The Botetourt Planning Commission will hear three land use requests when it meets Monday, Oct. 10 in Fincastle, and will take comments on a number of proposed changes to the county zoning ordinance that include adding a new rural residential district, a new high density residential district, making changes to the R-3 Residential District and renaming all of the residential districts

Among the rezoning requests is one from the Charlottesville-based Martlet LLC that will use changes to the zoning ordinance— if approved— to ask to rezone 17.82 acres in Botetourt Commons and for a special exceptions permit (SEP) to build up to 18 multi-family dwellings per acre on that property.

Martlet LLC is asking to rezone two parcels at the end of Botetourt Commons Parkway in Daleville from Shopping Center (SC) Use District and Agricultural (A-1) Use District to the proposed new High Density Residential (R-4) Use District.

The company is also asking for a SEP that will allow the company to build up to 18 multi-family dwellings per acre, also a provision in the proposed new zoning district.

The parcels join Carrington Place and borders property owned by the Appalachian Trail that passes through that area of Daleville and the rail spur that goes to Roanoke Cement Co.

Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church of Roanoke is requesting a change of proffers for a parcel on northbound Cloverdale Road at the Autumnwood Lane intersection. The property is zoned Business (B-2) and proffered conditions limit the uses of the property to office, retail and family day care homes.

The church proposes to change the proffers to include church and day care center as permitted uses.

Eric A. and Elaine M. Daniels are requesting a special exception permit to construct a second accessory building in the Residential Use (R-1) District on 1.2456 acres at 840 Catawba Road, Daleville. The request also requires the administrative vacation of an interior lot line on the property.

The recommendations for the zoning ordinance changes came from the Board of Supervisors earlier this year after dealing with rezoning requests on Catawba Road in Daleville and next to Ashley Plantation off US 220 north of Daleville.

A housing study that says the county lacks enough “affordable housing” followed the county’s success in landing Eldor Corp., Ballast Point Brewery and the Virginia Community College System combined services center.

The proposed zoning ordinance changes are expected to allow the county and developers more options than are available under the existing residential zoning districts.

The Planning Commission will hear comments and consider whether to recommend changes to the zoning ordinance’s General Provisions that would allow more than one principal use per lot.

The proposal also adds Agricultural Rural Residential (AR) District and High Density Residential (R-4) District to the zoning ordinance, and proposing renaming R-1 to Low Density Residential, R-2 to Low-Medium Density Residential and R-3 to Medium Density Residential.

The proposed changes also include adding commercial stables as Stable, Commercial as a use by-right rather than a use permitted only by special exception to the Agriculture (A-1) and Forest Conservation (FC) Districts.

The proposed changes also makes recommendations to change lot widths, some setbacks, accessory building conditions, maximum heights for certain districts.

The biggest adjustments come in the R-3 and new R-4 (new medium and high density districts).

The changes proposed for R-3 are the “to reflect that this district is generally intended to apply to land designated in the comprehensive plan as being planned for medium, rather than high, density residential uses.” The change will eliminate the single-family attached and multi-family dwellings as a permitted uses while adjusting other provisions in the district requirements to accommodate those changes.

The new High Density Residential District (R-4) is designed to create a “new high density district with the purpose of providing residential opportunities at a higher density than the R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts.”

Permitted residential uses are single-family attached dwellings up to 6 units per net acre, and multi-family units up to 8 dwelling units per net acre and group homes.

The district will allow more density with a special exceptions permit (SEP)— single family attached dwellings up to 12 units per net acre and multi-family up to 24 units per acre, nursing homes and life care facilities.

The new district language also includes restrictions on lot size, dwelling heights, common space, etc.

The proposed changes also make some revisions to a few definitions in the zoning ordinance. Those deal with net lot area devoted to public or private street rights-of-way, common or natural open space.

The Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. in the Old General District Courtroom.

The commission will make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, who are scheduled to hold public hearings on the requests at its meeting October 24 at Greenfield Education and Training Center.