Commission votes down Greenacres rezoning again
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

It's been four months since the Chesterfield Planning Commission turned down the Greenacres rezoning, but a second vote taken last week was a little closer - 3-2 against. Commissioners Wayne Bass (Matoaca), Dan Gecker (Midlothian) and Russ Gulley (Clover Hill) were the majority while Commissioners Jack Wilson (Bermuda) and Sherman Litton (Dale) favored the rezoning. In January, Wilson and Litton had abstained, believing the case could be put in better form before being sent to the county supervisors for a decision, while the majority voted against.

The first application asked for 53 acres to be rezoned from agriculture to residential for 24 homes south of the Donegal Glen community and east of Brandy Oaks neighborhood. But the new case voted on last week added an adjacent 250 acres that had been rezoned residential in 1990. The county board had remanded the first application back to the commission for more review.

Development attorney Carrie Coyner stated the number of residential lots didn't increase and the roads improved. "It's a much better plan," she said.

"The case [now] provides a lot of benefits that we wouldn't otherwise get," agreed Wilson.

The planning staff recommended approval for both parcels but wanted proffers on the additional 132 homes on the 250-acre parcel, which the applicant didn't proffer. Planning staff acknowledged that the 53-acre rezoning "does not conform" to the comprehensive plan, but said it should be approved because previous similar rezonings had been approved.

That upset Kevin Salminen, candidate for the Republican nomination for supervisor in Matoaca District, who protested that "means the [comprehensive] plan doesn't matter."

Residents of the area have turned out in large numbers to follow the case through its twists and turns. They strongly opposed the rezoning, usually because they didn't want traffic cutting through their established neighborhoods. The case could go before the supervisors next month.

484 new homes are approved

The commission unanimously recommended approval of 484 homes south of the Village at Swift Creek in the Hull Street Road corridor with applicant Robert Sowers paying $7.6 million in proffers that includes schooling for an estimated 257 children at build-out. The county particularly wanted a north-south collector road built connecting Bailey Bridge Road by extending Holly View Parkway to Brad McNeer Parkway. The developer will pay for the two-lane extension through the 220-acre development and a traffic light at Brad McNeer Parkway, if approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Condos, cluster homes and single-family residences are anticipated. If approved by the board, the development requires recreational or open space in the condo and cluster home communities. The planning staff also recommended approval of the rezoning.

Future homes denied

A request by Doug Sowers to rezone 89 acres for 178 single-family homes at the intersection of County Line and Mt. Hermon roads was denied on a 4-1 vote with Litton opposing.

The current Upper Swift Creek Plan suggests the site should be zoned residential with two dwellings per acre, but the staff report recommended denial, saying "the proposed plan recommended by the planning department suggests that development in this area be deferred."

"A [new] comprehensive plan has not yet been adopted," objected development attorney Jim Theobald. The developer would pay $2.7 million in proffers.

Asked when water and sewer might be available in that area, Randy Phelps, senior engineer with the county utilities department, estimated 5-10 years, adding, "There is no reasonable chance that building would occur [there] in the next 5-10 years." The rezoning requires homes be connected for county water and sewer.

During the public hearing, area residents opposed the rezoning, calling County Line Road "narrow and dangerous." Two speakers cited examples of slow response times by EMS vehicles because of the distance, and others worried about more residential growth in an area that drains to the Swift Creek Reservoir.

"This is not the right time or the right development," concluded Marleen Durfee, an Independent candidate for Matoaca supervisor.