Magnolia Green to begin development
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

The largest planned community in the Richmond metro-Magnolia Green with potentially 4,886 homes-has filed a revision of its phase one site plan for 686 singlefamily homes on 315 acres. Located off Route 360 about five miles west of Route 288, the developer plans to begin clearing land for Magnolia Green by the end of the year.

Lifestyle Homes of Norfolk, operating as Magnolia Green Development, LLC, is developing the lower half of the 3,892 acres. Initially, access to phase one will be from Woolridge Road, which will be extended into the development at its intersection with Otterdale Road. An entrance off Route 360 is planned to open in late 2007.

Area residents are concerned about safety since Woolridge and Otterdale roads are two-lane roads each with drainage ditches on either side. West of Woodlake, Route 360 is hilly, making commuting more difficult. Traffic counts are among the highest in Chesterfield on Route 360 from Woodlake to Route 288.

The rezoning for Magnolia Green was approved in 1991 and requires a cash proffer of $2,800 per home. The county's current maximum proffer is $15,600.

"We have all kinds of proffers that we are obliged to do," said Operations Manager Steven Valdivieso. They include significant road improvements at the intersection of Woolridge and Otterdale roads and a 1,000-foot turn lane off Route 360.

Lifestyle will have to extend water and sewer about a mile along Woolridge Road and 1.5 miles along Route 360 to reach Magnolia Green. The rezoning requires public sewer and water.

The rezoning also pledges land for the right-of-way of a possible extension of the Powhite Parkway, plus sites set aside for "an elementary school, fire station and other public facilities." The upper half of Magnolia Green, owned by another developer, must donate sites for a middle and high school and right-of-way for the Powhite Parkway. Most of the residential lots are on property owned by Lifestyle, and no development on the northern half of Magnolia Green is currently anticipated.

Valdivieso said initial wetlands permits for the entrance of Woolridge Road have been secured from the Army Corps of Engineers while other permits for phase one have been applied for. Most of the development drains to the Swift Creek Reservoir, and Lifestyle must participate in a BMP (ponds that collect runoff) plan to protect the reservoir.

According to Valdivieso, a condominium project will be built at the Route 360 entrance. Planning for phase two is underway. The planned community will open a "signature golf course" in 2009.

Background

Almost five and a half years ago, Sal Cangiano, a developer who resides in northern Virginia, owned all 3,892 acres of Magnolia Green. A third-generation developer, his companies have built numerous commercial, industrial and residential developments. He

told local residents at a community meeting in May 2001, home construction would begin the following spring. But nothing happened.

For all of Magnolia Green, the current zoning calls for 48,552 square feet of retail, 32,910 square feet of office and 320,000 square feet of office warehouse space.

Lifestyle agreed to purchase 1,898 acres of Magnolia Green for $39 million. When Cangiano reneged on the contract, Lifestyle sued in Chesterfield Circuit Court and won. During the testimony, it was revealed that Cangiano had received a higher offer of over $50 million. Cangiano appealed the suit, but eventually lost in the Virginia Supreme Court, which ruled Cangiano had to pay Lifestyle's legal fees.

If and when the Powhite Parkway is extended to Route 360 near Grange Hall Elementary School, there has been talk that a regional mall might be built there. In 2001, Matoaca Supervisor Renny Humphrey wanted to reduce the number of multifamily homes permitted in Magnolia Green-currently 1,446-in exchange for more retail and office zoning.

A couple of years ago, two private companies expressed interest in extending the Powhite Parkway to Route 360 as a toll road. But both firms have withdrawn their proposals. In area rezonings over the years, Chesterfield has been accepting land for the right-of-way of the Powhite Parkway as a future limited access, four-lane, divided highway.