Applications for Luck Farm Market, proposed for Ashland, and Summerlyn, age-restricted apartments in Hanover County, go to public hearings September 20 and 28, respectively. Read on . . .

Luck Farm Market: commercial concept poor fit with residential area

Applications to develop a farmers market-style grocery store and restaurant exceeding 2500 square feet will be the subject of an Ashland Town Council public hearing Tuesday, September 20, 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall.

This application wad (CPA2022-03, REZ22-0414, ORD 2022-04, CUP 22-0627A, CUP22-0627B) to shoehorn Luck Farm Market into 3.6 acres at the Town boundary would inappropriately site commercial development and poses serious issues:

• commercial development out of synch with the surrounding single family residences;

• compromised rural transition and character;

• additional light, noise, traffic and trash;

• loss of green space and addition of impervious surface.

Citizens repeatedly cite rural character as a vital component for good quality of life in Hanover. Retro-cramming a commercial node into this green residential area misses the mark.

Density calculations big issue in Summerlyn application

Applicant 7147 Mechanicsville Turnpike, LLC (REZ2022-00010) seeks to rezone 6.5 acres from B-1 Neighborhood Business to RM, Multi-Family Residential on the south side of Route 360 east of the Meadow Drive intersection.

The proposed zoning amendment for “Summerlyn” would permit construction of 144 age-restricted apartments. The development would provide “cross access” to Cambridge Square Apartments by sharing an internal road. 

In order to stay within RM density guidelines (8-15 dwelling units per acre), applicant is calculating based on the combination of the already completed, bond-released Cambridge Square Apartments and the Summerlyn application. The resulting gross density is 13.4 units per acre.

Got that? Cambridge Square is a completed apartment development. It cannot simply transfer density to a parcel it does not own. 

Furthermore, Cambridge complied with the Resource Protection Area (RPA) guideline by subtracting non-developable acreage from its density calculation. Even if both Cambridge and Summerlyn acreages are combined, the RPA is still in effect and results in 16.9 dwelling units/acre. Bad math. Out of compliance. Period.

Go here to read the position paper.

The case goes to a public hearing before the Supervisors at their Wednesday, September 28 meeting, 6:00 p.m., in the County Administration Boardroom.

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