News And Resources

A massive mixed-use development in the works in Hanover is prompting county officials to request more time for review.

A public hearing is scheduled for the county planning commission’s 7 p.m. meeting tonight on The Lake District at Glen Allen, a 323-acre mixed-use development proposed by Virginia Beach-based Boyd Homes.

County planning staff is requesting that the case be deferred to allow more time to review the project. But the hearing is still expected to be held.

The development, which would be the company’s largest to date, is proposed for 2,820 new homes — a mix of apartments, townhomes, condos and single-family detached houses.

The property, on the east side of Mountain Road across from Cobblestones Park, also would be filled with about 313,000 square feet of retail and office space, as well as a 30-acre area that would be set aside for 10 years as a potential economic-development site.

Read more.

A group of investors made up of mostly restaurateurs has put a new retail and office project on the front burner in Hanover County.

Capital Up Investments, comprised of 11 family members and close friends who own several businesses and restaurants across the region, is preparing to break ground on a 10-acre commercial development in the Montpelier section of the county along U.S. Highway 33.

Dubbed Montpelier Villa, the 86,000-square-foot development will include a mix of retail, office and restaurant tenants.

Read more here:

Real estate activity is picking up along the Route 33 corridor, not necessarily in the interest of preserving the rural nature of Montpelier. But, we’ll see.

1) 16074 Mountain Rd, Montpelier, VA 23192
Left side of Route 33 going East between Derby Ridge and Walton’s Tavern Roads.
58+ acres; possible five lot development.

2) Between 15086 and 16660 Mountain Rd, Montpelier, VA 23192; two parcels, 26 acres and 15 acres.

3) Parcel just east of the above listing. Edward Jones financial services will be renting half of the existing house that is being renovated. Ten acres total owned by real estate agent with plans to develop it.

4) 15355 Beaver Dam Rd, Montpelier, VA 23192. 173+ acres supposedly under contract for a housing development. Check back later for updated information from the County.

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Our Mission Statement:

We are concerned citizens of Montpelier, VA whose mission is to ensure that Montpelier’s Rural Village designation remains preserved by promoting commercial development that is compatible with Montpelier’s rural residential environment.

We are PRO CONTROLLED GROWTH. We understand that businesses contribute more tax revenue than they typically consume and that a mix of residential and commercial growth makes sense.

We believe new development should be appropriate in scale and designed to complement the unique character of Montpelier and done with good judgment and planning so that we all can coexist in harmony.

That being said, we need the help of each and every Montpelier resident who shares our mission. We can’t do it all with our tiny staff.

We’ll do our best to keep you informed and provide the tools and energy to fulfill our mission. But positive change is ultimately in the actions you, the Montpelier Resident, take!

We need Volunteer Members! Please, get involved!

Join our mailing list; contact the Planning Commission; contact the Board of Supervisors; show up at their meetings (Planning), Board of Supervisors; contact the Realtors.

On Wednesday, May 23 at 7:00pm, the Hanover Board of Supervisors (BOS) will hold its last public meeting on Doug Harris’ rezoning request. As you know, if passed, the rezoning request will allow for the construction of a ten-pump gas station, a restaurant/tavern, office space and allow for more business development on the rest of the sixteen acres of the plot.

If you feel that this is not in the best interest of your neighborhood or in the best interest of Montpelier, you don’t want to miss out on attending the meeting and speaking up!

In addition to attending the meeting, please send an email petition to the BOS voicing your opposition to the rezoning request.

…a “neighborhood” gas station/convenience store/restaurant that begins the commercial sprawl…

…and ends up like this (Centerville)…

(Centerville is in Goochland County a few miles west of Short Pump. It has developed at a rapid pace over the past several years, and is ready for its next phase – hundreds of homes, a hotel and more retail and office space. If you want to see what can happen in the Montpelier/Rt. 33 corridor, just visit Centerville.)

