City Council’s chooses Proposal for the City Market Site

City of Charlottesville:

“The City Council selected the Market Plaza proposal submitted by local builder Keith Woodard at a meeting last Monday night [June 16]. A total of four proposals were submitted. Woodard intends to purchase and redevelop a city-owned parking lot into a nine-story building that will have homes, offices and stores. The proposal envisions an L-shaped building with retail frontage on Water Street and Second Street Southwest. The City Market would be held in a half-acre public plaza with enough space for 115 vendor stalls. The building would feature 18,000 square feet of retail space, 58,000 square feet of commercial space and 67 apartment units.”

~Writes Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Residents Campaign Against ‘Concrete Villages’ At Tuscarora Crossing

Loudoun County:

“While Loudoun County planners continue to hammer out the details of the Tuscarora Crossing development plan, nearby residents are making a push for more residential and less commercial uses on the property.

The current plan proposed by Hunter Lee Center calls for a mixed-use development that would include residential and commercial uses on the 250-acre property adjacent to the W&OD Trail and the Kincaid Forest neighborhood southeast of Leesburg. The plan includes 576 single-family attached and detached units as well as a string of commercial units along Crosstrail Boulevard on the east and west side north of the W&OD Trail and on the east side of Crosstrail south of the trail. It is under review by the Loudoun County Planning Commission and will then go to the Board of Supervisors for review.

Mayor Kristen Umstattd and other Leesburg Town Council members are concerned that the application is primarily for residential uses and goes against town and county comprehensive plans that designate the site for business development.”

~Writes April Grant Leesburg Today

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Residents seek to sink lake development

Louisa County:

“Some residents at Lake Anna are hoping the sun will set on a rezoning application for Sunset Coves, which is being marketed as an “aging in place” community that is coming before the Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Monday, May 5.

The applicant, Gary Griffith, wants the county to rezone a 77-acre property adjacent to Maple Springs from its current R-2 zoning to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) so that lot sizes can be reduced to between one-third up to three-quarters of an acre for some parcels.

According to Griffith, the developer, Paul Koenig, is proposing the smaller lot sizes so that houses can be clustered onto half the property near the lake, and maintenance such as grass mowing and snow shoveling can take place with greater ease.

Based on the county’s current zoning regulations, the developer can build by-right 77 homes on the property on one-acre parcels.  But clustering the homes, he said, also allows for 35 acres as parkland, which would include walking trails and wooded acreage.”

~Writes the Central Virginian

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Developers offer to build Boulevard ballpark

City of Richmond:

“A development team has offered to build a new Richmond baseball stadium on North Boulevard without relying on taxpayer dollars, giving city officials a second option that could cause a seismic shift in the long-running ballpark debate. All nine City Council members and the administration of Mayor Dwight C. Jones have been given a general overview of the plan, according to Councilman Jonathan T. Baliles.’From what I have seen, this plan is real, and it’s ready to go save a few minor details,’ said Baliles, 1st District.

He added that he’s not committed to either plan, but said the city should take ‘a good look’ at the privately financed alternative to the mayor’s proposal to build a publicly funded minor league baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom.”

~Writes Graham Moomaw Richmond of the Times-Dispatch

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Restaurant planned for abandoned power plant site

City of Fredericksburg:

“A local businessman plans to transform an abandoned hydroelectric power plant on the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg into a restaurant and build adjacent residential condominiums. Ed Whelan and his family last week bought a riverfront property near the intersection of Caroline and Ford streets where the Virginia Electric and Power Company used to run a hydroelectric plant. Whelan’s family, through a limited liability company called Dreamland, bought the 3.93-acre property from an LLC headed by Hugh Cosner, a former Spotsylvania County supervisor who has owned the property at least in part since 1979 and who had also long envisioned a restaurant in the plant known as the former Embrey Power Station.

Whelan, who owns The Inn at the Olde Silk Mill across Caroline Street from the property, said he started talking to Cosner about buying the property last year. The sales price was $1 million. Whelan plans to turn the long-abandoned, graffiti-covered plant into a multilevel restaurant, perhaps with a rooftop bar and other outdoor seating overlooking the river.”

~ Writes Bill Freehing of the Free Lance–Star

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Hounds hope taxable bonds will help finance stadium at One Loudoun

Loudoun County:

“VIP Sports and Entertainment, the company hoping to bring professional baseball and soccer to Loudoun, wrote to the Economic Development Authority last week asking for a resolution for $55 million in taxable bonds to finance a stadium. Hopes are for the stadium to eventually house the Loudoun Hounds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and Virginia Cavalry FC, of the North American Soccer League.

An inducement resolution shows that an entity like the EDA is willing to issue a bond for projects that would ultimately help the county's economy. Bob Farren, CEO of VIP Sports and Entertainment, hopes the EDA's resolution might mean a financing option with a lower interest rate, making the project cheaper. The EDA does not back the loans or subsidize them with public money. It simply decides if the projects makes sense for the county and writes resolutions.”

~Writes Bob Hancock of the Loudoun Times

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New hotel planned for Emmet Street does not pass design review

Albemarle County:

“Midlothian-based company has filed plans to build a new 87-room Country Inn and Suites hotel on Emmet Street, but their design failed to gain initial approval Tuesday by the Charlottesville Planning Commission. The developer asked for a deferral when it appeared commissioners, acting as the Entrance Corridor Review Board, would not grant a certificate of appropriateness for the design…

Charlottesville Hotel LLC is seeking to build a four-story 52,000 square foot building on land currently occupied by a Days Inn. That business would continue to operate on a smaller scale on the northern section of the property. The adjacent Quality Inn would also continue to operate.

