Holly Hills developer attempts another rezoning

The developer of Holly Hills Carriage homes in Williamsburg is resubmitting a rezoning proposal to the Williamsburg Planning Commision at their February 14, 2018 meeting. At the Jan Planning Commision meeting residents of the adjacent Holly Hills Carriage Homes townhomes voiced their heated opposition to the proposed Holly Hills Villas based on objections to rental apartments, traffic concerns and the appearance of the apartment buildings.

Although the applicant respectfully disagrees with the notion that renters cannot be good neighbors, it no longer intends to proceed with a rental apartment building plan. The proposed condition ensures that such a plan cannot proceed. The applicant instead envisions a townhome project consistent with the attached plan (subject, of course, to the subdivision and site plan approval
process). The townhomes will be owned in fee simple, and governed by a homeowner’s association.

The developer shared that the architectural details of the Holly Hills Townhomes and the materials used in their construction will be of high quality, will be compatible with and compliment the Holly Hills Carriage Homes, and will be subject to rigorous scrutiny under the City’s Corridor Protection District guidelines. Compared to the previously-proposed Villas, the revised Holly Hills Townhomes plan presents buildings that are greatly reduced in mass. The Property is subject to a large setback screening it from the view of vehicles passing by on Rt. 199. The Property is not visible from the majority of the Holly Hills Carriage Home units.

The developer feels that current resident’s traffic concerns are unwarranted. According to him, The Holly Hills stoplight configuration was designed with the future build out of the Property in mind. The entrance to the proposed Holly Hills Townhomes is located such that no traffic entering the townhome project will pass by any unit in Holly Hills Carriage Homes. An analysis by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.  projects additional vehicle traffic at a rate far below the threshold for concern

The new proposal requests to rezone approximately 6.84 acres at 200 Brookwood Drive (southeast corner of Route 199 and  Brookwood Drive) from RM-1 Multifamily Dwelling District Conditional with proffers to Multifamily Dwelling District to RM-2
Conditional with amended proffers.

The homeowners of the adjacent Holly Hills Carriage homes have once again rallied against this proposal with almost 100% coming out against the rezoning.

read Holly Hills opposition letters here

The applicant proposes the following conditions and proffers in exchange for the requested rezoning:

  1. Density: There shall be no more than fifty (50) dwelling units developed on the
    Property.
  2. Uses: The uses permitted on the Property shall include all of the uses permitted by Section 21-212 of Article III, Division 5 of the current Zoning Ordinance except the use described at Section 21-212(3) which is multifamily dwellings (apartments & condominiums).
  3. Cash Contribution for Sidewalk: Owner shall make a cash contribution of sixty-thousand dollars ($60,000.00) for construction of the sidewalk completed by the City which now provides pedestrian access from Brookwood Drive to Jamestown Road. The cash payment shall be made within 30 days of the issuance of a Land Disturbing Permit for improvements shown on the subdivision plan for
    development on the Property approved by the City.
    The applicant has provided a revised narrative, illustration of a townhome layout, traffic and utility analysis and proffers which are attached. The townhome layout is an illustration and has not been submitted for review by staff.

The rezoning of the property to RM-2 conditional with a density of 10.4 dwelling units/net acre is not in character with surrounding properties. Surrounding properties in this area of the City have the following densities:

Holly Hills Carriage Homes – duplexes – 5.3 units/acre
Holly Hills (Phase 1) – sfr – 0.84 units/acre
The Woods – sfr – 0.59 units/acre
Yorkshire – sfr – 0.66 units/acre
Village Green – condo’s – 6.81 units/acre
Woodlands Condominiums – condo’s – 7.58 units/acre
Two properties across Route 199 in the City have higher densities which are Peppertree Condominiums at 16.26 units/acre and Jamestown Commons at 21.81 units/acre.

Williamsburg Planning Staff recommends that Planning Commission recommend to City Council that the request to rezone 200 Brookwood Drive be denied, because it does not comply with the 2013 Comprehensive Plan which recommends Medium Density Multi Family with a density of 8 dwelling units/net acre for this property and the proposed density of up to 10.4 dwelling units/net acre is not in accord with the 2013 Comprehensive Plan and the applicant previously volunteered a density of 20 units for the property which has been accepted by the City.

Want to go:

Planning Commission

 Date:02/14/2018 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Planning Commission Meetings are broadcast and streamed live on Channel 48 and the City website.  Agendas and video are available online.

Check out more information about the Holly Hills Carriage Homes community here!

Homes for sale at Holly Hills Carriage Homes!

 

Psst, I’m a real estate agent.

This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of the Williamsburg/ Hampton Roads area and his expertise helping buyers and sellers in the local real estate market.

If you are a homeowner searching for someone innovative to sell your home I would love to share my thoughts on marketing. You can read some of the stories I have written about the homes I have sold here.

Additionally, I have helped hundreds of folks find their dream home/ community and would love to help you find yours in Williamsburg, Yorktown, New Kent, VA Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight Poquoson as well as Richmond.

You can reach me by phone at 757-254-8136 or email  [email protected]

I look forward to serving your real estate needs!

Best,

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