The community business subdistrict (blue) is intended to provide a range of business and residential uses. These uses may include a mix of small-scale retail shops, offices, civic spaces, neighborhood parks, mixed-use dwellings, and other local needs. The blue subdistrict relates to county residents who live along the corridor.
The interstate business subdistrict (red) is intended to provide a combination of service-oriented commercial uses and is designed to be compatible with the goals of a walkable district with a mixture of uses. These businesses will be the “draw” for travelers of 1-81/Exit 150.
A rendering of one of the buildings in the proposed apartment complex presented to the Board of Supervisors last Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of Botetourt County
By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved a new zoning district in the Exit 150 area last Tuesday during a public hearing at the county administration offices in Daleville. In addition, the board approved a Special Exemptions Permit (SEP) for a new 240-unit apartment complex planned for the Daleville Howard Johnson motel site just off of Route 220.
The approval of the new “Gateway Overlay District” amendment is to help create an attractive gateway into the county. In the agenda packet, the county states that the purpose of the proposed amendments minimizes spreading development into rural areas. The new zoning district encourages growth in the overlay where existing infrastructure and services are available and can support dense development.
Some of the features in the redevelopment contain a network of connected streets and sidewalks; bike and pedestrian accommodations, housing near employment opportunities, and integrated larger footprint commercial and/or employment centers.
The overlay comprises a residential subdistrict, a community business subdistrict, and an interstate business subdistrict. Each subdistrict allows for additional permitted and special exception land uses, and each with unique development standards that include lot, building, and use limitation requirements specific to each subdistrict.
The existing underlying zoning use districts shall remain in effect, except for certain prohibited uses that are noted in the proposed amendments and are described as uses that do not contribute towards fulfilling the purpose of the overlay.
County Director of Community Development Nicole Pendleton stated during the presentation that the rezoning is “modifiable” and could see changes down the road. The rezoning allows reduced restrictions on businesses that are “not perfect, but not permanent.”
During the public comment period, one woman asked to not implement the overlay plan for Gateway Crossing.
“We can’t afford this,” she said. “There was a very rosy picture painted with the presentation. There’s another side—the pesky side. We have to pay for it. How is going to be paid for? Taxes—that is the only way.” She claimed the county is “kicking a person while they’re down” due to the financial struggles people have faced over the past couple years.
Public comments Tuesday night claimed the new rezoning/future developments would cost Botetourt taxpayers. However, according to the county, there are no taxpayer costs or budget associated with the zoning change, which was reiterated in a press release last week.
One man questioned whether or not some of the overlay plans would involve subsidized housing.
When recently asked about new housing, Pendleton responded saying, “The Planning and Zoning Office has not had any discussions about subsidized housing units in Botetourt County. Other than what was presented at the hearing (and construction of those apartments will be required to be constructed in substantial conformance to the graphic as shown), no applications for multi-family apartments have been submitted to our office.”
Most of the public comment period was met with opposition regarding the overlay rezoning. The board heard a Botetourt resident mention citizens who live in the overlay district are “kept in the dark” about the plans for the undeveloped land.
“A stakeholder group met at the onset of the planning process and provided feedback,” Pendleton said in a recent email. “The board and Planning Commission met jointly in 2018 to authorize the amendments for public hearing and the Planning Commission received several updates information from staff during their public meetings. This year, prior to the public hearing, the Planning Commission held two work sessions regarding the overlay. Our office published the draft text and maps in April of this year to a dedicated page with updates and a feedback button for people to provide input.”
Supervisor Steve Clinton was the only board member to oppose the overlay rezoning and the SEP for the apartment complex. Clinton fears the proposal “contradicts the standards of businesses the county tries to attract.”
The board approved the new overlay district and the SEP for a new apartment complex in Daleville each with a three-to-one vote. Board member Billy Martin was absent from the meeting.
The full agenda packet from last week’s meeting is available to read at botetourtva.gov/AgendaCenter.