The proposed site plan would remove one existing entrance onto U.S. 29. Staff said that would improve vehicular circulation throughout the entire site. The property is just to the north of the U.S. 250 bypass and is located in one of the city’s entrance corridors. That means the Planning Commission must issue a certificate of appropriateness for new buildings.”

~Writes Sean Tubbs of Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Capital One continues quest to build tallest tower in Tysons

Fairfax County:

“Capital One is advancing plans to build a 470-foot-tall headquarters building, which if approved would become one of the tallest skyscrapers in Tysons Corner. The towering, 975,000-square-foot structure, which would dwarf the banking company’s current 205-foot-tall building in Tysons, is part of a modified development plan that would include a new hotel and expedited construction of transportation improvements and a new community center.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission held a public hearing on Capital One’s proposal April 3, but deferred decision until April 23… Antonio Calabrese, a lawyer with Cooley LLP who is representing Capital One, noted the company’s copious proffers for transportation, schools and recreation and said the new headquarters building alone would provide the county with about $3.3 million in tax revenues annually.

The Board of Supervisors in September 2012 approved a 4.4-million-square-foot redevelopment proposal for Capital One’s 26.2-acre site, located just northeast of Route 123 and Interstate 495. Counting the site’s existing buildings, the overall square footage would be 4.9 million square feet at build-out. The mixed-use development would be constructed in five phases over about 25 years. Capital One’s plan modification would construct ‘Block B’ first, instead of second, as previously planned.”

~ Writes Brian Trompeter of Inside Nova

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Richmond to review plan for condos near Libby Hill

City of Richmond:

“A proposal for a 13-story condominium building that would stand out as a new landmark at the eastern end of Tobacco Row is coming up for review by Richmond officials in a process bound to renew debate over high-rise development near the James River. The 65-unit building, known as The James at River Bend, would be located at East Cary and Pear streets below Libby Hill Park. The parcel at 2801 E. Main St. currently holds a vacant service station.

The proposed tower would be much taller than everything around it. In the developer’s view, that’s part of the appeal. ‘The end of Cary Street doesn’t call for just another average building of average height and average appearance,’ developer David White wrote to city officials. ‘It calls for a bold statement.’…

The building would have a base of nine stories with four penthouse levels set back from the façades facing the streets. It would have three levels of underground parking entering from Cary. The building also could include nonresidential uses such as art galleries and retail space.”

~ Writes Graham Moomaw of the Richmond Times-Dispatch

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Virginia Beach weighs new proposal for Dome site

Virginia Beach:

“A new group is interested in turning the city's Dome site into an entertainment venue, but officials are refusing to say who. Only one submission came in before Friday's 5 p.m. deadline, economic development director Warren Harris said Monday. He said he would not release the developer's name or make its submission available to the public until the Development Authority meets April 15.

The City Council voted in November to seek new proposals to build an entertainment complex at the Dome site, an 8.6-acre parcel at the Oceanfront, after money for a 2008 project never materialized. Meanwhile, the 2008 project from Texas businessman Michael Jenkins is still on the table, and Jenkins said he has the long-awaited financing ‘pretty well arranged.’ ‘We're continuing very aggressively to work on it,’ he said, adding that financing such a large venture has taken much longer than he expected.

Several council members said they still love the concept Jenkins brought to the table - a $172 million complex that included a giant Ferris wheel, 2,500-seat theater, ice rink, cabaret club and other attractions - but are skeptical he'll come through with the money needed to make the vision a reality. His group, Dallas-based Leisure and Recreation Concepts, missed several deadlines before the city voted to look elsewhere for ideas.”

~Writes Kathy Adams of The Virginian-Pilot

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K.G. business zoning rouses site’s neighbors

King George County:

“A property-rights issue brewing in King George County pits the desire of one owner to develop his land against the wishes of others who don’t want to see any commercial development next to their neighborhood. What’s more, the affected acreage is off U.S. 301 in Dahlgren, in an area the county’s Comprehensive Plan has allotted for commercial growth. But it was clear from the comments of 24 speakers at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday night that residents of Bayberry Estates don’t want a business in their backyards, especially since it’s not clear what that business might be…

James Jarrell, the operating manager of a development company named Walnut Hill, hasn’t said what business might locate on the 7-acre parcel because he doesn’t know. He is simply asking for the land to be rezoned from rural agricultural to general trade zoning. King George’s ordinance allows a multitude of businesses in a general trade zone, ranging from restaurants to car lots to warehouses.”

~ Matthew Cathy Dyson of The Free Lance–Star

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Vakos eyes Spotsy project

Spotsylvania County:

“Another large development is in the works near Spotsylvania County’s Interstate 95 exit in Massaponax. Spotsylvania-based W.J. Vakos and Co. is proposing 830 apartments and up to 450,000 square feet of retail space at its Southpoint II shopping center off U.S. 1. Currently, only commercial space is allowed on the property.

