Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 2, 1995 TAG: 9506020068
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
With 200 cottages, town homes, estates and and other types of houses clustered on a little more than half of the land situated off U.S. 460 and Toms Creek Road, and the remainder preserved as open space, the concept is one that hasn't been tried around these parts.
Developer Don Wells likes to use the word "visionary," and employs an article in a recent edition of Newsweek on the "new urbanism" movement of residential development to buttress his opinion that the Spring Valley development would be a bellwether movement in Blacksburg's expansion.
Adele Schirmer, the town's director of planning and engineering, said, "We think it is unlike any project" in town. The planning staff will make its recommendation to the town's planning commission when the commission holds a public hearing on rezoning for the proposal Tuesday. "It is something new and different."
New and different, even innovative, perhaps, but new and proper? That's where the debate begins.
Several surrounding homeowners support the project; others are strongly opposed.
George Allen, a prospective neighbor who owns a 140-acre farm, commended Wells and co-developer Robert Mills on their idea, and on their efforts to keep neighbors informed. "It's a pretty nice looking project. I hope it will be approved."
"I'm adamant against it," said Boots Smibert, who lives next to where Spring Valley would be built - the site of the old Swanee Hollow golf course. Though Wells had a "good sales pitch" when he told them about Spring Valley at an informal meeting at their home, her husband Bob Smibert said, the couple thought the information didn't quite mesh with the hard numbers later revealed at a meeting with Mills.
The land's current zoning allows one unit to be built per acre. Wells, owner of Pargo's restaurants in Christiansburg and Roanoke, and Mills, a local architect, want to have it rezoned for a planned residential development, which would allow twice as many homes to be built in three phases over nine years.
"That's much too much for a hundred acres," Bob Smibert said. "People are going to be nose to nose, elbow to elbow."
The Smiberts, who live downhill from the site, are worried about water runoff, too. "We've already had that problem over here," when the U.S. 460 bypass, University Mall and nearby apartments were built.
Wells argues that he and a high-priced team of developers, landscapers and architects from Pittsburgh have cooperated with the town's planning staff to come up with the most agreeable project possible, and have made concessions that make Spring Valley barely financially feasible.
The developers plan to invest roughly $50 million in Spring Valley.
Originally planned for 241 homes, Spring Valley now will have 200. The majority will be cottages and hamlet houses priced at $135,000-$195,000. Some will be lower-priced town homes; three or four will be estate-like homes priced at $300,000 or more.
The developers have reconfigured the design to provide for additional open space. At least 45 percent - and perhaps a bit more - of the land will remain as open space.
They have removed a planned cul-de-sac and penciled in a road to complete a circuit around the community, and have made plans for additional roads to connect to any future adjacent developments. The developers will also pay for water and sewer service to be extended.
"We'll spend millions of dollars before we even sell the first house," Wells said. "We're right on the edge. We still want to do it.
"We've worked out all the problems to our knowledge," Wells said. He said his team took notice when the developers of Patton's Grant, a retirement community proposed for northern Blacksburg, had to withdraw their proposal three months ago after being presented with a list of items the town staff wanted information on just days before public hearings were to begin.
"We saw what happened to them. We weren't about to let that happen to us," and have invested tens of thousands of dollars in marketing analyses, storm water detention and sewer studies, preliminary designs and the like, Wells said.
Charles Houska, another neighbor, said he is hopeful that the developers could improve an already dangerous run-off situation from streams during flooding. Cautious, but appreciative of the developers attempts to communicate, Houska said he would support the development, although he believes 200 homes is too many, that 150 would be more appropriate.
In the background of this debate over a single development has been ongoing discussions among the town's leaders, planning staff and community about how the Toms Creek basin should be developed overall. With about 6.2 square miles of mostly farmland and woods, the area represents about a third of the town's total size.
The town is rewriting its zoning ordinances, and this week Town Council advised the planning staff to continue working on a plan that would allow clustering of houses on a small part of a tract of land while leaving a chunk of it open for community-usable open space. The plans would also give incentives to developers to meet certain provisions on housing styles, additional open space and other factors, in exchange for being permitted to build up to two houses per acre.
During public meetings on the issue, Moises Quinones has been an active participant. Quinones, who would also be a neighbor to Spring Valley, wrote a letter to the Roanoke Times & World-News this week, in which he argued that the development would run counter to the community's desire to keep housing densities at their present level.
"I asked [Wells] how could he create a community when he'll not even listen to one," Quinones wrote. "This proposed 200 percent higher density isn't rural, even if labeled a 'rural village' or 'hamlet.'"
However, linking the two issues makes town leaders and planning staff wary. The reason is that Wells' and Mills' application for a rezoning must be evaluated according to zoning ordinances now on the books, not what may be months or years down the road. The planned residential development zoning, which is what the Spring Valley developers are vying for, has no density requirement and calls for only 20 percent open space.
It would be illegal to force the developers to abide by the stricter requirements that have been discussed for future zoning, although Wells said the developers have tried to adhere as closely as possible to them anyway.
"There has to be a compromise somewhere," Wells said.
Town Manager Ron Secrist summed up the Spring Valley debate. "It's a different style. It's a sense of community that [Wells and Mills are] trying to create. Density is the issue."
The planning commission will hold its public hearing on the Spring Valley proposal Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building. Town Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing June 13.
---
The planning commission will hold its public hearing on the Spring Valley proposal Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building. Town Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing June 13.
by CNB