Commission reviews zoning
Senior housing, water quality top the agenda
By Greg Pearson

Turner

The Chesterfield Planning Commission will try to formulate answers to several important issues next week before a final resolution by the Board of Supervisors. Most of the issues will be discussed during a commission work session at 12:30 p.m. on July 18 in Room 502 of the Administration Building.

Age-restricted housing

County planners and the commission favor changes to age-restricted housing, causing developers to pay as much as $5,331 more per unit in proffers. Currently, developers of age-restricted housing do not pay a school proffer because persons age 55 and older usually do not have school-aged children at home.

A buyer of an agerestricted home could unknowingly not be old enough to live there. "I'm concerned about enforcing age-restricted properties-having to tell someone they have to move out because of a zoning violation," says Planning Director Kirk Turner.

"Legally, that's a zoning violation, and in the future there may be wholesale violations because the market can't support all those age-restricted homes," cautioned Planning Commission Chair Jack Wilson.

County leaders and planners have also voiced concerns that some age-restricted housing was inappropriate in locations where retail and medical facilities were not nearby.

The county has routinely not required proffers for homes-mostly multifamily-with two bedrooms or less on the theory that families with children were not likely to move there. "Now, we're asking if that makes sense," explained Wilson

The countywide average is .63 public school-age children per residence, but Wilson questioned that figure since some homes and apartments might be excluded. "You're actually shortchanging the calculation," he said.

Water quality

The commission may decide when a public hearing should be set for meeting water quality standards in the Upper Swift Creek Watershed. Last year, federal officials rejected the county's master Best Management Practices (BMP) plan, saying ponds that collect runoff from development could not be built within existing streams.

"We should require each property owner to achieve water quality standards on his project

Turner or acquire offsite credits to compensate for water quality," says Turner.

Essentially, the county would be returning to having developers ensure water quality standards in northwestern Chesterfield. The county has collected $1.3 million from developers for the master BMP plan, but no decision has been made on whether to refund that money.

Security costs

The commissioners will also discuss a new proffer that could make it more costly to build multifamily rental complexes. Planners are hoping to pass along some of the increased costs of responding to police calls in high density apartment complexes.

Currently, rental complexes on Route 10 near Chippenham Parkway, in the Jefferson Davis corridor and one multifamily development on Harrowgate Road are exceeding what county officials consider to be reasonable.

A certain number of calls could trigger the apartment complex to hire off-duty police officers or provide its own security force.

Alcohol ordinance

The commission will also discuss rewriting an ordinance that prohibits alcohol sold and served within 500 feet of a school. A recent special events zoning case highlighted what Clover Hill Commissioner Russ Gulley called a "loophole" in the current ordinance.

Though the Woodpecker Road site backed up to Matoaca High School, the commissioners said they believed it would be legal for someone renting the premises to obtain an ABC license even though the property owner would be prohibited from serving alcohol.

Most schools are not covered by the ordinance because they were built before the ordinance became law. Wilson, who is an attorney, questioned whether schools should be built within 500 feet of an establishment licensed to serve alcohol.

Courthouse Road plan

The commission is also scheduled to discuss the Northern Courthouse Road Community Plan and decide when to hold community meetings and the first public hearing. The area plan covers both sides of Courthouse Road from just south of Midlothian Turnpike to almost Hull Street Road.

Courthouse Road was mostly a two-lane road when the previous comprehensive plan was approved. The new plan allows for more retail and multifamily development.

Gulley and Midlothian Commissioner Dan Gecker have met with the planning staff, but some differences remain concerning conservation easements and commercial development next to churches. "We're not far off, but it's not where I'd like to be," says Gecker.