GRANVILLE — An area developer proposed changes to Granville’s zoning ordinance at this week’s Planning Commission meeting.
Jason Donahue, of FEOH Realty, proposed review and possible action, including changing setbacks for building fronts, parking lot requirements and other items.
Among the suggestions:
- Front yard setback for buildings be reduced from 50 feet to 25 feet
- Orientation of buildings be changed
Plans were presented to the commission, in which Donahue proposes a planned building not facing Town Centre Drive in the University Town Centre. This is a building that would be constructed on a portion of Walmart’s parking lot.
Jesse Richardson, lead land-use attorney at the WVU College of Law, said if the commission decides to move forward with the amendments, the developer should prepare the language of the amendment.
“It needs to be drafted to the point where Joe Blow can understand it and you don’t have to hire an attorney,” said David Bean, president of the Planning Commission.
Donahue said he would not re-write the ordinance. Rather, he was making a suggestion on what he believed should be changed in the ordinance, and not what was solely pertaining to his project.
“Your development ordinance can be an asset to your community or it can be an obstacle for your community,” he said.
Richardson said if ordinances are changed, they’ll need to be drafted. If amendments are added, they will not only apply to Donahue’s project but all future projects.
Donahue said parking density was the most important element to his project, which would eliminate some parking in Walmart’s lot. He proposed parking be lessened to one parking spot per 250 square feet of retail, one per 300 square feet of office and one per 90 square feet in restaurants.
Bean said some changes would be simple to make, while others would take longer.
The parking amendment will go to public hearing.
“I’ll be honest with you, when you get into this it’s not easy. It’s really complicated and there’s a lot of judgment calls you have to make because you can’t write it perfect for every project no matter how hard you try,” Donahue said.
He thanked the commission for working with him to make his project successful.
After the meeting, Bean said the main thing is the matter of parking, but the other proposals are going to take time.
“We’re gonna have to work on those one at a time and get them all ready and presented at one time,” he said.
“There’s gonna be problems, we know that. Whatever we do now affects everybody in the future, so that’s what we’ve got to worry about,” Bean said. “It’s not just one person or one company that wants to build something.”
- The Town of Granville is looking for two residents willing to serve on the Planning Commission. If interested, contact Latina Mayle at 304-599-5080.
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