…or this (Mechanicsville)

South Anna District

Wayne T. Hazzard 
11237 Two Pond Lane
Glen Allen, VA 23059

Phone: (804) 749-3345
wthazzard@hanovercounty.gov

 

Beaverdam District

Aubrey M. (Buckey) Stanley
18055 Beaver Dam Road
Beaverdam, VA 23015

Home: (804) 449-6606
amstanley@hanovercounty.gov

The Hanover County Planning Commission decided to recommend that the Board of Supervisors ACCEPT the rezoning application by William Joyce and Doug Harris to change the zoning from A-1 Agricultural to B-3 Commercial at 16766 Mountain Road (the house right next door to the Montpelier Animal Hospital).

It was just one setback in the fight to save Montpelier from incompatible commercialization, so we will persist in our opposition to this project.

The next round is with the Board of Supervisors, who will have the final say on whether or not this development will be built.

We will keep you in the loop about how we intend to continue to fight this proposal.

The mission statement of Keep Montpelier Rural, Inc. reads, in part:

To ensure that Montpelier’s Rural Village designation remains preserved by promoting commercial development that is compatible with Montpelier’s rural residential environment, and

New development should be appropriate in scale and designed to complement the unique character of Montpelier and done with good judgment and planning so that we all can coexist in harmony

Towns and villages across Virginia have succumbed to unfettered commercial growth for the sake of convenience, trendiness and the urge to make a quick buck.

In the process, these towns and villages have lost their sense of place; their uniqueness that made people want to move there, raise their families there, worship there and feel that certain sense of community that was found lacking in the cities and suburbs from which they fled.

Is Montpelier headed down that same road of “progress” for the sake of progress, or can it hold on to its character, charm and yes, its “ruralness”?

The point of this piece is not to denigrate those who want to see more commercial and economic development in Montpelier. Rather it’s to caution those who believe that “commercial development is inevitable so why fight it”, that there is more at stake to our community than avoiding a fifteen minute drive to a fast food joint or filling up at a “clean” gas station can ever replace.

To further this point more eloquently, we’ll point you to these recent columns in the Richmond publication Style Weekly. In both columns, the authors lament the watering down of what makes Richmond “Richmond” – losing its sense of place – by ignoring what is already there for the short-sightedness of doing what’s expedient for profit’s sake. Those sentiments are relative to Montpelier as our residents grapple with the commercial developments on its horizon.

In “Planners for the Proposed 100-unit Apartment Building, 805W, on West Cary Should Go Back to the Drawing Board” architecture critic Ed Slipek writes about that which is stated in our mission statement, namely: “New development should be appropriate in scale and designed to complement the unique character of Montpelier and done with good judgment and planning so that we all can coexist in harmony.”

And “Richmond, Erased: What kind of city do you want to leave for your descendants?” by Joe Essid asks “Where might this all end? Not in bulldozed and tacky sprawl from Williamsburg to Charlottesville, [or Short Pump] perhaps, but in something nearly as awful: a place with no continuity, a landscape remade to fit the needs of short-term profits and shorter-term fads.”

Regardless if you’ve lived here for fifty years or just moved in last week, read the articles and ask yourself “what kind of future do you want for Montpelier”?

What Is This About?

A rezoning request was submitted to the Hanover Planning Commission earlier this year to rezone two parcels of land at 16766 and 16780 Mountain Road. If granted, the land parcels will be developed into a 10-pump gas station, tavern, restaurant and office site.

After careful scrutiny of the proposed development as submitted to the Planning Commission, we have come to the conclusion that, as proposed, the development design does not conform to nor complement the current Montpelier “Rural Village” area as designated by the County Comprehensive Plan.