The area has been a prime target for growth despite traffic concerns. In the last year, the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors has approved almost 2,000 housing units—more than half of them apartments—near the Cosner’s Corner shopping center, which is less than a mile south of Southpoint II. Vakos’ proposed 76-acre development, called Southpoint Landing, would have two sections off Southpoint Parkway. The company is asking that the land be rezoned from commercial to residential and mixed use.

One section would have a 280-unit apartment complex next to the Ballantraye subdivision. The second section, on the other side of Southpoint Parkway, would include an estimated 550 apartments and up to 450,000 square feet of retail space south of CarMax, according to Vakos. Some of the apartments could be located above retail and office space.”

~Writes Jeff Branscome of The Free Lance–Star

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Arlington County Board Approves New Hotel Near Courthouse Metro Station

Arlington County:

“The Arlington County Board today approved a plan to build a new hotel in the Courthouse neighborhood, at 2401 and 2407 Wilson Blvd. The hotel will replace an existing one-story 1950s strip shopping center and surface parking lot.

The Board also approved building four new single-family homes behind the hotel on N. 16th Street, in the Lyon Village neighborhood, where four older single-family homes currently exist. The developer has worked with the County’s Historic Preservation staff to choose styles consistent with the houses traditional to Lyon Village.

The 93,000 square foot, eight-story hotel on the northwest corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Adams Street will have 161 rooms, 80 underground parking spaces, a bar/cafe associated with the hotel, 1,200 square feet of separately leased ground floor restaurant space and will be approximately 500 feet from the Courthouse Metro station.”

~Writes Arlington Newsroom

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Multiuse project in Mechanicsville draws concerns

Hanover County:

“As a recently proposed development along Bell Creek Road gets closer to going before the planning commission, roughly 40 passionate Mechanicsville residents still aren’t convinced it won’t negatively impact their neighborhood. The main concern is the additional traffic the development could cause in an already congested area. Citizens voiced their worries at Pole Green Church of Christ Feb. 27 during a neighborhood meeting about the proposed multiuse project,  hosted by Attorney Andrew Condlin and the developer, Henry Shields, of Hanover Land Investors LLC.

The developer plans to build 65 town homes and 59 single-family homes along with a pharmacy and retail center on a total of 25.4 acres of land, made up partially of wetlands.  Shields is requesting rezoning the property from agriculture use to B-3, a multiuse designation, allowing him to build both residential and commercial structures, Condlin said.

Jo Battenfield, a neighbor and school bus driver, was concerned with people trying to enter the development but missing their turn and instead making a U-turn in her driveway or someone else’s. Planning Director David Maloney said that although the county can fix transportation and traffic problems, they couldn’t change driver behavior.”

~Writes the Herald Progress

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Richmond council committee debates purpose of stadium vote

City of Richmond:

“A Richmond City Council resolution on the Shockoe Bottom baseball stadium plan cleared another committee Thursday, but a debate that ended without unanimity offered a preview of what may be in store when the full council considers the plan next week. The council’s finance and economic development committee advanced a resolution seeking council support for ‘continued negotiations’ on the Shockoe plan.

The administration of Mayor Dwight C. Jones has said the resolution, which is on the agenda for Monday’s council meeting, will allow it to firm up the details of various agreements among the Richmond Economic Development Authority, the developers and the Richmond Flying Squirrels before bringing the deals back for council approval in late March or early April. Though the three-member panel didn’t forward the measure with an official recommendation, Councilwomen Kathy C. Graziano, 4th District, and Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District, voiced favorable opinions, saying it would give the council the information it needs to make a final decision.”

~Writes Graham Moomaw of the Richmond Times-Dispatch

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High-rise living in Tysons has arrived

Fairfax County:

“Developers of new Tysons Corner apartment high-rises have begun marketing the cool features of their new buildings: soaring views, rooftop pools, floor-to-ceiling windows, quartz counter tops, fire pits, pet grooming services, a bocce court and 24-hour concierge services. They are pitching the buildings as a chance for luxury urban living. And they are charging like it too.

Leasing agents at three of the new buildings are frequently asking $3 per square foot or more per month for the new units, rents on par with new buildings in Clarendon and Ballston, some of the most popular neighborhoods for renters in the region.”

~ Writes Jonathan O'Connell of the Washington Post

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Virginia Beach arena would use only private money

Virginia Beach:

“A team of businesses behind some of the most successful sports complexes in the country - including the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the Pepsi Center in Denver - proposed Monday to build an 18,000-seat arena in Virginia Beach and pay for it themselves. Their plan emphasizes what developers call the need for a major concert venue in Virginia to lure top musical acts, national political conventions and events such as the Ice Capades and NCAA tournament basketball. Project officials said the $200 million arena would be paid for entirely with private money, mostly from a Chinese construction giant, and would require no taxpayer funding.

The ESG Cos. of Virginia Beach is at the center of the plan, presented as a counterproposal to one initiated in November by construction firm W.M. Jordan Co., which involves Beach developer Bruce Thompson as a consultant. Both proposals would build on city-owned land near the Convention Center, and both would need major infrastructure improvements by the city.

Last year, an attempt to lure the NBA's Sacramento Kings to Virginia Beach fizzled when the state legislature refused to spend $150 million of public money to finance the arena. Virginia Beach spent nearly $1 million for consultants and public relations.”

