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Government
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Real Estate Tax Rate Likely To Increase Slightly In Harrisonburg |
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 The City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are going through their annual budget process and while Rockingham County has proposed a budget that does not include any changes to the real estate tax rate, the City of Harrisonburg's proposed budget for next fiscal year requires a $0.01 increase in the real estate tax rate. Read more about the City's forthcoming budget via... | |
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The Two Things We Might Mean By Affordable Housing |
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 "We need more affordable housing in our area." I hear it regularly, and perhaps you do as well. But I think it's worth pointing out that when people say this they might mean two very different things... When talking within the context of folks buying homes -- "affordable housing" often means homes in a price range that makes them affordable for first time buyers in our market. That could mean "under $150K" for some folks, or even "under $200K" in some situations. But wait -- is a home that can be purchased for $145K (for example) an affordable housing option for everybody living in our community? Nope! Not at all. There are plenty of folks who can't afford the accompanying monthly payment, or don't have a downpayment, or don't have money for closing costs, or who wouldn't have savings if a home repair became necessary in the first year or two of homeownership. So, it seems there is another thing we might mean when we say we need "affordable housing" in our community - and that would be rental properties with a low enough monthly rental rate to be feasible for low income earners in our area to still have decent housing options. I think it is important for elected officials and other City and County staff to be thinking about how decisions that are made and policies that are set can encourage the development of affordable housing - but we'll need to make sure we're all on the same page about what kind of affordable housing we're encouraging - and perhaps they need to be two completely separate priorities. Encouraging the development of affordable housing for renters and affordable housing for buyers -- for lack of any better way to express it. Anyone have other thoughts on how to best describe or name these types of housing and the need for them in our community? | |
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67 Four Bedroom Townhouses on Lucy Drive Instead of 107 Apartments, Retail, and Office Space? |
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 The owner of two parcels on Lucy Drive applied for a rezoning in mid-2018 to allow for a mixed use development that was to include (4) three to four level buildings with retail and offices on the first level and apartments on the upper levels. The (107) proposed apartments were intended to be (57) four-bedroom apartments, (37) three-bedroom apartments, (10) two-bedroom apartments and (3) one-bedroom apartments. That proposal was denied by City Council after 90 people showed up in opposition to the project. Now, the owners/developers are back with a new proposal -- 67 four bedroom townhouses.  Here's the full packet of information that will be considered by the Harrisonburg Planning Commission this evening, Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 PM. This property is zoned R-3, which allows for townhouses to be built -- but the zoning ordinance requires that each townhouse lot have frontage on a public street, and the owner is applying for a variance to allow 32 of the planned 67 townhouses to not have frontage on a public street. Basically, if all townhouses need to have frontage on a public street, they could only build half as many townhouses. If the City allows them to have a private street for access to the townhouses they can build many more (67?) townhouses on the same amount of acreage. In the information packet linked above you'll note that City staff points out that there have been quite a few townhouse developments approved in the past 20 years with private streets -- but almost all of those variances that were granted were for subdivisions that were conforming to the Comprehensive Plan's Land Use Guide and planned densities - while this land is intended (per the Comprehensive Plan) for "limited commercial use". Bottom line - City staff is recommending that the request for the variance (and thus the preliminary subdivision plat) be denied. If the Planning Commission makes a decision as to a recommendation to City Council at the meeting this evening, this proposal will then go before City Council on April 9 -- without a public hearing, since it is a request for a variance, not a rezoning. Read the Daily News Record article (from yesterday) about this topic here. | |
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What To Do If A Rezoning Sign Shows Up Next To Your House |
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 OK. Let's brainstorm...
Yeah, probably none of those. Now, some real suggestions...
City of Harrisonburg Planning Commission website: Rockingham County Planning Commission website: | |
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Rezoning Requested For 86 Condos on Boyers Road |
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 Randy Cosner (Cosner Investments, LLC) is requesting the rezoning of 5.9 acres of a 10 acre parcel on Boyers Road to allow for 86 condominiums to be built. The property is currently zoned A2, and the proposed zoning is Planned Multi-Family. This would allow for 86 condos with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms, for a total of 186 bedrooms in four separate buildings surrounding common areas. The full rezoning request can be found here. Here's what the proposed site plan would look like...  Per the rezoning application, the development would be called Locust Grove Village and would "provide a unique living opportunity for those inclined toward the beneficial aspects of community and socialization in a rural setting." Here is a rendering of what the buildings might look like...  A few details from the developer's narrative include... "Specifically, Locust Grove Village will house no more than 86 individual condominiums containing a mixture of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units. Units will be clustered into four buildings of 20-22 units apiece, with a majority of these units having a ‘townhouse' style and appearance. Building ‘corners' will be comprised of six condominium units served by a common entry and stairwell. Each pair of buildings will encircle a central green, with each townhouse-style condo having direct access through their own private courtyard. Half of the corner units will have balconies/courtyards that face the common green (interior), while the other half will face the exterior." "The central greens will be improved with tasteful landscaping (mixture of trees and shrubbery), paved walkways, a central gazebo, charcoal grills, and benches, intended to promote resident interaction and sense of community. If desired by residents, allowances will be made for community gardens, to be maintained by the residents themselves, and thereby promoting a sense of pride and ownership within the community. Pedestrian connectivity between the greens will be provided through walkways and a mid-block crosswalk through the parking area." "In sum, Locust Grove Village is intended to serve a growing desirability for attractive, communal living opportunities within a rural setting. Through emphasis of common areas and promotion of interaction between residents, Locust Grove Village will position itself as the premier condominium-based community within Rockingham County." The Rockingham County Planning Commission reviewed this rezoning request at their January 2019 meeting. Their main concerns, per the minutes, seemed to be:
The rezoning request was unanimously tabled at the Planning Commission meeting. We'll have to wait and see if the request will be reviewed and discussed again, but at this point these condos "might be" built -- because the rezoning has not yet been approved. | |
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Making Harrisonburg A Place Young Alums Can Call Home For Decades |
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 I recently lamented that most new housing that is being built is student housing or rentals -- as opposed to homes that can be purchased by homeowners. And the "why" is because of the highest and best use for development land... "So long as there are student housing, rental housing or mixed use developers willing to buy land at a high price/acre AND/OR as long as owners of development land are willing to hold out for that high price/acre -- then land is not likely to be sold to developers or builders at a price/acre that would allow them to build homes for buyers to buy." Katherine took it one step further (thanks Katherine!) to draw home the "so what" of my observation... "Students are a lucrative and seemingly inexhaustible market, but it's short-sighted not to give some thought to how we can keep more young alumni in the community after graduation. Attractive, affordable starter homes are a piece of this puzzle, as are businesses and services geared toward professionals rather than college students. (And good jobs are, too, of course.) Excessive catering to the student population will make Harrisonburg a town people "remember fondly," not one they call home for decades." I agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment -- I want Harrisonburg to be a town that young alums can call home for decades. As Katherine points out, this is not just about housing - but housing is certainly a big part of it. It is not immediately clear what this could / should mean for the City of Harrisonburg -- but I do think we could look back 10 years from now and lament the fact that there weren't enough new developments built to allow for young alums to settle into jobs, buy their first home, and start establishing this as their home for decades. | |
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Harrisonburg, The City With The Planned Future, Plans Their Future |
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 City Council members and top City administrators and planners invested time in planning a future for the City of Harrisonburg at a three day retreat last weekend, with an eye towards Harrisonburg 20 years from now -- in 2039. That vision includes establishing Harrisonburg as the "capital of the Shenandoah Valley". Extensive conversations took place about education (including the new high school) and a comprehensive housing plan (including affordable housing and homelessness). Read much, much more about the retreat, conversations, outcomes and priorities over at The Citizen... If you care about the future of the City of Harrisonburg, read the article above, and give some thought to how you can be an active part of making the future of Harrisonburg brighter. | |
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The Latest on Possible Harrisonburg Short Term Rental Regulations |
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 As reported in last week's Daily News Record, the City of Harrisonburg is continuing to discuss if they should try to better regulate short term rentals and if so, how. The lay of the land in Harrisonburg currently seems to be...
And so, the discussions continue -- and are likely to continue to continue -- as there does not seem to be a neat and tidy, balanced solution to this issue. Maybe there will be new regulations in 2019 that will allow or prohibit or limit or regulate short term rentals. Or, maybe, the zoning ordinance will remain the same, it will be illegal to rent all or part of your home out on a site like airbnb.com and some property owners will do it anyhow. | |
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Owners, Operators of Short Term Residential Rentals in Rockingham County to Pay Transient Occupancy Tax |
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 If you are renting part or all of your Rockingham County home out on AirBNB you will need to start collecting and paying a transient occupancy tax of 5% of the gross rent starting January 1, 2019. Read on from yesterday's update from Rockingham County... ### NOTICE TO ALL OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF SHORT TERM RESIDENTIAL RENTALS LOCATED IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY Beginning January 1, 2019, all owners of residential properties located in Rockingham County, Virginia, who rent all or any portion of a residential property for not more than 30 consecutive days must collect from the tenant the transient occupancy tax of 5% of the gross rent and remit the tax collected to the Commissioner of the Revenue for Rockingham County. The tax must be collected at the time of rental, and the remittance is made quarterly with the filing of a return. Owners and operators of short term rental properties should contact the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue of Rockingham County for more details and information. 540-564- 3073. ### A short term rental is defined here as being a rental period of less than 30 days. | |
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How To Appeal The Assessed Value of Your Home in Rockingham County |
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 Do you live in Rockingham County, and is your home's assessed value too high -- causing you to pay more real estate taxes than you think you should be paying? If so, now is the time to appeal that assessment. The Board of Equalization of Real Estate Assessments is meeting over the next month and you can make your case for having the assessed value of your home adjusted. Here are the dates of the hearings, each being from 9AM - 12PM:
Call 540-564-5079 to schedule a time and date for a hearing with the Board of Equalization. Of note -- in my experience, most assessed values in Rockingham County are not higher than market value. | |
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Harrisonburg City Council Considering Regulating Short Term Rentals |
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 Do you have an opinion on whether short term rentals (such as via AirBNB) should be permitted and/or regulated in the City of Harrisonburg? If so, you should show up on Tuesday, September 11th for the public hearing on the topic. More from today's Daily News Record article...
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How Are Your City of Harrisonburg Tax Dollars Spent? |
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 I found the infographic above to be helpful. The largest portions of our local tax dollars are being spent on Education, Public Safety and Public Works! If you found the above interesting, you'll likely enjoy reading the entire (8 page) "Budget in Brief" developed by the City of Harrisonburg this year, with a high level analysis of the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget for the City of Harrisonburg. Click below to download the report.  | |
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Land for New High School Was To Be Student Housing, then Convocation Center |
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 Have you heard Harrisonburg needs a second high school? The current (only) high school in the City is beyond capacity. As such, the City has been evaluated various pieces of land to find a suitable new site for the new high school -- and now they have made a decision. Background... Owners of median priced City homes might have to pay $26 more per month to fund new City high school So, back to the location... The parcel of land shown above is 60 acres located between South Main Street (Route 11) and Interstate 81. The City intends to purchase this land for five million dollars from JMU. But JMU has actually owned it for a few years. You see, this land was actually originally slated to be used for college student housing! More background... So... the land was originally going to house 466 apartments for college students...  And then it was to be the site of JMU's new convocation center...  And now, the site of Harrisonburg's second high school. Read today's Daily News Record article for further context... | |
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220 Detached Homes, 175 Duplexes, 225 Townhouses To Be Built in County? |
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 Two rezoning proposals are going before the Rockingham County Planning Commission this week.... 54 Acres on Island Ford Road in McGahesyville (shown above)
Update after Planning Commission meeting.... Island Ford Road rezoning recommended by Planning Commission "In other business, the commission unanimously recommended approval of Gary Sandridge's request to rezone 54 acres on Island Ford Road in McGaheysville from agricultural use to planned single family. Sandridge plans to build 220 units that would connect to the existing Whispering Springs subdivision, which is at the intersection of Island Ford Road and McGaheysville Road." Pear Street rezoning tabled by Planning Commission "Commissioners Brent Trumbo, Rodney Burkholder and Keith Sheets voted to table the request. Commissioner Bill Loomis, who raised concerns over the density of the project and its compatibility with planned development in the city, abstained from voting. Commissioner David Rees was absent." Read more here.... County Planning Commission Tables Housing Request | |
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2018-19 Rockingham County Budget Reflects No Change in Real Estate Tax Rate |
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 The budget shown above is the proposed budget for 2018-19 in Rockingham County, VA. This reflects no change in the real estate tax rate -- it would remain at $0.74 per $100 of assessed value -- though the tax revenue will increase due to increases in assessed values.  Interestingly (above) the real estate tax rate in the County has been above $0.70 before -- between 2000 and 2005 -- and at that time it was well above the City's real estate tax rate! Stay tuned for news of changes in the City real estate tax rate.... | |
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City Council to Examine Plan to Build Downtown Park |
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 Harrisonburg City Council has agreed to further explore an unsolicited proposal to build a downtown park from Build Our Park, a community-led nonprofit organization committed to facilitating the creation of a public park in downtown Harrisonburg. Full disclosure - I serve on the board of Build Our Park.  This new downtown park would be built on 1.2 acres of City-owned property directly adjacent to the Harrisonburg Farmers Market pavilion and the City Hall Building parking lot, featuring amenities including:
During the next 45 days, City staff will review the proposed project and can receive additional competing proposals for building this downtown park. After 45 days, the City will decide to either proceed with the second review stage or to not proceed further with the proposal. If the City ultimately decides to work with Build Our Park on the project, they will enter into a comprehensive agreement where details will be determined regarding potential bonds, insurance, and terms and conditions. A group of Harrisonburg stakeholders formed in 2013 with the goal of facilitating the creation of a public park in downtown Harrisonburg. Originally known as Plan Our Park, the group rebranded and formed the nonprofit organization Build Our Park. In 2017, in order to balance parking needs and the desire for a community recreation amenity, the City directed Build Our Park to redesign its park concept to fit in the space behind City Hall between the Turner Pavilion and the tree line south of the Pavilion. Local architects who are members of the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance Design Committee, Adam Steiniger of Eugene Stoltzfus Architects and Randy Seitz of Blue Ridge Architects, volunteered to create the final concept design plan that the PPEA proposes. The Build Our Park Board of Directors has been working with City staff to plan the park's new design and would continue to work with them to plan the park's construction as well as on-going maintenance and operations. During this process, fundraising for the park has been on hold. On April 18, the organization looks forward to restarting its fund- raising effort in conjunction with The Community Foundation's Great Community Give. The Great Community Give is a single day of giving aimed at promoting charitable giving in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Through this initiative, the entire community will be invited to support Build Our Park and other nonprofits that meet needs, enrich lives, and build a community we can all enjoy. As Harrisonburg's downtown continues its reemergence as a dynamic environment in which to live, work, eat and shop, the thoughts of many have turned to the need for more public green space for gathering in the City's core. The downtown park's concept features a multi-use path, expanded pavilion, open space, play area designed to resemble nature, pergolas for shade, and splash fountains. It will incorporate the area adjacent to the Turner Pavilion that currently is used for community programming and events. The park would be designed to be flexible to accommodate a growing farmers market, public events, community gatherings, and wellness. Learn more about this potential future downtown park at BuildOurPark.org. | |
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Increasing Home Values Can Lead To Increased Real Estate Taxes |
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 It's exciting if your home value is increasing, right? Well -- mostly, it seems. Certainly, if you bought your home for $250K and it is now worth $260K or $270K or even $300K -- that can be a good thing. At some point in the future, you'll recoup that equity when you sell your home -- plus or minus any shifts in value between now and then. But in the near-term, increasing home values can actually hurt a bit. The amount of real estate taxes that a homeowner pays to their locality (city, county) are based on two factors -- the assessed value of the home, and the local real estate tax rate. In Rockingham County, the current real estate tax rate is $0.74 per $100 of assessed value....  Tomorrow, the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to receive input before adopting a real estate tax rate for fiscal year 2019 -- which runs from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. But here's the thing -- even if the tax rate remains the same (at $0.74) there are many homeowners who will see an increase in their real estate taxes -- because of increases in home values, and thus increases in assessed values. Rockingham County revises their property assessments once every four years -- and the most recent increase resulted in a 2% increase in the assessed value of an average home. This is good news for the County, as the increase in property values, even with no change in the real estate tax rate, will likely generate over $2 million in additional tax revenue. It is sort of good news for County property owners -- because it means your property value is (likely) increasing -- but it is also potentially bad news, as your tax bill will likely be increasing. To put some numbers to it:
And -- you can both celebrate and mourn the news that property values are increasing, and that your real estate tax bill likely will be as well. | |
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Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to Exit 245 Interchange |
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 The northbound off-ramp from Interstate 81, at Exit 245, might change in the near (?) future -- based on a proposed realignment of the exit ramp with Forest Hill Road. Do you have an opinion on this proposed change? Do you have questions? Be sure to attend the public hearing.... Design Public Hearing Wednesday, February 28, 2018 from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM City Council Chambers (409 S Main St, H'burg) This will be an open-house style public hearing where citizens are invited to learn about, ask questions, and provide feedback on plans to realign the northbound off-ramp to intersect Port Republic Road directly across from the Forest Hill Road intersection. In the case of inclement weather, the public hearing will be rescheduled for March 8, 2018 at the same time and place. Learn more about this project on the City's website here. Here is an illustration of the proposed realignment....  | |
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Updated City GIS Mapping System |
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 The City of Harrisonburg just launched an updated GIS system, and it's worth checking out the next time you are trying to explore a property in the City of Harrisonburg. One of my favorite parts of the new GIS system is that it is mobile-friendly and you can explore property data much more easily from your phone or tablet. Here is the GIS system: http://www.HarrisonburgVA.gov/GIS Here is the update from the City.... The City of Harrisonburg's Geographic Information System (GIS) recently improved its mapping system and GIS viewer online to allow for more capabilities. The City's GIS technology combines layers of information to give the public a better understanding of a specific area. Different layers of information can be combined to tell a story about that piece of property. Some layers include streets, public facilities, parks, property lines, and city limits. Information about specific parcels of property is also available through the GIS system. The improvements to the City's GIS system have enabled it to be more user friendly and responsive, which allows it to work on a desktop computer or smartphone. When the data and maps are updated, it will be reflected online almost immediately. "The GIS system is a resource that holds a wealth of information, which is free and accessible to the public," explained Nate Rexrode, GIS Administrator. "We encourage members of the public to take a look at the site and utilize the information that is available to them." Property owners are encouraged to visit the GIS site for zoning information, acreage, voting and school districts, and data specifically involving their property. This site is also beneficial for realtors, surveyors, engineers, planners, and those who often research property-related information. | |
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Owners of median priced City homes might have to pay $26 more per month to fund new City high school |
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 Numbers are funny. All of these statements are true based on current projections:
I'm guessing that if you ask most parents of school aged kids in the City if they'd be willing to pay $26 per month such that their child would not be in an overcrowded, not-so-ideal, learning environment for high school, they'd likely be quick to say yes. That said, this $26 per month increase would need to be paid for 25 years -- but for a parent of a child in the school system, I'm guessing that would still seem to be a reasonable cost. I'm also guessing that City property owners who do not have children in the local school system would LOVE for their property taxes to NOT increase. And I'll even go a step further -- I am guessing that they don't really want school aged children to have an overcrowded, not-so-ideal, learning environment -- it's probably just more about the increased tax burden. Anyhow. Numbers are funny. Read today's Daily News Record article, and feel free to form your own opinions. There seem to be plenty of them circulating through our community about this topic. :) | |
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Scott Rogers
Funkhouser Real
Estate Group
540-578-0102
scott@funkhousergroup.com
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