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12/05/2007
Petersburg, PG approve $150M development
BY F.M. WIGGINS
STAFF WRITER
PETERSBURG — The rezoning for a 139-acre development that straddles the border between the city and Prince George County was approved unanimously last night.
City Council and the county’s Board of Supervisors held a joint public hearing last night to hear comments on the proposed Independence Village, a $150 million mixed-use development including retail and residential uses.
Tony Collins, of Axis Development, which will develop the property, said he was very pleased that the process to get Independence Village approved has finally come to an end.
“I will do everything that I can to make sure this is a development that Petersburg and Prince George can both be proud of,” Collins said.
Although both the council and the supervisors unanimously approved the project, it did meet with some resistance from the public.
Donald Lauter of Disputanta expressed concerns of how the site’s Civil War history would be preserved. Promises, or proffers, from the developer approved by the council and supervisors call for a pull-off and historic marker to be developed in consultation with the National Park Service.
Lauter said he had concerns as to where such a pull-off would be located. He additionally expressed concerns over storm water runoff.
“We’re already getting flooded over on Lamore drive from the runoff,” Lauter said. “These retention ponds would need a dam to prevent it.”
Jonathan Reynolds of North Plains Drive in Petersburg expressed concerns over privacy.
“I don’t want people looking in my back yard while I’m back there,” Reynolds said. He asked whether the developer would be including more than a 50 foot buffer area with vegetation. Doug Cole, a principal with DesignForum which is working with Axis Development, said that when the retention ponds are created, the dirt could be used to create a berm near North Plains Drive.
Richard Stewart another resident of the city said he believed the entire development rested on one thing, water.
“If it weren’t for Petersburg’s water, we wouldn’t be here,” Stewart said. “I don’t think you all are ready for what this development will bring. I think this is just going to create a new town. Then there will be Old Towne and new town. Rich town, new town and in-between town.”
The supervisors and council met Oct. 17 to discuss an agreement that would allow the portion of the development in the county access to the water and wastewater infrastructure in the city.
To address the needs for water at the proposed development, the county agreed to purchase 1 million gallons per day of the city’s water allocation from the Appomattox River Water Authority at the amount specified by the agreement with the authority.
Virginia Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Ray Varney also spoke during the public hearing with concerns about traffic.
“The intersection of Rives Road and Interstate 95 is a major concern, and the traffic study didn’t take that into account,” Varney said.
He said Rives Road is one of the quickest ways for residents of the New Bohemia area of Prince George to access Crater Road, the new hospital and Interstate 95 north.
“The issue gets to be, with as much traffic as you’re putting on that road, how do you make left turns,” Varney said. “This is a good development, I don’t have an issue with it at all. But somehow, regionally, even including Hopewell and Dinwiddie, somebody needs to address Rives Road. That intersection will fail.”
Varney said that while the Independence Village traffic study didn’t take into account the intersection of Rives Road and Interstate 95, other developments in the county have. Varney specifically said the Intermodal Facility in Prince George has indicated the intersection would fail by more than halfway through the next decade.
“It won’t fail next year, but out there soon it will,” Varney said.
Despite the concerns from residents expressed during the public hearing, the supervisors and then council unanimously approved the rezoning of the property as a planned unit development.
“In 10 years I think we will be saying ‘thank you Mr. Collins,’” Councilman Kenneth Pritchett said.
• F.M. Wiggins may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 254 or fwiggins@progress-index.com.
©The Progress-Index 2007
Online at: http://www.progress-index.com/site/n...d=462946&rfi=6
Petersburg, PG approve $150M development
BY F.M. WIGGINS
STAFF WRITER
PETERSBURG — The rezoning for a 139-acre development that straddles the border between the city and Prince George County was approved unanimously last night.
City Council and the county’s Board of Supervisors held a joint public hearing last night to hear comments on the proposed Independence Village, a $150 million mixed-use development including retail and residential uses.
Tony Collins, of Axis Development, which will develop the property, said he was very pleased that the process to get Independence Village approved has finally come to an end.
“I will do everything that I can to make sure this is a development that Petersburg and Prince George can both be proud of,” Collins said.
Although both the council and the supervisors unanimously approved the project, it did meet with some resistance from the public.
Donald Lauter of Disputanta expressed concerns of how the site’s Civil War history would be preserved. Promises, or proffers, from the developer approved by the council and supervisors call for a pull-off and historic marker to be developed in consultation with the National Park Service.
Lauter said he had concerns as to where such a pull-off would be located. He additionally expressed concerns over storm water runoff.
“We’re already getting flooded over on Lamore drive from the runoff,” Lauter said. “These retention ponds would need a dam to prevent it.”
Jonathan Reynolds of North Plains Drive in Petersburg expressed concerns over privacy.
“I don’t want people looking in my back yard while I’m back there,” Reynolds said. He asked whether the developer would be including more than a 50 foot buffer area with vegetation. Doug Cole, a principal with DesignForum which is working with Axis Development, said that when the retention ponds are created, the dirt could be used to create a berm near North Plains Drive.
Richard Stewart another resident of the city said he believed the entire development rested on one thing, water.
“If it weren’t for Petersburg’s water, we wouldn’t be here,” Stewart said. “I don’t think you all are ready for what this development will bring. I think this is just going to create a new town. Then there will be Old Towne and new town. Rich town, new town and in-between town.”
The supervisors and council met Oct. 17 to discuss an agreement that would allow the portion of the development in the county access to the water and wastewater infrastructure in the city.
To address the needs for water at the proposed development, the county agreed to purchase 1 million gallons per day of the city’s water allocation from the Appomattox River Water Authority at the amount specified by the agreement with the authority.
Virginia Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Ray Varney also spoke during the public hearing with concerns about traffic.
“The intersection of Rives Road and Interstate 95 is a major concern, and the traffic study didn’t take that into account,” Varney said.
He said Rives Road is one of the quickest ways for residents of the New Bohemia area of Prince George to access Crater Road, the new hospital and Interstate 95 north.
“The issue gets to be, with as much traffic as you’re putting on that road, how do you make left turns,” Varney said. “This is a good development, I don’t have an issue with it at all. But somehow, regionally, even including Hopewell and Dinwiddie, somebody needs to address Rives Road. That intersection will fail.”
Varney said that while the Independence Village traffic study didn’t take into account the intersection of Rives Road and Interstate 95, other developments in the county have. Varney specifically said the Intermodal Facility in Prince George has indicated the intersection would fail by more than halfway through the next decade.
“It won’t fail next year, but out there soon it will,” Varney said.
Despite the concerns from residents expressed during the public hearing, the supervisors and then council unanimously approved the rezoning of the property as a planned unit development.
“In 10 years I think we will be saying ‘thank you Mr. Collins,’” Councilman Kenneth Pritchett said.
• F.M. Wiggins may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 254 or fwiggins@progress-index.com.
©The Progress-Index 2007
Online at: http://www.progress-index.com/site/n...d=462946&rfi=6
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