Exit 150 Overlay will impact Exit 150 and create different space for business and travel

The Board of Supervisors held a joint work session with the Planning Commission on an overlay district for Exit 150, also known as Gateway Crossing, late on June 28.

Public access via phone was removed as the work session began and anyone listening in could not hear the work session. However, The Bee has obtained a .pdf shown at the meeting as a Power Point presentation, spoken to Amsterdam District Supervisor Steve Clinton for an update, and followed up with the county’s Director of Communication for clarification.

The document indicates a separate 240-unit apartment complex application for the area is already in the works. The proposed apartment complex would be located on two parcels, one currently owned by Lorrd Ganeshjl Inc (also known as the Howard Johnson site) and the parcel immediately behind that, owned by Gateway Coachman Land, LLC (currently vacant).

The proposed apartments are adjacent to the Appalachian Trail corridor.

The apartment proposal is a separate land use application by a private developer. This application will be considered at the August Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors meetings and is separate from the Gateway Crossing Overlay.

Planning for additional businesses at Exit 150 has been underway since 2016, when the interchange was improved by the state and federal government. The Virginia Department of Transportation is also studying the interchange again for additional improvements on the southbound exit. This change, if implemented, would add a bicycle lane and move the US 220 northbound exit a little further north.

The county Board of Supervisors sees Exit 150 as not only a gateway to Botetourt, but as an entrance into the entire Roanoke Valley, the Shenandoah Valley, and the Virginia Highlands, according to a vision statement in the document.

The proposed overlay district would apply only to the Exit 150 area and encompass property north from a little above Commons Parkway (where Kroger is located), west following the railroad tracks south to an area encompassing the electric substation, and north to approximately the area of the former Cash Building Supply building. It is an area more than twice the size of the Daleville Town Center development.

This Gateway Crossing overlay area would be subdivided into three distinct permitted uses: Residential Subdistrict, Community Business Subdistrict, and Interstate Business Subdistrict.

The Residential Subdistrict would include a mixed density residential uses with a walkable community design and complementary neighborhood-scale commercial uses such as daycare centers. Residential density could be increased with a Special Exception Permit (SEP).

The Community Business Subdistrict would be a mix of small-scale retail shops and offices, civic spaces, parks, mixed-use dwellings. Examples include a farmer’s market, greenway trails, and daycare centers. One of the maps in the document indicates this particular subdistrict would go further north on US 220 to the Daleville Town Center area.

The Interstate Business Subdistrict would include service-oriented commercial uses, including hospitality, lodging, retail, and office use. Structures and layout would be designed to be compatible with the goals of a walkable district. Examples include restaurants, retail buildings, and a conference center.

All uses could be changed or made subject to an SEP.

An overlay district would provide flexible standards for a specific area. The standards would not be county wide and would apply only to the property around Exit 150. These standards, based on years of planning, would be permitted by the Code of Virginia. The overlay district would be used to guide development to appropriate locations. The Gateway Crossing Overlay would be designed to enhance and create an attractive entrance into Botetourt County at its most significant interstate exit.

The overlay district would not stop existing uses and it would not be a way to take agricultural land for development. It also would not guarantee or ensure that development would actually occur.

Clinton noted that while the June 28 meeting was a work session, several landowners who would fall under the overlay zoning if approved showed up to object to the overlay district even though the meeting was not a public hearing.

The supervisor also noted that there is already a great deal of development at Exit 150 that “cannot be undone.”

The Planning Commission is expected to hold a public hearing on the proposed overlay district at its August meeting, and its recommendation would be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors at its meeting later in the month. The Supervisors also would hold a public hearing on the matter.

Readers can view a storymap of the Gateway Crossing overlay proposal at https://tinyurl.com/gatewaycrossing. It can also be reached via the county’s website.

                                                                                          — Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee