ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170043
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FINCASTLE
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
After six months of debate and revisions to plans, Botetourt County supervisors approved the rezoning of 165 acres of farmland for one of the largest residential developments in the county.
The 422-acre, 304-home golf course project called Ashley Plantation will certainly be the most densely developed subdivision north of Daleville.
"This is the toughest one I've ever dealt with," Valley District Supervisor and Chairman Bill Loope said. "Everybody had a valid point, but this was not going to be a farm anymore."
The farmland is owned by T.D. Steele, who will sell it to developer A.R. Overbay now that the rezoning is complete.
Initial proposals included 331 homes on the site. After complaints about the density of the housing and placement of some of the golf holes, Overbay pared the number down.
Golf course architect Russell Breeden, who designed the course but was not involved in subsequent changes to it, then redesigned some holes that would have had golfers driving balls into oncoming U.S. 220 traffic and over proposed homes. He also added a driving range.
Construction will begin in the fall, Overbay said, with some homes ready by early 1997. Houses will start at $200,000, with condominiums selling at about $150,000.
The 6,700-yard, 18-hole golf course should be ready for play by fall 1998, Overbay said. It will be open to the public, with residents of Ashley Plantation getting first choice of tee times.
"I didn't think we would have so much opposition," said Overbay, who also developed the Steeplechase, Hunter's Green and Laurel Mountain subdivisions in the county. "But I haven't yet had one approved on the first try."
A small but vocal group of neighbors spoke out against the development at every opportunity. Most were concerned about increased traffic and the effect on the water supply in the area, where most residents use wells.
Tuesday, opponents were still lining up to try to stop the project, which they said would "leapfrog" high density housing over undeveloped areas and into the more rural part of the county.
This time, though, Overbay and Steele brought in attorney Mary Ellen Goodlatte to argue their case. Goodlatte took a "lesser of two evils" approach to selling the development, pointing out that Overbay could build 300 homes on the land with no rezoning required.
Instead, she said, he chose to build a golf course and provide sewer lines to the development, which might benefit other residents in the future.
Frederic Spigle of Daleville said he grew up on a farm and has mixed feelings about the development. But he asked the supervisors to approve it, saying Botetourt residents have to face the reality that the county will not always be like it is.
Only Fincastle Supervisor Bonnie Mayo voted against the rezoning, with Robert E. Layman Jr. abstaining because his family owns property adjoining the development.
"It was tougher to say 'no' this time," Mayo said. "They put a lot of hard work into fixing this."
Mayo said she still had concerns that the development may not provide enough taxes to cover the county services it will require.
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