The county’s planning commission unanimously recommended their rezoning application on Thursday, April 16. The requests now head to the Board of Supervisors for final approval on Wednesday, May 27.
Read the proposal the BOS are voting on just below. For best reading, click on the 
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IMPORTANT – The Board of Supervisors meeting room can be filled to no more than 50% capacity and social distancing must be observed. Hanover County has greatly expanded the ways residents may provide comment without having to appear in person, including establishing a voice mail number (804-365-3333) and an email address for both Citizens Time and the Public Hearings. Comments left within voice mail and the email box will be made a part of the record. The deadline for submitting Citizens’ Time and public hearing comments is Monday, May 25th at 5:00 p.m.
Capital Up Investments, LLC wants to rezone about 10 acres split between two parcels at 16644 and 16660 Mountain Road in Montpelier to make way for a shopping center with three retail strip buildings and two office buildings. The project is to be called Montpelier Villa.
The county’s planning commission unanimously recommended their rezoning application on Thursday, April 16. The requests now head to the Board of Supervisors for final approval on Wednesday, May 27.
You may know some of the principals in the firm. According to a past news story they are:
- Giuseppe Giambanco, president of Capital Up and an agent with Hometown Realty | HTR Commercial and co-owner of Roma’s Italian Restaurant in Henrico County
- Massimo Giambanco, owner of Tony’s Italian Restaurant in Innsbrook, is the vice president
- Anthony Giambanco, owner of Roma’s Italian Restaurant
- Vincenzo Sanzone, owner of Portofino Ristorante Italiano in Montpelier
- Roberto Gallina, owner of Roberto’s Italian Restaurant in Sandston
- Filippo Morici, owner of Black Paw Marketing
- Jimmy Koontz, owner of Koontz Paint & Body Works
- Johnny Ingargiola, owner of Roma’s Italian Restaurant, and Simona’s Pizza and Subs in Petersburg
- Vito Gallina, owner of Roma’s Italian Restaurant in King William
- Salvo Passalaqua, owner of Colonial Italian Restaurant in Colonial Heights and Croce Monterosso La Casetta Italian Restaurant in North Carolina
Keep Montpelier Rural, Inc. (KMR) is not opposed to this project because:
- The location of the development, 16644 and 16660 Mountain Road in Montpelier, is adjacent to the Montpelier Feed & Seed strip center, and across Mountain Road from the Food Lion shopping center
- This location and design appear to be in accordance with the tenets set forth by (KMR)
- Comments and actions by the participating citizens of Montpelier on past such development indicate that any future commercial development be contained in this already commercial part of the village
For those reasons we don’t object to having this project built in the proposed location.
But (and there’s always a but), the development group, Capital Up Investments, LLC, has already put out feelers for tenants, kicking off conversations with Advance Auto Parts and eyeing some fast-food franchises to help fill out the shopping center.
KMR would oppose Advance Auto Parts or any similar national chain as they would directly compete with an established business – NAPA Auto Parts next to the post office..
Our opposition to any fast-food chain would include the likelihood of noise, congestion, trash and litter concerns and the competitive advantage they would have over our locally-owned food choices, including Portofino.
Regardless of our position on this development, KMR is encouraging you to make yours known to the Board of Supervisors before and at their Wednesday, May 27 meeting.