~ Writes John Holland of The Virginian-Pilot

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Developer Seeks to Build 100-Room Hotel Near Water Country

York County:

“The Marquis at Williamsburg in Upper York County could soon have a 100-room hotel. The York County Board of Supervisors will consider Tuesday whether to amend the conditions of a previously approved special-use permit, which would allow the construction of the hotel to move forward. The board originally approved the construction of a 71,000-square-foot hotel at the site in 2007. The new proposal seeks an 85,000-square-foot hotel.

The hotel is the latest development for the once-stalled shopping center, located off Route 199 near Water Country USA. The Marquis is split into two pods — the north pod has five stores already in place and will receive an additional 200,000 square feet of commercial space, while development of 650 residential units in the south pod, which is currently undeveloped, was recently OK’d by the supervisors. Because the hotel would lead to an increase in floor area at the site between 5 percent and 25 percent, a public hearing is not necessary for the proposal. The supervisors will consider it under new business at their Tuesday meeting.”

~Writes Gregory Connolly of the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily

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Chancellorsville battlefield eyed for subdivision

Spotsylvania County:

“The Silver Cos. is proposing a 249-home subdivision on part of the Chancellorsville battlefield in Spotsylvania County. Tonight, the developer plans to hold a community meeting at St. Michael the Archangel High School in Spotsylvania about its project.

Chancellorsville Investment Co. LLC is applying to rezone 1,152 acres that border Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on the north side of State Route 3. The Binns Tract is just east of Black Meadow Road, west of Golden Oaks Drive, and south of Flint Hill Court and Hunting Run Reservoir. The land lies between the reservoir and the park… Some 44 acres of the property lie within the national park’s congressional designated boundary, land that Congress said ought to be incorporated into it if the National Park Service can acquire the property.”

~Writes Clint Schemmer of The Free Lance–Star

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Rezoning granted for new construction slated for Langston Park

City of Hopewell:

“An amendment to the zoning of the Langston Park Public Housing Development was granted by City Council Tuesday, amid questions and hesitations from some councilors about a plan to revitalize the development. Community Housing Partners, plans to demolish the 52-year-old development in favor of building energy efficient mixed-income units. CHP is a nonprofit organization that works with public and private partners to provide energy efficient and quality affordable housing.

The current 30-unit development will be replaced by 56 units, 26 of which will be rented at market rate. Thirty of the units will be under the Section 8 voucher program. Construction of the apartments is slated to cost about $9.5 million. CHP has acquired all of the funding for the project, which includes state and federal tax credits, grants and private investment.

The area is currently zoned R-4, but is slated to become a Planned Unit Development following Tuesday's decision. During a Council work session last month, developers stated that the new designation would allow more open space, and be landscaped into a safer, more well lit environment.”

~Writes Leah Small of Progress-Index

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The Village at Chicago Park is a go

City of Harrisonburg:

“Harrisonburg City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved the project proposed at 1041 and 1049 Chicago Ave., near Mount Clinton Pike. The property owners, Theda and Merle Brunk of Dayton and John Harding of Clemson, S.C., sought to rezone the 2-acre residential parcel to a relatively new residential classification, R-7, that offers more flexibility with zoning regulations and requires a minimum of 15 percent open or green space.

Fifteen single-family and duplex homes are proposed, ranging in size from 1,500 to 2,100 square feet. A new private street, Saturday Drive, will offer access into the development. Councilman Richard Baugh said the project offers a ‘good balance for density,’ as opposed to ‘cramming’ as much as possible on the site. Stacy Turner, the director of the Harrisonburg Department of Planning and Community Development, said city staff endorsed the idea because it’s smaller in scope.

Last year, council approved the same R-7 zoning classification for Collicello North, a 30-unit development planned on the northern part of Collicello Street. Both developments are designed to be environmentally friendly and promote walking and biking.”

~ Writes Preston Knight of DNR Online

Site of razed Virginia Beach shopping center sold

Virginia Beach:

“The site of a former shopping center near the Sentara Independence outpatient treatment facility has been sold to a Virginia Beach developer. An entity controlled by developer Michael Sifen paid about $9 million for the 13.5-acre site at 717-745 Independence Blvd., according to deed records filed at the Beach.

The seller, a unit of Lowe's Cos. Inc., paid $13.5 million for the site in 2007 and demolished a shopping center there in preparation for a new home improvement store. The former Giant Square center had been anchored by a Farm Fresh grocery up until about a year before Lowe's took possession.

When the economy soured, Lowe's greatly scaled back its expansion plans and shelved the store project, said Gerald S. Divaris, CEO of Divaris Real Estate, which represented Lowe's in the recent sale.”

~ Writes Dave Mayfield of The Virginian-Pilot

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JBG Closes New Joint Venture With STRS Ohio

Arlington County:

“The JBG Companies has closed on a new joint venture partnership with the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio to develop Central Place in Rosslyn, Va. Central Place, between North Lynn and North Moore streets in Arlington County, is located adjacent to the Rosslyn Metro station. It is a 31-story, mixed-use development that will feature 377 impeccably-designed residences, 25,230 square feet of retail space and a 15,000-square-foot public plaza.

At 355 feet tall, Central Place will be a striking addition to the Virginia skyline and offer some of the most spectacular views available of the nation’s capital. It will be the tallest building in JBG’s development portfolio. ‘Central Place is a great addition to JBG’s place-making work in Arlington County, and we are very pleased to be partnering with a very well-respected institutional investor in STRS Ohio,’ said Andrew VanHorn, a JBG Senior Vice President. This is JBG’s first joint venture with STRS Ohio.

