During the February 2 Town Council meeting, the subject of sidewalks in new residential developments came up. This discussion included the town setting the expectation for rezoning and/or subdivision applicants to actually come close to providing up to 10% open space, as allowed by State Code.
Council allowed the Mayor to dodge the discussion by sending it to the Planning Commission. Their assignment was to review existing code and come back with recommendations on how Council could require something that's already on the books -- yet is generally ignored. These are "goals" found in the Christiansburg Comprehensive Plan (not to be confused with oft referenced yet incidental Future Land Use Map). It cannot be stressed enough that Christiansburg's government is not responsible for maximizing a developer's profit margins.
Six months later, related discussions on this subject lead by the Planning Commission have gone completely off into the weeds. This is similar to their impotent response to enforcing nuisance ordinances or establishing a noise ordinance -- something that matters to property owners, especially when Conditional Use Permits are passed out like candy allowing businesses to operate in residential neighborhoods.
The Planning Commission also buried any viable response to protecting the three separate historic districts. Zoning practices today are shifting to "floating overlays". Taking this passive path could have provided access to State or Federal grants for property owners and incentives for investment. Instead, a misinformation campaign convinced some people they would have strangers invading their homes for historic inspections, and a survey was couched with loaded language and sent only to property owners in the existing, encroached districts.
Voters are watching Town Council members, and evaluating whether they are representing citizen's stated desires or completing tasks outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. One recommendation is to stop sending assignments to an understaffed and "any development is good developed" biased Planning Commission as a means to call time-out.
It is ultimately in the hands of elected Town Council members who have the power to vote up-or-down which will allow Christiansburg to live up to the town motto: Progressive small town living at its best. Dodging issues will only ensure less investment and withering real property values while giving these issues lip service during campaigns shows a lack of leadership.