The Hickory Grove MX/B-2 rezoning application continues to be a tangled mess. Citizens and three Planning Commissioners have serious doubts regarding this development.

The mixed use development proposes 79,000+ sq. ft. of commercial and retail, including a 2800 sq. ft. fast food restaurant, a 5600 sq. ft. convenience store with 16 fueling stations, two restaurants of 4000 sq. ft. and 7000 sq. ft. and two-story office buildings.

The integrity of the applicant’s traffic study raises alarming concerns about road improvements and cash proffer computations. Hickory Grove would add approximately 7000 vehicle trips per day on an already overburdened Rte 54. Another 33,000 trips would be added if East Ashland is built.

Other unresolved issues still remain regarding this project:

• Obliteration of the suburban-rural transition, destroying scenic rural beauty on the Rte 54 Ashland to Hanover Courthouse corridor;
• Environmental degradation of site preparation: timbering, scraping and compaction adding more impervious surface and removing green space;
• Rerouting of historic Providence Church Road, further chipping away at Hanover history
• Gridlock, noise, light pollution and trash for the adjacent neighborhoods: Jamestown Road, Woodside Estates, Providence, Burleigh Drive and Rte 54.

To read and sign the petition, please go to:

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keep-hanover-rural-protect-scenic-rte-54

The Hickory Grove MX/B-2 application goes to a Board of Supervisors’ public hearing November 18, 7:00 p.m. in the County Administration Boardroom.

Let your voice be heard. Contact your Supervisor at:

https://www.hanovercounty.gov/427/Board-of-Supervisors

Refuse to allow your quality of life to be compromised.

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For citizens who live in the Ashland to Hanover Courthouse corridor and enjoy its quiet rural beauty, the proposed Hickory Grove Mixed Use/B-2 residential, business and commercial development threatens to destroy a beautiful gateway to one of Hanover’s agricultural and historic areas.

For the B-2 commercial parcel the application proposes a 2800 s.f. fast food restaurant, a 5600 s.f.convenience store with 16 fueling stations and two (2) restaurants of 4000 s.f. and 7000 s.f. each. 

This development on the 51.5-acre parcel at the corner of Providence Church Road and Rte 54 is completely incompatible with the area’s rural character.

Many issues and concerns have arisen regarding this proposed development. They include:

• Traffic, Traffic, Traffic on Under-capacity Roads

Hickory Grove will add more than 7120 vehicle trips/day. Worse, 6170 of those trips will result from the commercial development.

East Ashland, a development approved in 2010 but not yet built (across Rte 54), is projected to add over 33,000 daily vehicle trips.

More residential is slated behind Woodside Estates and between Woodside and Providence neighborhoods.

To date, an inaccurate Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) ignores East Ashland’s traffic impacts, and the County underestimates developer road cash contributions. Taxpayers will face underfunded, under capacity roads.

It all spells gridlock and noise for Rte 54 area neighborhoods: Jamestown Road, Woodside Estates, Providence and Burleigh Drive.

• Commercial development abutting agricultural land and creating a “hard edge” with no transition between suburban and rural; 
• Site prep = scraping, timbering and compaction adding more impervious surface and creating stormwater runoff issues and loss of green space;
• A minimum of 79,517 s.f. of commercial and retail space allowed under the master plan, “Anywhere, USA,” adjacent to single family, semi-rural land uses;
• Destroyed natural beauty on Rte 54, a gateway corridor linking historic Ashland and Hanover Courthouse districts through rural countryside;
• Rerouting of historic Providence Church Road, further chipping away Hanover history.

Many areas of Hanover County are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from “Anywhere, USA” development. This portion so near the I-95 interchange could also be a casualty. Citizens: let your voice be heard. Refuse to allow poor planning to destroy your quality of life.

Contact your Supervisors:

https://www.hanovercounty.gov/427/Board-of-Supervisors

Contact your Planning Commissioners:

https://www.hanovercounty.gov/444/Planning-Commission

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing for the Hickory Grove case Thursday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the County Administration boardroom.

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Despite over a year of work by County and applicant to get the Hickory Grove MX/B-2 rezoning application palatable, the case returns for a public hearing (after a 30-day deferral) before the Planning Commission Thursday, October 15, 7:00 p.m. in the County Administration boardroom.

The 51-acre tract at the intersection of Rte 54 and Providence Church Road east of Ashland is an unacceptable site for the massive Mixed Use/B-2 project of 100 townhomes and approximately 79,000 square feet of commercial space. Massive traffic increase on an under capacity Rte 54, increased noise, light pollution and a destroyed scenic rural view will be the fallout of this proposed development.

The traffic increase alone is a huge problem. Hickory Grove will add more than 7120 daily vehicle trips to an under capacity Rte 54. Moreover, the Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) being put forth by County and applicant grossly miscalculates the daily vehicle trips by failing to include East Ashland (approved in 2010, yet unbuilt), which would contribute more than 33,000 daily vehicle trips. Per VDOT guidelines, approved unbuilt development needs to be factored in on traffic counts.

Under capacity and underfunded roads paint a grim picture. The County needs good data upon which to calculate applicant’s road cash proffers. The data is currently flawed.

For a detailed analysis, see Bob Nelson’s most recent analysis.

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