Site preparation work is underway, and construction is expected to begin in earnest in a few months. Central Place is one of JBG’s many mixed-use developments in Arlington since Sedona Slate, which delivered in April 2013.”

~Writes Alexandria News

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Loudoun's Equinox Investments may rezone itself

Loudoun County:

“Equinox Investments LLC is bidding to rezone itself. The Loudoun developer, based at 43571 John Mosby Highway, is in talks with the county to rezone its headquarters property for 77 townhomes, 128 multi-family units and business uses, likely retail or commercial. The 21.5-acre parcel, a combination of vacant land and the 20,000-square-foot Equinox headquarters building that fronts Route 50, is located just west of East Gate, a 330-acre mixed-use project that Equinox helped develop with Baltimore-based Atapco Properties.

It is also 1 mile west of the proposed Sheraton Dulles South and related Fox Gate development, a pair of stalled projects that may have some life in them, as I reported Wednesday.”

~Writes Michael Neibauer of the Washington Business Jounral

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Muslim Community Center Addition Approved Despite Controversy

Loudoun County:

“The Board of Supervisors Wednesday night authorized an expansion of the previously approved Muslim Community Center of Leesburg over the objections of a bloc of public speakers who raised concerns about the facility. More than 20 people came before the board to speak about the center, most of them urging denial. The application before the board was to amend the previously approved community center plan to permit an addition of approximately 430 square feet and add 46 parking spaces.

Speakers cited concerns about traffic and parking on the site, saying the facility’s operations would clog Sycolin Road and require overflow parking at the county’s nearby park and ride lot. ‘Wait until the commuters cannot use the park and ride because it is being used by the Muslim center,’ Mackie Christinson told supervisors. ‘Then you’ll really get lots of phone calls and lots of emails.’

But supporters of the center noted the peak use of the mosque would be Fridays around lunch and early mornings, times when there is not a lot of traffic on the roads and when the park and ride lot is already being used by commuters.”

~Writes Erika Jacobson Moore of the Leesburg Today

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Gloucester Point condo proposal subject of public hearing

Gloucester County:

“The Gloucester County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 tonight in the colonial courthouse to receive comments on a rezoning application that would allow construction of 50 condominium units at Gloucester Point. Moody Homes Holdings Corporation is the current property owner, said planner Tripp Little. The site is located in the Gloucester Point Magisterial District on the west side of George Washington Memorial Highway (Route 17), across from the Gloucester Point Shopping Center.

Little said Moody Homes has applied to amend the Gloucester County zoning map to reclassify approximately 11.09 acres from MF-1 conditional (Medium-density multi-family residential) to a similar zoning designation that would allow switching the format of the project. Moody Homes now wants to utilize a condominium form of ownership for the 50 units without any age restrictions, rather than the same number of units sold as duplexes with fee-simple development proposed to be built by another developer who never built anything on that site.

The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors will have the final say on the rezoning request and will schedule a hearing on the matter later. Little said that board approved an age-restricted project for adults 55 and older called Magnolia Point for that property in January 2005 for applicant K&S Land Holding. Magnolia Point was never built, Little said, but part of a road leading into the project was completed as well as a pumping station that has never been brought on line.”

 ~Writes Bill Nachman of Gazette-Journal

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Supervisors deny Greens South at Willowsford rezoning

Loudon County:

“The Loudoun Board of Supervisors rejected Wednesday night a portion of the Willowsford development group's plans to increase residential housing on the sprawling southern Loudoun community's grounds. Owners of The Greens South at Willowsford submitted a rezoning application last year to build an additional 557 single-family detached residential units, increasing the development potential from 245 to 802 units.

The board's denial for the rezoning was in line with the recommendation from county staff, which noted in a report ‘the county’s budgetary plans have neither anticipated nor programmed additional school capacity, public facilities and transportation infrastructure necessary to serve the proposed additional 557 single-family detached residential units.’ Additionally, the property, located west of Lightridge Farm Road and south of Braddock Road, falls within the Upper Foley Sub-area of Transition Policy, which serves as a ‘visual and spatial transition between the Suburban Policy Area to the east and Rural Policy Area to the west,’ according to staff.

Supervisor Janet Clarke (R-Blue Ridge), who represents the Willowsford community, voted for the denial, noting the costs associated with bringing new residents and families – an estimated 1,800 people -- to the prospective new units. Supervisor Ralph Buona (R-Ashburn), chairman of the board's finance committee, said approval of the Willowsford application could set a precedent the county isn't ready for.”

~Writes Trevor Baratko of the Loudoun Times

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Beach council members critical of outlet mall plan

Virginia Beach:

“Norfolk gets a brand-new outlet mall, hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue. Virginia Beach gets a parking lot, a retention pond and potential traffic woes, a group of disgruntled Virginia Beach City Council members said Tuesday. And there's the rub. Elected officials showed no willingness to help Norfolk meet a rushed deadline to begin construction on Simon Premium Outlets by this summer, with one calling it a ‘fantasy schedule.’ The 90-store outlet mall would straddle the city line but would mostly be in Norfolk.

