The Botetourt Planning Commission voted three times Monday night before getting a motion to pass related to a rezoning request for a proposed 170-lot development on Greenfield Street in Daleville.

The commissioners finally agreed 4-0-1 to send a “no recommendation” to the Board of Supervisors on VJL LLC’s and Courtland Meadow LLC’s request to rezone 78.95 acres from Agriculture A-1 to Residential R-3 Medium Density for the zero-lot line, single-family home development.

The Planning Commission did recommend 3-1 that the Board of Supervisors approve a commission permit to build public roads in the proposed development.

The sticking point seemed to be the number of lots— not only for the commission but also for the 60 or so area residents who showed up at Monday night’s public hearing on the rezoning request.

The Planning Commission received 29 letters in opposition to the R-3 rezoning, and nine spoke during Monday night’s public hearing in Fincastle, all opposed to the rezoning.

Still, the Planning Commission failed to pass Commissioner Hiawatha Nicely’s motion to recommend denying the rezoning. It failed 1-3. Planning Commission member Bill Thurman recused himself from the matter because of business ties.

After that vote, the Old General District Courtroom essentially cleared out.

Then Zoning Administrator Nicole Pendleton and County Attorney Michael Lockaby conferred and told the commissioners they needed a motion that passed to send on to the Board of Supervisors who will make the final decision on the rezoning request.

Commission Chair Sam Foster made the motion to recommend approving the rezoning, but that failed 2-2 with John Griffin and Foster voting for that motion. Nicely and Steve Kidd voted against it, with Kidd acknowledging that his earlier statement that this was “the toughest” rezoning he’s dealt with.

That was followed by Kidd’s motion to make no recommendation to the supervisors.

In several instances, the area residents who spoke against the proposed R-3 zoning were concerned about the density and the expected addition of 1,800 vehicle trips a day on Greenfield Street.

“The density and the type of homes being proposed are not compatible with what you have when you drive through Ashley Plantation,” Arnold Adkins told the Planning Commission.

Ali Kahn told the Planning Commission that the density proposed would affect the day-to-day lives of those living in the area, would affect the property values, make Greenfield Street unsafe, create already challenging water supply and pressure issues for some and create school density concerns.

Others suggested a development with larger lots and 70 or 80 homes would be more compatible.

Brad Gilbert told the commissioners Runk & Pratt Healthcare Enterprises Inc., which recently acquired Ashley Plantation Country Club and 70 acres of real estate, has plans for a retirement center off Greenfield Street as well. “Where’s that traffic going?” he asked.

Developer Brian McCahill told the commissioners that his team looked at the neighborhood and felt the property should be developed as single-family homes, and that’s the proposal he made, and offered three proffers: that the homes would be single-family detached, that the property would be substantially in conformity to the development pattern submitted in a concept plan and there would be a maximum of 170 lots.

He said the density would equate to 2.2 homes per acre, and in answer to a question, said he expected the home values to range from $250,000 to $350,000, and it would be run by a homeowners association.

He said the residents in opposition to the development represented a minority of people in the county.

Robert Fralin told the commissioners that the developers felt adding home similar to what’s already in Ashley Plantation would saturate the market with the same product, and may reduce the value of homes there.

Commissioner John Griffin said he felt the project is compatible with the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which has the area designated as medium density.

Kidd said he was on the fence. “It’s one of the tougher decisions I’ve had to make,” he said, noting that both the developer and neighbors made good points.

Foster noted, too, there were good arguments “on both sides.”

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposal when it meets July 24 at 6 p.m. at Greenfield Education and Training Center.

Other Business

• A request by Edna S. and Lewis P. Sifford for a special exception permit (SEP) for a special events facility did not have to go to public hearing, according to the Planning and Zoning office.

The Siffords were proposing an events center that would host weddings, receptions, reunions, corporate gatherings, etc. in an outdoor setting on 16.82 acres in the Agricultural (A-1) Use District at 11570 Lee Highway (US 11) on the northeast corner of the Lee Highway/Blue Ridge Turnpike intersection. After further review, a determination was made that public hearings were not necessary because the requested use falls under Virginia’s agri-tourism exceptions.

• The commissioners tabled a decision on a request from Frank L. and Patricia Bramlett to amend proffered conditions for a vehicle repair business on US 460 at Coyner Springs. The commissioners asked for a site plan for the proposal to drop and/or change proffers for the property.
• The commissioners recommended approving an amendment to the county’s Comprehensive Plan land use map to show the location of the new Colonial Elementary School in Blue Ridge.
• Another scheduled public hearing on a request by RYT LLC, owned by Robert L. Young, to rezone .885 acre on two 1-acre lots from Industrial (M-2) Use to the Business (B-3) was withdrawn. RYT LLC wants to construct a new building and maintain existing towing operations at 14760 Lee Highway (US 11) at the northeast corner of the Hardbarger Road south of Buchanan. The property currently has split zoning.