Former county administrator lauds supervisors’ approval of new development
It was refreshing to read that the Board of Supervisors approved the proposed new development on the former Murray Cider Farm property on Cloverdale Road (U.S. Alt. 220). The Harvest at Blue Ridge, by developers Dale Wilkinson and David Spigle, is one of the best rezoning proposals that I have seen in my 37-year local government career and in the now 11 years of my retirement. It is perfectly suited to the property, creative in its design and thoughtful in recognizing that Botetourt County is worthy of well-planned development. The development team did their research and sought community input for well over a year and deserve our appreciation.
What their project is not is a typical, overly dense, simplistic project designed to maximize developer profit such has been the case with recently approved multi-family projects in Botetourt County. These types of developments are typically seen in rapidly suburbanizing communities and come with significant costs (school enrollment pressures, need for additional public safety resources, traffic, demand for recreational facilities, etc.) that offset many if not most of the new revenues that are touted by their developers and proponents. The Planning Commission and most importantly the Board of Supervisors should be completely informed of these costs prior to voting on any new proposed development.
Each property and its subsequent development becomes part of Botetourt County’s identity. Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Spigle have clearly shown that they care about that. To demonstrate examples where that was not a concern one only has to look at the projects I alluded to earlier. The one proposal that was fortunately withdrawn due to community opposition, a 300-unit apartment complex in the heart of Daleville most clearly represents what should not be approved by the Board of Supervisors if it wants to continue Botetourt’s unique identity as a desirable community in which to live, work and enjoy its many assets.
Gerald Burgess
Botetourt County Administrator, 1992-2012