Beach council members and the vice mayor raised questions about changes to roads and traffic lights, the impact on the Burton Station neighborhood and other issues, saying the proposal has few benefits for Virginia Beach residents. Barry Frankenfield, Virginia Beach's director of strategic growth, on Tuesday gave the council an overview of the proposal, which calls for the closure of Lake Wright Golf Course and necessitates changes in Burton Station, a historic neighborhood. He had the unenviable task of presenting Norfolk's grand plans to the Beach council members, who peppered him with both questions and statements.”

~Writes John Holland of the Virginia Pilot

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Age-restricted apartments proposed in Bealeton

Fauquier County

“Fauquier’s planning commission last week recommended approval of a rezoning for construction of 100 age-restricted apartments in Bealeton. The commissioners Jan. 30 voted, 5-0, to support amendment of the April 2012 rezoning for Mintbrook, a mixed-use development along Routes 17 and 28.

The board of supervisors almost two years ago voted, 3-2, to approve the development of 475 dwellings and 220,000 square feet of commercial space on the 332-acre site. That original approval contemplated multifamily housing at Mintbrook. But, it required separate review of what would happen on the 8.6-acre parcel where Chantilly-based Mintbrook Developers LLC and the South-Carolina-based Humanities Foundation propose the apartments. The developer also needed separate approval for as much as 125,000 square feet of “future” commercial development.

Mintbook has reduced that total to 39,000 square feet, a proposal the planning commission also endorsed last week. With the changes, Mintbrook would have approval for 575 dwellings and 265,000 square feet of commercial space.”

~Writes Fauquier Now

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CBJ: New CFA Institute location encourages interaction, community vibrance

City of Charlottesville

“After decades of service as a well-known health care facility, the former Martha Jefferson Hospital, a prominent Charlottesville property that’s been redeveloped, will see more changes in the coming year. The CFA Institute, a global association of investment professionals, moved to the former Martha Jefferson Hospital in December. Finishing touches on the organization’s 144,000-square-foot space, which serves as a global operations center, is expected to be completed within the next two weeks.

The former emergency room area has been transformed into the CFA’s main entrance, complete with large digital financial tickers that display up-to-the-minute data. Downstairs, there’s a conference center that can be divided into five separate meeting spaces. And just off the main entrance, a central stairwell, brightly illuminated with natural light, runs from the building’s top floor to the ground floor.”

~Writes Nate Delesline III of the Daily Progress

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Wegmans gets nod from Architectural Review Board

Albemarle County

“Wegmans Food Markets plans to break ground on a new store in Albemarle County this fall. As shoppers on the south side of Charlottesville and southern Albemarle wait for the grocery store’s expected 2015 opening, the county’s Architectural Review Board has worked to minimize its visibility… The board is limited to design issues visible in county’s entrance corridors. ‘There was an attorney present [at the last meeting],’ said board member Marcia Joseph. ‘The attorney made sure that we discussed only things that were visible.’

The store is the first phase of the Fifth Street Station development, which includes a connector road joining Avon Street Extended in the county and Fifth Street Southwest near Charlottesville’s Willoughby neighborhood. Wardell and the other board members worked within their purview to ensure the store will be largely hidden from drivers on Interstate 64. The area and neighboring roads are designated entrance corridors where buildings receive greater design review.”

~Writes Effie Nicholaou of Charlottesville Tomorrow

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2 Developers Press F.C. Council to Begin Approval Process in February

City of Falls Church:

“The developers of two major W. Broad St. projects within blocks of each other have both made it clear to the Falls Church City Council that the approval process needs to get going next month for their plans to remain viable.

Spectrum Development, having secured all the parcels adding up to a four-acre site at the northeastern corner of N. West and W. Broad Streets in Falls Church, spelled out their latest plans for the site to a meeting of the City Council’s Economic Development Committee Monday night, and said they need the Council to begin approving their project by the second week of February.

Developers of the Kensington, a proposed senior living project slated to go on the three-quarters of an acre site of the current Burger King on W. Broad, also need the Council to kick off the approval process by the end of February, as was stressed at the same committee meeting Monday. As of now, it is scheduled for a 'first reading' before the Council on February 10.

The time pressure for the Kensington is the greatest, as developers have the land under contract only until April 1, and if the plan is still uncertain by that date, the developers will have to relinquish control. That means, among other things, that the Burger King people are poised to jump on renewing a long-term lease at the site to keep it dedicated as an ungraded Burger King for decades to come. New rules requiring fast food drive-throughs to be on site no smaller than a full acre have made the current Burger King location, grandfathered in, even more valuable.”

~ Writes Nicholas F. Benton of the Falls Church News-Press

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Demolition to Begin Early March To Make Way for Harris Teeter

City of Falls Church:

“It’s only one month away now, the day every structure will be demolished at the site of the upcoming ‘flagship’ Harris Teeter grocery and 285 rental apartments on six levels above it. That means the old post office, that means the old Anthony’s Restaurant.

Rushmark Properties Developer Patrick Kearney told the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Tuesday that Monday, March 3 is the target date for the wrecking ball. Many Falls Church residents, recalling their many happy years of patronizing the old Anthony’s, will undoubtedly be present to pay respects, even as a new Anthony’s begins to rise a mile away at Rt. 50 at Annandale Road. The demolition date is contingent on getting the building permits that have been filed for at City Hall, but according to Kearney, there’s no reason to think there will be any delays with them.

