Another delay for Courthouse Rd. plan
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Page Dowdy/Chesterfield Observer The Northern Courthouse Road Plan continues to face delays as county leaders wrestle with how much development to allow along the corridor between Midlothian Turnpike and Hull Street Road.

A land use plan that will govern future development along Courthouse Road is still influx amid claims of politics playing.

The Chesterfield Planning Commission will wait until May to see if the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is able to review the proposed Northern Courthouse Road Plan that covers Courthouse Road from just south of Midlothian Turnpike to Hull Street Road. If not, commissioners will vote on the plan and pass it along to the county board for consideration.

Development of the land use plan began almost four years ago. Both sides believe politics has been a factor in why it's taken so long to update the plan.

A commission majority - Russ Gulley (Clover Hill District), Dan Gecker (Midlothian) and Wayne Bass (Matoaca) - accept the plan as currently written while Jack Wilson (Bermuda) and Sherman Litton (Dale) think the 4-6 lane road should have more commercial and office uses and the plan is too specific in its detail.

Gulley and Gecker believe a majority of the Board of Supervisors is going to add more commercial development to the plan regardless of the commission's recommendation.

At issue are two plans - one developed by the county's planning department, which called for more commercial development, and a revision by Gulley. He made significant revisions to the planning department's original plan, and since that time, his plan has been the focus of discussion. Gulley represents the district that includes Courthouse Road and also lives in the corridor.

His plan was presented during the commission's public hearing on the matter last week. During the public hearing, resident Andrea Epps called for both plans to be discussed. After the public hearing was closed, Gulley said the public was aware of both plans. Near the end of the meeting during the general public comment period, Epps again spoke on the matter, insisting that only Gulley's plan had been heard by the public. When Gulley tried to interrupt her, she told him, "These are my three minutes, Mr. Gulley."

Gecker didn't rule her out of order even though the rules for the general public comment period specify that agenda items cannot be discussed.

When the area plan was last revised during the 1980s, Courthouse Road was a two-lane road but now serves as a major north-south artery between Midlothian Turnpike and Hull Street Road. Through the years, a number of homes have lost much of their front yards as the road was widened. Despite that, many of the properties that front on Courthouse are still residential. But, according to speakers at last week's public hearing, some of those single-family homes have been abandoned, and others have become rental properties.

Some business leaders have complained about revisions to the planning department's original plan. Bob Shrum, head of the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce's Government Relations Committee, said the widened road should contain more commercial development for nearby homeowners. Currently, most Courthouse Road corridor residents drive to Midlothian Turnpike or Hull Street Road to shop.

Tyler Craddock, spokesperson for the Home Building Association of Richmond, called for higher densities along Lucks Lane because of access to nearby jobs and Route 288. "Commercial usually allows for multifamily but not in this plan," noted Commissioner Litton.

Craddock also objected to forcing property owners at the intersection of Courthouse and Reams roads to join forces in order to develop their properties commercially. "This is bad precedent and should be abandoned," Craddock said.

The president of the Courthouse Road Association, Dr. Mike McQuade, agreed, estimating that 50 or more property owners would have to be involved to develop that site.

Land use attorney Jim Theobald, who represents a 7-11 convenience store nearby, said, "Aggregation [of the properties] is not appropriate." Gulley's version "requires" aggregation while the planning department's "encourages" it.

Because of safety concerns, Chesterfield Transportation Director John McCracken called for lower intensity development near Courthouse and Reams. VDOT has reported significantly higher accident rates and fatalities on Courthouse Road, which surprised McCracken.

Gulley has warned about the lack of vehicular line-of-sight at the Reams Road intersection.

During three previous community meetings, area residents urged no more commercial development, saying Courthouse already has too much traffic congestion. Backups occur nightly at Courthouse and Hull Street roads as commuters return home.

Stonehenge President Mark Alonzi echoed the call for no more development in the corridor.

Traffic was also a concern for Bernard Schmelz, president of the Mansfield Homeowners Association, but he also wants to curtail development because it increases the amount of runoff into the association's pond.

McCracken is doubtful VDOT will find the time to review the plan by May. Gecker said he favors pressing ahead at the May commission meeting if VDOT has not weighed in.