar year under the direction of the Chairman; (f) certify any of the Commission’s records; and (g) perform other duties as assigned. Article 6 – Committees 6.1 All committees and committee chairmen shall be appointed by and responsible to the Commission Chairman. 6.2 The Commission shall not have standing Committees. However, after consultation with the Commission members, the Chairman may appoint special committees he deems appropriate. Article 7 – Meetings 7.1 Unless otherwise scheduled, regular meetings of the Commission shall be held on the first Tuesday of every month at 6:00 P.M. Unless exempted by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act or other applicable law, all regular meetings and records of such meetings shall be open to the public. 7.2 The Commission may go into a closed meeting pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. 7.3 Special meetings shall be called in writing by the Chairman or upon the written request of at least two (2) members of the Commission to the Chairman. The written notice for such special meeting shall be provided to each Commission member at least five (5) days prior to the meeting, unless each Commission member signs a written waiver of such five (5) day notice. The notice shall state the time, purpose and location of such special meeting; and the press shall be notified of the meeting at the same time as the Commission members. Matters other than those specified in the notice may be added to the agenda by the majority vote of the entire Commission. 7.4 A majority of the membership of the Commission shall constitute the quorum needed to transact business. 7.5 Commission decisions and recommendations shall be made by majority vote of all members. 7.6 Unless otherwise agreed to by the Commission, voting shall be by roll call, in which case a record of such vote shall be a part of the minutes. 7.7 The agenda for regular meetings shall consist of the following components, except any such components shall be omitted from a meeting agenda if they are not relevant to the meeting: (a) Call to Order (b) Roll Call (c) Approval of Agenda (d) Approval of Minutes (e) Manner of Addressing the Commission Each speaker at Commission meetings shall, in an audible voice for the record, give his name and address and who he is representing if other than himself; and unless the Commission grants further time, shall limit his remarks to 5 minutes per issue. Provided, however, that the main proponent of any application, petition, or plan that is the subject of a Public Hearing shall be allowed to address the Commission for a maximum of 10 minutes, and later in rebuttal for a maximum of 3 minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Chairman and the Commission as a body and not to any member or staff person.  (f) Hearing of Citizens Generally (g) Public Hearings (h) Preliminary Plans of Development and Subdivision Plans (i) Old Business (j) Reports 1. Chairman 2. Director of Planning and Community Development or his designee 3. Representative of the Public Works Department 4. City Manager 5. City Attorney (k) Adjournment Additional items may be added to a regular meeting agenda when appropriate. 7.8 The agenda may be amended to adjust the alignment of the components identified in Section 7.7 or to make additions of other relevant issues, by a majority vote of the membership. 7.9 Applications and petitions: (a) Unless otherwise provided herein, all applications or petitions to be considered by the Commission at its next regular meeting shall be filed with the appropriate City department (as the Commission’s designee) at least 28 calendar days preceding such meeting. Items that have been referred back to the applicant for redesign shall be filed with the appropriate City department at least 21 calendar days preceding the next meeting. (b) Any application or petition to be considered by the Commission shall be deemed to be filed only if it contains all information and includes any applicable fee specified in, and otherwise fully complies with, all applicable provisions of the Code of Virginia and the Code of the City of Colonial Heights. 7.10 No person shall be recognized or allowed to speak as a representative of another person or entity unless the person or entity being represented has filed with the Commission an affidavit giving his consent for such representation on the matter before the Commission. 7.11 Unless specified herein, rules of procedure at Commission meetings shall be decided by consensus. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used to decide any procedural issue not governed by these Rules of Procedure or agreed to by consensus. 7.12 The City Attorney, or in his absence the Director of Planning and Community Development, shall act as the Commission’s Parliamentarian. Article 8 – Public Hearings 8.1 The Commission shall hold advertised public hearings on all proposed ordinances that would change the City Code, all rezoning applications, and other matters that legally require a public hearing. 8.2 The Commission may hold public hearings other than those required by law when such hearings are deemed to be in the best interest of the citizens of Colonial Heights. 8.3 At all public hearings, the main issue shall be summarized by the Chairman or by another person delegated the task by the Chairman. Interested parties shall have the privilege of speaking once on each subject, and each speaker shall be limited to five (5) minutes; except the applicant (or his representative) of the matter that is the subject of the public hearing shall be allowed to speak a second time for five (4) minutes, after all other speakers, solely to rebut or respond to comments made by others during the public hearing. 8.4 The Secretary shall maintain a record of the individuals speaking at public hearings. Article 9 – Certification 9.1 All official papers and plans involving the authority of the Commission shall be signed by the Chairman or Vice-Chairman.  Article 10 – Suspension and Amendments 10.1 Unless inconsistent with law, the Commission may temporarily suspend any of these Rules of Procedure in whole or in part upon a majority vote of the Commission membership. 10.2 These Rules of Procedure may be amended upon a majority vote of the Commission members. Proposed amendments to these “Rules” shall not be adopted without previous notice having been given to Commission members. [Amended December 18, 2023]  City of Colonial Heights Planning Commission Public Meeting Schedule for the Year 2024 and 2025 Annual Meeting All Meetings Begin at 6:00 P.M. Meeting Date Agenda Materials Deadline Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Wednesday, January 3, 2024 Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Tuesday, April 2, 2024 Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Tuesday, May 7, 2024 Tuesday, April 2, 2024 Tuesday, June 4, 2024 Tuesday, May 7, 2024 Tuesday, July 2, 2024 Tuesday, June 4, 2024 Wednesday, August 7, 2024i Tuesday, July 2, 2024 Wednesday, September 4, 2024ii Wednesday, August 7, 2024 Tuesday, October 1, 2024 Wednesday, September 4, 2024 Wednesday, November 6, 2024iii Tuesday, October 1, 2024 Wednesday, December 4, 2024iv Wednesday, November 6, 2024 Tuesday, January 7, 2025 Wednesday, December 4, 2024 i August 6, Tuesday, is National Night Out ii September 3, Tuesday, is the Day after Labor Day iii November 5, Tuesday, is Election Day iv December 3, Tuesday, is Christmas Parade