All the news was good coming from Kearney and his colleague Stefan Gassner, including the fact that VDOT OK’d their request for a left-turn option into the project for travelers going west on W. Broad St.”

~ Writes Nicholas F. Benton of the Falls Church News-Press

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New Pantops Construction to Feature Drive-thru Coffee

Albemarle County

“Coffee drinkers may not be hard-pressed to find a fast option to get some caffeine by the end of the year. New construction on Pantops Mountain in Albemarle County will house a drive-thru Starbucks Coffee shop. The construction site is next to the Rivanna Ridge Shopping center, home to the Giant supermarket and current Starbucks store, at the intersection of Rolkin and Abbey roads.

Sources say the drive-thru coffee shop is part of the plans for that complex, which is currently a pile of dirt. Starbucks will move across the street to its new location, but there is no word on what will take the place of the coffee shop in the existing shopping center. Sketches show a few other businesses are planned for the space, but there's no official word on what they may be.

Signs posted in the area say the center will be done by the end of the year. Over the past few years, Pantops has seen a lot of development, most notably the addition of the new Martha Jefferson Hospital in 2011.”

~Writes Chris Stover of the Charlottesville Newsplex

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City Council Approves Waterfront Hotel

City of Alexandria:

“Residents remain apprehensive about a waterfront hotel in the 200 block of S. Union St., but city councilors green-lighted the project with a 6-0 vote Saturday. The five-story, 120-room boutique hotel proposed by Carr City Centers — more commonly known as Washington-based Carr Hospitality — was in the works long before officials finished crafting the controversial waterfront redevelopment plan. That roadmap explicitly calls for at least two upscale lodges along the Potomac.

While Carr representatives have spent years working with city staff on the proposal, it marks the first major project outlined in the riverside plan to receive city council’s blessing. And that has drawn scrutiny from several local officials and residents, who wanted the undertaking delayed because they believe it sets the standard for future waterfront redevelopment.

But with assurances from city preservationist Al Cox and other planning officials that the final design would undergo more revisions before construction begins, city councilors overwhelmingly backed the project. Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg, who has criticized the waterfront plan, was out of town and did not cast a vote.”

~Writes Derrick Perkins of the Alexandria Times

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County Board Approves ‘Blue Goose’ Redevelopment

Arlington County:

“The distinctive 'Blue Goose' building in Ballston is heading for the proverbial wrecking ball after the Arlington County Board approved replacing it with an office and a residential building. The Board unanimously voted to redevelop the 1963 building, allowing the developer The Shooshan Company, in partnership with Marymount University, to build a nine-story office building and a 15-story, 267-unit residential building with 11 dedicated units of affordable housing.

The entire site will sit on three levels of underground parking, with 317 office spaces and 264 residential spaces. There will also be 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. Marymount University will occupy the first six stories of the office building with plans to expand into the final three floors in the future. The office building will front on Fairfax Drive while the residential building will sit on the corner of Fairfax and N. Glebe Road.

In additional to the affordable housing — which includes a $275,000 donation to the Arlington Housing Investment Fund — the Shooshan Company also agreed to contribute more than $4.5 million toward the construction of a west entrance to the Ballston Metro Station and $1.15 million for improvements to the Ballston beaver pond restoration project and Custis Trail. The buildings are expected to be built to a LEED Gold environmental standard.”

~ Writes Ethan Rothstein of Arlington Now

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Richmond meeting draws stadium skeptics

City of Richmond

“The mayor’s Shockoe Bottom ballpark proposal continues to receive mixed reviews as Richmond leaders hold multiple community meetings to explain and answer questions about the proposal. About 50 people attended one of the meetings Saturday at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, some holding signs that said, ‘No stadium, yes historic district.’

The sweeping $76 million proposal — anchored by a new home for the Richmond Flying Squirrels — is three-pronged. The baseball stadium would be accompanied by a museum and other forms of commemorating the Bottom’s slave history, along with private development including apartments, a hotel and grocery store. Opposition has recently focused on making the plan work without a ballpark, but Mayor Dwight C. Jones and developers on board with his proposal have said all three pieces of the plan are essential.”

~Writes John Ramsey of the Richmond Times Dispatch

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Chesterfield planners back rezoning at Iron Bridge and Jessup roads

Chesterfield County

“The Chesterfield County Planning Commission voted Thursday to rezone 11 acres for commercial development at Iron Bridge Road and Jessup Road despite opposition from many nearby residents concerned about increased traffic and crime.

Balzer & Associates requested a zoning change from residential to community business for the site. The developer’s plans call for 9,000 square feet of retail space, a bank, a sit-down restaurant, a fast-food restaurant and a 14-pump gas station, but specific businesses have not been identified…

The county’s planning staff recommended approving the zoning change, noting that the project would support recently developed tourism and recreation facilities nearby, including the Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Ukrop Park and Mary B. Stratton Park Sports Fields. But residents who spoke at a public hearing said they oppose the plans, especially if they include fast food and a gas station.”
~Writes John Ramsey of the Richmond Times Dispatch

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Apartments to spring from Roanoke renovations

City of Roanoke

“Two dilapidated downtown Roanoke buildings are about to get a new life after years of sitting empty. John Garland, the Roanoke developer who revived 16 West Marketplace and First and Kirk lofts, plans to renovate the decaying properties at 425 Campbell Ave. and 113 Norfolk Ave. into new apartment buildings and retail spaces. Garland, a retired engineer and founder of Spectrum Design, and his two sons, Aaron and Mark Garland, purchased the three-story, 18,000-square-foot property on Campbell for $350,000 in November. For an additional $1.2 million, they plan to turn it into 16 one-bedroom apartments and four spaces that can be used for retail.

