City Will Discuss Blayton Building, Village of Woodshire Apartments

City Will Discuss Blayton Building, Village of Woodshire Apartments

By Amber Lester Kennedy Wednesday, March 09, 2011

A site plan for the renovated Blayton Building shows walking trails and a pond.

The Williamsburg City Council will consider applying for grant funding to pay for the redevelopment of the Blayton Building at its Thursday meeting.

The city hopes to secure $9-$9.5 million to redevelop the Blayton Building, a home for the city’s elderly and disabled, into a larger complex offering 92 rooms, walking grounds and a man-made pond. The project will provide much-needed housing; the city’s Housing Authority has a waiting list of 300 names for its public housing.

Before the project can move forward, the city has to apply for funds, and Council will decide Thursday whether to pass a resolution to apply for a $472,710 Community Development Block Grant administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

The CDBG funds would be used for the relocation of the existing storm sewer, construction of a new storm drainage system, construction of a new parking lot and construction of the courtyard, landscaping, storm water retention pond and lighting. The CDBG application requires the city host a public hearing, which will be at council’s meeting Thursday. The city plans to submit the application at the end of March.

The CDBG funding is one of four identified sources of money. For the project to happen, the city must also obtain funds from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, the city and the Williamsburg Redevelopment Housing Authority. Learn more about the project here.

Council will also host public hearings on a proposal to add the Village of Woodshire Apartments to the city’s rental inspection program, and a proposal to amend the text of the Zoning Ordinance to revise provisions relating to Chesapeake Bay preservation.

The city established its rental inspection program in 1994 in an effort to ensure rental apartments or homes are safe for residents. The city’s Codes Compliance Division is concerned about the 288 apartments in the Village of Woodshire complex on Merrimac Trail. The city received 70 complaints about the complex in 2010, compared to 11 in 2006. Follow-up inspections have also increased from 28 in 2006 to 199 in 2010. The complaints have included roof leaks (in some cases leading to ceiling collapses), sewer back-ups, non-functioning heating and cooling, gas leaks and flooding. In addition, 10 units were condemned in August and September 2010 because of sewer backups and roof leaks.

If the complex is added to the Rental Inspection Program, Codes Compliance staff will inspect 10 percent of the units. If no violations are found, a 48-month certificate of compliance will be issued to the complex. If violations are found, a certificate cannot be issued until the violations are corrected. If a 48-month certificate of compliance is issued and subsequent violations are discovered, the certificate may be revoked and the complex would be required to schedule annual inspections. Read more about the proposal here.

The zoning changes were based on discussions with the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Division, which helps localities subject to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and Management Regulations. The changes deal with minor site plan submittal requirements, such as changes to the location of building setback lines and landscape plan requirements. The changes can be read here.

Council will meet at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Stryker Building.

Comments

+6 #6 Guest 2011-03-09 21:15

Taxpayer,

I can agree with you sir or ma'am that the city tends to waste tax dollars. However, Woodhsire is not section 8. You have your information wrong. Now, thats not to say Woodshire isn't a dump, because it is. Not only are the buildings falling apart, but it is riddled with crime and gang members. Regardless, it is not section 8. Section 8 housing in Williamsburg seem like a high income area when compared to Woodshire.

Now if you want to talk about waste... Lets look at this ridiculous upgrade for the city hall. Tons of money dumped into a "going green" project just to get a headline on CNN or to be politically correct.

In addition, the school system (which I realize is James City/Williamsbu rg) got rid of James Blair middle school and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace said middle school with an "administrative center." Now, officials are learning (OH, WE NEED ANOTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL)... Really? Why did you get rid of the first one?

I have no issues with the Blayton Building. There is a demand for an upgrade and our senior citizens need something better than the dump they are currently in.

Maybe if we stop building useless parking garages, "green" city halls, and tearing down then rebuilding needed middle schools; then money could go to things like public safety, education, ederly care, and social services.

But hey, as long as the "administrators " have cushy "green" office spaces then thats all that matters...

Whew... I feel better.

Quote

-3 #5 Guest 2011-03-09 11:44

The apartments mentioned are section 8 apartments. Anon needs to do its research before calling names and belittling people.

Quote

+6 #4 Guest 2011-03-09 09:32

Did you even read half of this article, "taxpayer"? The housing being inspected is a private, for profit apartment complex. Completely seperate from the Blayton building, which is a public complex. While there is certainly room to argue that the Blayton Building is a waste of taxpayer funds and prime city real estate, this is a completely seperate issue from the rental inspections.

They should have a literacy test sufficient to bar folks like you from posting. What sort of highly charged/caffein ated ideology are you hopped up on anyway? Too much tea, per chance? Whatever it is, layoff for a while if you want to be taken seriously...

Quoting Taxpayer:

I want the city to pay my housepayment. I guess 10% of the units getting inspected is a hard task for our great city workers. I know they have other things to do. If these people are living on my tax dollar why can't the city inspect them all, every month and toss out the violaters? This is such a waste of our tax dollars. These people should have planned to retire, instead they want someone else to take care of them. Where is their family, their church, or the non government funded organizations?

Quote

-11 #3 Guest 2011-03-09 08:48

Thats the idea if I let it get run down and I section 8 the place. I am GARUNTEED a check for each family form the city. YOUR TAX DOLLARS.

Quote

+12 #2 Guest 2011-03-09 08:38

I remember when these apartments were first built, and they were very nice. My sister, a twenty-somethin g at the time, lived there for a while. The location is great, and the site is lovely, but apparently over the years, the maintenance has been neglected. Shame on the owners. This could be a premier housing area. There are many nice families who live there. I see the kids waiting for and getting off the bus. Instaed, the owners have allowed this development to become run down, and the lower rental prices attract less than acceptable neighbors. I hope the city does what it takes to get the Village of Woodshire into compliance.

Quote

-14 #1 Guest 2011-03-09 08:09

I want the city to pay my housepayment. I guess 10% of the units getting inspected is a hard task for our great city workers. I know they have other things to do. If these people are living on my tax dollar why can't the city inspect them all, every month and toss out the violaters? This is such a waste of our tax dollars. These people should have planned to retire, instead they want someone else to take care of them. Where is their family, their church, or the non government funded organizations?

Quote

Refresh comments list

Add comment

WYDaily invites you to join the community conversation. We expect civil discourse here. Personal attacks on others, indecent language and bad manners in general are unwelcome.

JComments