In its January 11 meeting the Ashland Planning Commission held the first public hearing for a comprehensive plan amendment, CPA2022-06 Ironhorse Business Park.

Applicant Tradeport Ashland Land LLC is seeking the CPA to change future land use classification on approximately 100 acres from Interstate Commercial, Traditional Neighborhood, Town Edge and Open Space to Interstate Commercial and Industrial.

The new land use classification will lay groundwork for the expected rezoning of the acreage for the massive, warehouse-intense Ironhorse Business Park.

The aggregate of seven (7) parcels sits east of the Ashland I-95 interchange, south along Rte 54. A parcel on the Hanover side of the town-county boundary is also set for development; application has not yet been filed.

Existing zoning is Planned Unit Development, Planned Shopping Center, Highway Commercial and Rural Residential. This zoning dates from 2010 when another applicant was trying to develop the parcel as “East Ashland”.

Existing use of the property is single-family residential, farmland and open space. This is the soft, rural transition that Hanover County residents cite when talking about quality of life. It will go away with the advent of this development.

At the public hearing five Hanover County residents spoke, all of them from the area east of Ashland – Mt. Hermon Road, Providence and Rte 54 corridor. Their concerns included:

•   existing and future traffic on overburdened Rte 54 and adjacent rural roads

•   cut-through truck traffic on Mt. Hermon Road

•   watershed and flooding concerns along Mt. Hermon Road

•   increase in crime with more commercial development

•   hardening and loss of a suburban-rural transition area

•   priorities: pitting locality revenue against quality of life

Ashland Town Council authorized up to 180 days to consider the request. Town and County will hold joint community meetings after application is filed on the Hanover County tract. The traffic study has not yet been reviewed by Ashland Planning staff. Issues abound.

To see materials and maps for the CPA, go here.

Please check the CHF Facebook page regularly for progress and process regarding this proposal, including public hearings, Town and County community meetings, application filings and materials.

Seek out your Planning Commissioners, Town Council members, Supervisors and Planning staffs to contribute your thoughts to the conversation. Click here for contact information.

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