Rezoning decisions delayed
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Despite delays in its rezoning, the Americana Mobile Home Park on Jefferson Davis Highway is moving ahead with its plans to close so the site can be redeveloped into a mix of housing, shops and light industrial. The Americana project was one of many rezoning cases deferred or remanded by the board of supervisors last week.

With 21 zoning cases on the agenda and four new board members, it wasn't surprising when the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors last week deferred or remanded back to the planning commission most of its major cases.

Roseland

Roseland, the mother of all zoning cases, proposes 5,140 homes, 400 smaller carriage homes and 1.5 million square feet of office and retail on 1,395 acres at the intersection of Route 288 and Woolridge Road.

"It would be our preference to have your approval tonight," partner and engineer Dave Anderson told the board, but he already knew the case would be remanded. Since all of the new board members campaigned in support of responsible growth, it was highly doubtful they would approve the largest residential rezoning in the county's history at their first meeting.

The Cheatham rezoning was deferred for 60 days last week amid concerns over safety at the intersection of Old Hundred Road and Market Square Lane.

"There are issues to be resolved," new Matoaca Supervisor Marleen Durfee said simply.

Many county leaders - including some supervisors - are sympathetic to the rezoning case, feeling that Anderson and partner Casey Sowers have touched all the bases in their development sojourn that began almost four years ago.

Two residents from nearby Charter Colony agreed with the remand to the commission. So far, a few Charter Colony residents have been the only ones to speak out against the proposed development. Their concerns are primarily about the office and retail development that would abut their homes, though that is the part of the rezoning Chesterfield officials seek the most to balance the tax base. At a meeting held late last month, most of the Charter Colony residents present wanted nothing but single-family homes as their neighbors.

A companion case for GBS Holding Ltd. seeking 45 single-family homes on 39 acres off Old Hundred Road was also remanded to the commission.

Otterdale Venture

Otterdale Venture LLC's mixeduse development, located at the intersection of Route 360 and Otterdale Road, has garnered far less support. Durfee also motioned for remanding this case to the commission following a recommendation by the planning staff.

Former Matoaca Supervisor Renny Humphrey tried late last year to push this rezoning through, but then asked for a deferral when she couldn't get a second on a motion for approval.

Otterdale Venture proposes 900,000 square feet of retail development on 107 acres with 642 multifamily units behind it on the remaining 71 acres. The developer has agreed to pay full cash proffers of $10 million on the residential portion, extending water and sewer to the site and road improvements on the westbound side of Route 360.

The size of the retail component is similar to the Watkins Centre project, said the county's Transportation Director John McCracken late last month, but the amount of cash proffers the developer is offering isn't comparable.

There's also a safety issue since Route 360 in that area is hilly with narrow shoulders.

Thanks to a commitment from nearby Magnolia Green, Otterdale Road is scheduled to be widened to four lanes, but McCracken wants more road improvements from Otterdale Venture since the center is expected to generate 29,000 daily vehicle trips.

Another Matoaca rezoning

Durfee also remanded a single-family home development proposed by Doug and Susan Sowers for 52 homes on 26 acres on Otterdale Road north of Genito Road to the commission. Last year, the planning commission recommended denial of the rezoning on a 3-2 vote while the planning staff said the case conformed to the county's comprehensive plan.

The Upper Swift Creek Plan will undoubtedly be revised later this year, possibly putting this case in jeopardy because of higher environmental standards. Its future is also questionable because the board is considering adopting levels of service standards, which might allow residential rezoning cases to be rejected if there's insufficient classroom space or inadequate roads in the vicinity. Levels of service standards are being reviewed by the commission at the request of the board, and several board members have already endorsed the concept.

Cloverleaf Mall

The board also deferred the Cloverleaf Mall rezoning for 30 days, primarily because it's being reviewed again by the commission this week. The joint effort by the county and Crosland gained some new vigor earlier this month when the developer agreed to reduce the amount of residential development from a maximum of 750 homes to 540 and shorten the payback on Community Development Authority funding.

The board held a brief executive session with the county attorney last week to update it on the lawsuit filed by the owner of 43 acres of the mall site. The county is still expected to purchase that land, but the landowner wants more for the property than the county thinks it is worth.

Cheatham rezoning

The other supervisors followed Warren's request for a 60-deferral on rezoning 63.5 acres in the northwest quadrant of routes 288/360 for a mixed-use development by the Cheatham family. Speaking for the Brandermill Community Association, Andrea Epps expressed concerns about traffic safety at the intersection of Old Hundred Road and Market Square Lane and whether the development would be "a truly mixed-use development."

Jefferson Davis redevelopment

The board deferred rezoning for a proposed 191-acre, mixed-use development by Broad Street Partners to redevelop the current site of the Americana Mobile Home Park located one mile south of Route 288 on Jefferson Davis Highway. The commission is hearing this case this week.

Many in the business community are supporting the redevelopment even though tenants living in the 275 mobile homes there would be displaced. The park's owner has placed a large sign on the property advising tenants they have to move by year's end and has offered to pay relocation expenses for tenants under certain conditions.

Approved rezonings

The board unanimously approved:

• A 70-acre rezoning adjacent to the Meadowville Technology Park for office, retail and 400 multifamily units with cash proffers of $62.5 million.

• Rezoning for 2.7 acres on Midlothian Turnpike in the Village of Midlothian for a community business (most likely a drive-in restaurant) where Waldo's Antiques is currently located.

• Rezoning for 52.6 acres on Ridgedale Parkway that backs up to Chippenham Parkway, so the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club can build 5-7 soccer fields, some for year-round use.

• Rezoning for 7.8 acres on Iron Bridge Road next to the Ironbridge Baptist Church for a kid's party facility and a dance school.

• Rezoning for 5.7 acres on Charter Colony Parkway in the Colony Crossing Shopping Center for a veterinary hospital with outside runs.

• Rezoning the former K-Mart location on Jefferson Davis Highway just north of Chippenham Parkway for a multiuse business center. "If every case was this simple," commented Bermuda Supervisor Dorothy Jaeckle, "everyone would want to be a supervisor."

• A 62.5-square-foot computer-controlled variable message sign to be placed in front of Mt. Gilead Gospel International Ministries on Mt. Gilead Boulevard.