Rent will run about $695, slightly below the average price for most downtown living quarters.

‘We are trying to keep the prices affordable,’ John Garland said. ‘There is a lot going on in that area, which makes me excited.’ The new apartments will be west of downtown’s core, which has been getting more attention during Roanoke’s downtown revival in the past few years. The property is next door to the restaurant 501 Speakeasy and down the street from Beamers 25 and its accompanying upstairs lofts. The former YMCA, which is also being renovated, is right across the street.”

~Writes Tiffany Holland of the Roanoke Times

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New apartments set for Hopewell

City of Hopewell

“The development of downtown Hopewell continues with the start of the new year. Monument Companies will be coming in to potentially rehabilitate 244 E. Cawson Street by turning it into eight luxury apartments. This will add to the 24 apartments already located behind it in the Butterworth Lofts at 245 E. Broadway. The newest addition of housing stock is one step closer to changing the future of downtown Hopewell and turning it into an area for people to live, shop and dine.

The apartments at the Butterworth Lofts are 88 percent rented. The eight luxury apartments slated for Cawson Street will encompass 6,600 square feet. There is almost 4,000 square feet of retail space in the Butterworth building along with the apartments. Currently, 44 percent of the retail space is rented by James Madison University. The office space has been transformed into a distance-based learning center, which allows adults to participate in an accelerated, alternative licensure project, Middle Matters.”

~Writes Caitlin Davis of Hopewell News Patriot

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Supervisor Votes Vary On Residential Applications

Loudoun County

“County supervisors are continuing to grapple with a post-recession push for new residential development in the county and, from application to application, their votes are falling along different lines as they face different philosophical questions about their vision for the county. During last Wednesday’s meeting the board took action on three different residential applications. Each dealt with a different type of request and each had a completely different outcome.

When it came to Goose Creek Village North—the application sought to rezone 12.5-acre portion of the office park area along Belmont Ridge Road to allow the construction of 282 additional multifamily units—supervisors were almost unanimous in issuing a denial. Only Supervisor Suzanne Volpe (R-Algonkian) voted against the motion; Supervisor Ken Reid (R-Leesburg) was absent for the meeting as he recovers from surgery.”

~Writes Erika Jacobson Moore of Leesburg Today

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Apartment, Entertainment Complex Proposed In Purcellville

Town of Purcellville

“The Franklin Johnston Group last week presented its proposal for the Catoctin Creek Towne Center—a development of multi-family apartments and an entertainment and sports center on 28 acres between Maple Avenue and Hirst Road in Purcellville—before a large crowd at the Purcellville Planning Commission meeting.

The project requires a Comprehensive Plan amendment, rezoning and special use permit. Once the project has gone through the regulatory process, the Franklin Johnston Group would purchase the acreage needed for the multi-family apartment component, while Tilley Entertainment would purchase the commercial portion of the property, according to a Franklin Johnston Group representative this week.

The Virginia Beach-based apartment development group, which manages apartment communities across the country, is proposing to provide more housing for workforce employees and seniors in the town and in western Loudoun in general. Bowman Consultants land use planner Chris Mohn cited a lack of affordable housing in the town, noting it had been 12 years since an apartment had been built in town.”

~Writes Margaret Morton of Leesburg Today

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Board OKs conditional brewery rezoning

Nelson County

“After receiving approval for conditional rezoning of an adjacent parcel of land, Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton is a step closer to being able to use the land for brewery-related activities. At its meeting Jan. 14, the Nelson County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve an application from Taylor Smack, the owner of Blue Mountain Brewery, for the conditional rezoning from residential to agriculture of a 2.4-acre property that is adjacent to the existing brewery site...

‘As a piece of Blue Mountain property, it’s just not going to make a lot of sense to have it zoned [residential], no matter what,’ Smack said. He said the property potentially could be used for several things, such as landscaping, growing more hops, installing a wedding pergola, adding parking and building an events facility, but ‘it’s a little bit up in the air.’...

The next step for the brewery is to get a special-use permit for an approximately 5,000-square-foot events center, and, once that is obtained, officials can move on to the review of a major site plan. Currently, the brewery has submitted a minor ‘thin-bones’ site plan, Smack said.”

~Writes Katherine Lacaze of the Nelson County Times

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Planning Commission recommends denial of rezoning in Dahlgren

King George County

“The King George Planning Commission last week voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Supervisors deny a current rezoning request under consideration in Dahlgren. The case involves a request to rezone 6.75 acres on U.S. 301 (James Madison Pkwy). The Commission reconsidered the case at its meeting last week on Jan. 14.

The recommendation followed lively discussion with participation by several of the ten Planning Commissioners, with comments basically distilled by those from Bill Robie and Gary Kendrick. The revised rezoning request includes amendments to the proffer statement from what was originally proposed last month, with newly-revised development plan drawings distributed.

Those two documents shed light on a new proffer that would prohibit five commercial uses including repair facility, boat sales, contractors equipment yard, commercial garage, and commercial parking lot.”

~Writes The Journal

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