New TND Harvest at Blue Ridge off Cloverdale Road receives approval

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved changes to Botetourt County’s Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) zoning and approved a new 93-acre development with over 400 dwelling units at the July 17 meeting, held at the Botetourt County Administration Building at Greenfield.

Harvest at Blue Ridge, a TND development planned for the old Murray Cider property on Cloverdale Road (Alt US 220/Route 604), would also have a small amount of commercial property.

The proposed project’s main street would be on the southwest side of the property, close to Cloverdale Road. The historic structures of Murray Cider Co. would be repurposed for civic and commercial uses.

The TND zoning changes include a new use of “dwelling, cottage,” which creates 1,000 square foot single-family lots, allows additional encroachments into required yards within the TND use district, reduces lot area and required yards for residential uses, reduces required yards for accessory buildings, allows alleys to be used as primary access to lots and ensure alleys do not require sidewalks, reduces the land area required to construct an accessory dwelling unit, and other items. These changes apply to any TND development going forward, not just Harvest at Blue Ridge

Harvest at Blue Ridge would be constructed in phases, with final build-out not anticipated until about 2035. Houses would be grouped together but not adjacent to businesses.

The primary access is proposed across from Cortland Road, which is proposed as a signalized intersection and the other is planned as a right-in/right-out that is located upon the northern most connection of the property with Cloverdale Road.

Each type of residential use found in the zoning ordinance is proposed within the development, including 122 single-family detached units, 24 duplex units, 30 cottage units, 99 single-family attached (townhome) units and 162 multi-family (apartment) units.

Commercial uses are limited to no more than 60,000 square feet and will be comprised of uses that are permitted by right from the Business (B-1 and B-2) Use Districts.

A TND would be designed with specific goals in mind, including allowing residents to carry out many of life’s activities within their neighborhood, such as working, shopping, education and recreation. Additionally, a TND would be planned to provide a range and mix of retail, office, residential, and civic land uses, and dwelling types. It would also provide a transportation system that provides safe, comfortable, and convenient movement for all forms of traffic, including motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles and provide a system of civic spaces including parks, squares, and public structures to create a sense of community.

 The developer, The Wilkinson Group, would be responsible for infrastructure, including the addition of water and sewer and any changes to existing roads such as a turn lane.

Six citizens commented about the project during the public hearing portion of the meeting. A few asked questions about taxpayer funding, schools, and infrastructure. Several opposed the project.

The developer in the past has created Stonegate, a subdivision off Sanderson Road, and Summerfield Village in Botetourt. The company also was responsible for the recent renovation of the 1908 Fire Station 1 in the City of Roanoke.

The project can be viewed at https://thewilkinsongroupinc.com/harvest-at-blue-ridge

                                                                                          — Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee