Augusta budget public hearing, Waynesboro parking guidelines to change: THE AGENDA

Lyra Bordelon, Staunton News Leader
·7 min read

Augusta supervisors hold public hearing on budget

VERONA – The Augusta County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget and its $12 million real estate tax increase on Wednesday at the Government Center in Verona.

The new tax rate will not be higher than 52 cents per $100 of assessed real estate value. Though this number sounds lower than the current tax rate, 63 cents per $100, it’s actually an increase.

Keeping the county revenue neutral with the increased assessments, turns the current 63 cents per $100 into an equalized rate of 42 cents per $100 – different percentages, same revenue, same amount of taxes paid by the homeowners as the previous year.

The new 52 cents per $100 tax rate was calculated by adding 10 cents to the equalized rate of 42 cents per $100. Each cent in the tax rate, as of the new assessments, represents $1.2 million in revenue for the county. The 10 cent increase results in a clean $12 million increase.

The increase is not due to the 2024 real estate reassessment, which found values went up 54% on average, but funding for the new Augusta County Courthouse, new employees in fire and rescue, and the increased cost of staffing. The proposed budget also includes body cameras for the Augusta County Sheriff's Office.

The county recently expanded tax relief for elderly and disabled residents.

Waynesboro to update zoning code around parking

WAYNESBORO – Waynesboro City Council will consider four zoning ordinance changes during the April 22 meeting. Public hearings were held for each during the council's last meeting on April 8. The code changes include:

  • Townhouses in Waynesboro require two parking spaces per unit. Previously, driveways were not allowed to be counted towards this requirement, but the first ordinance change is now permitting driveways be included in the count. According to the presentation, the intent was encouraging townhouses build parking behind the building, but the city has backed away from this policy. The change also requires townhouses to have an additional guest parking space for every two townhouses.

  • The second ordinance changes parking lot landscaping requirements. Previously, the amendment required a Class C buffer, which must be 20 feet wide, and have a certain amount of plants per 100 linear feet. The change allows parking areas adjacent to residentially-zoned property to only have a wall, fence, or berm, removing the plant requirements.

  • The third ordinance deals with accessory structure limitations. Previously, the code prohibited only "accessory buildings" from being built too close to the primary structure or property line. The change extends the prohibition to "structures," such as pools. Fences and signs are not considered structures.

  • The final ordinance changes the definition of temporary structures. Now if a building stands for over 179 days, rather than the previous 180, it is a temporary structure. The change brings Waynesboro in alignment with the state's building code.

CAPSAW needs assessment highlights need for more affordable housing

VERONA – The Community Action Partnership Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro (CAPSAW) will consider its community action plan for the upcoming year, a breakdown of where it will invest resources.

The discussion will be informed by the Needs Assessment Prioritization, which breaks down what poverty looks like in the SAW area. The assessment looks at housing, early childhood schooling, high school graduation rates, mental health, transportation, child care, and other factors affecting local families.

As an example, the assessment explains 25% of the over 50,000 households in the area live in cost-burdened households. These families have to spent over 30% or more of their total household income on their mortgage or rent. How much of the population is cost burdened ranges between localities; 20.95% in Augusta County, 28.94% in Staunton, and 34.12% in Waynesboro.

The number gets worse when looking at rentals. Severely cost burdened households spend "more than 50%" of their income on rental costs. Of rental households, 49.23% in Augusta County, 66.14% in Staunton, and 69.98% in Waynesboro are severely cost burdened. Averaging the three locations, about 60% of all renters are spending more than 50% of their household income on rental costs.

According to the report, 22% of residents reported they were "sometimes," "usually," or "always" worried or stressed about having enough money to pay their rent or mortgage. It is higher among renters (41%) than homeowners (15%).

The entire assessment is available in the CAPSAW agenda packet.

Waynesboro Planning Commission considers demolition projects

WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro Planning Commission will hold public hearings on the following requests:

  • William K. Cromwell requested a certificate of appropriateness to demolish a contributing structure in the Tree Streets Historic District. The structure is a small shed in the rear of the property located at 677 Walnut Avenue.

  • Tracy Straight, Executive Director of the Wayne Theatre Alliance, Inc., requested a certificate of appropriateness to demolish a contributing structure in the Downtown Historic District. The structure is located at 539 W. Main Street.

  • Melvin L. Garrison, III, agent for the Kenneth Cook Revocable Trust, owner, requested a conditional use permit request by to allow for townhouses in the H-B (Highway Business) District at 0 King Avenue.

Airport commission to hold closed sessions

WEYERS CAVE – The Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission will review finances and hold two closed sessions during the Wednesday meeting.

The first closed session will deal with "discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose or of the disposition of public held real property." The second will consider a prospective business or the expansion of an existing business.

Tuesday, April 16

Wednesday, April 17

Thursday, April 18

Monday, April 22

Tuesday, April 23

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Augusta budget public hearing, Waynesboro parking guidelines to change: THE AGENDA