These are our concerns about the development plan as it currently stands:

Contradicts the “Rural Village” atmosphere of Montpelier

• Years ago, a request to rezone this same property at 16780 Mountain Road [Case: C-25-96(c)] was DENIED

• Subject parcels are located near 19 Historical sites of which 12 are on the National Register

• Subject parcels are located adjacent to and near several residential communities

• Bright gas station lighting, large signage and noise of this development will adversely impact the nearby residential areas

• Gas pumps are sited too close to Rt. 33 and therefore intrude on the landscape

Public safety and health issues

• Water quality will be adversely affected by a large volume of runoff mixed with oil and gasoline from the large paved areas at the gas station

• A gas station, convenience store and restaurant in one location may have too much sewage for a conventional septic system to handle, which Valero and Food Lion have already experienced

• Submitted proposal has placed the entrance and exit very close to the curve on Rt. 33 just west of the development and east of Lane Mill Road

• East bound cars on Rt. 33 into the gas station will stop traffic and create a traffic jam, especially during the morning commute; cars emerging onto Rt. 33 and turning east bound will be unsafe

Hopefully, the Planning Commission will take these concerns to heart and work with the developer to reach a compromise that will benefit both the developer and the residents of Montpelier.

What Can You Do?

1) You will have an opportunity to speak in favor of or in opposition to the rezoning request at the Planning Commission’s meeting on Wednesday, April 19, 2018, at 7:00pm.

2) Ensure that the Planning Commission hears your voice by also signing the petition below. All that is required is your name, email address and street address. IMPORTANT: You can also include a personal message. Just type your comments into the box that says YOUR PERSONAL COMMENTS. If you want to receive a copy of the petition sent to your email, check the box that says BCC YOURSELF.

By clicking on the Send Now button, the petition, will be sent to the following Hanover Planning Commission members:

• Henry District – Jerry Bailey
• Chickahominy District – Steven F. Hadra
• Cold Harbor District – Fredric I. McGhee, Jr.
• Beaverdam District – Edmonia Iverson
• South Anna District – Larry Leadbetter
• Mechanicsville District – Randy Whittaker
• Ashland District – Alan Abbott

As stated on our Home Page,

We are PRO CONTROLLED GROWTH. We understand that businesses contribute more tax revenue than they typically consume and that a mix of residential and commercial growth makes sense.

We believe new development should be appropriate in scale and designed to complement the unique character of Montpelier and done with good judgment and planning so that we all can coexist in harmony.

We encourage you to take these small but important steps to voice your opinion on how to preserve the Montpelier we all love to call home.

We respect your Privacy. Your name, address and email address will not be shared with anyone.

Did you attend the meeting last Tuesday night, March 6, at the Montpelier Community Center, about William Joyce’s and Doug Harris’ plan to develop and operate a gas station, store, restaurant and office next to the Montpelier Veterinary Hospital?

Were you even aware that there was such a “public” meeting last Tuesday? We wonder why the developer failed to post a public notice to the residents of Montpelier.

Don’t get us wrong – we’re in favor of well-planned and compatible growth in Montpelier. But we’re also for transparency and ensuring that ALL Montpelier residents have a voice in any growth.

We learned about this meeting after the fact from the County Planning Department. We learned through them that the developer invited a select few residents to attend the meeting along with Planning Commissioners and Supervisors from the Montpelier and South Anna districts.

Although the developers may have adhered to the letter of the law by notifying adjacent property owners, we believe it failed to live up to the spirit of the law by choosing not to include all Montpelier residents to attend the meeting.

If you live anywhere in Montpelier and are concerned about not being kept abreast of what your County officials are being asked to approve, please contact the Planning Commissionand the Board of Supervisors to insist they make their plans available to ALL Montpelier residents.

Be sure to keep the date of April 19 at 7:00pm open to attend the Planning Commission meeting as it discusses the rezoning of this property from A1 Agricultural to B3 Commercial.

Read the rezoning request that was submitted to the county by the developers and an updated version of the layout.

If you’re interested in the impact this development will have on the local traffic situation, here is a copy of the Traffic Impact Study.