Two rezoning requests and a pair of special exception permits tied to plan for more than 270 apartments and a senior living community in Madison Heights received the Amherst County Planning Commission’s recommendation for approval.
The commission voted Aug. 18 to approve four zoning measures requested by Terry Morcom, who is proposing the major development on Virginia 163 near its intersection with Virginia 210 close to the Lynchburg border. Morcom, an agent for WEK LLC, in a July 21 letter to county officials wrote the development is intended as a beautiful community that will contain apartments with a pool and a community building adjoining commercial space that will attract possibly a gas station, medical offices or retail area.
“This community will have a large green space area with walking trails, soccer fields, pickle ball courts and a pavilion,” Morcom wrote. “This will serve as an area that can be used by this community along with the senior living community that adjoins it.”
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The senior living community is planned for ages 55 and over, offering senior living villas, two-story independent living apartments and a two-story assisted living memory care facility. The intent is to build in phases with an entrance at the stoplight at Virginia 163 and Virginia 210. Phase 1 includes apartments and senior villas, the next phase consists of senior apartments and the third contains the memory care facility, according to Morcom’s letter.
The larger rezoning request seeks to convert 15 acres of General Commercial (B-2) property to Multi-family Residential (R-3) for apartments, a community building, a pool and open space. The commission also recommended approving density up to 276 apartments and 150 units as part of the independent senior living apartments.
Morcom said the development is meeting a demand for “market rate” apartments and senior housing.
“This is first-class apartments,” Morcom said. “We think it’s a much-needed project. We feel like we’re addressing issues the county can benefit from ... We are trying to make this an asset for Amherst County.”
Nearly a dozen people spoke during a series of public hearings on the development, mostly opposed to the project with concerns largely centered on traffic, noise and how it will affect access into their existing neighborhood in close vicinity.
Mike Ogden has lived in the subdivision abutting the development area for more than 50 years.
“One of our greatest concerns is traffic,” Ogden said. “We are concerned about the density of people coming in there.”
Ogden said it’s been a quiet community for decades and a surge of more residents would strain an already stressful situation at the stoplight that makes turning into and out of the neighborhood difficult.
Heather Jamerson, who lives in the neighborhood, said Morcom has beautiful property she views every morning from her backyard.
“What kind of buffer I have is a concern,” Jamerson said. “It’s a mess when someone is developing beside you. I can’t stop progress and I’m not trying to. I’m just concerned about it.”
She said she feels the unit per acre of proposed density is too much.
“Our neighborhood, we cannot hold this,” Jamerson said. “We are not prepared for this. There has to be a better plan than this here before we move forward. We’ve got to plan better.”
A few speakers said they are not anti-growth and feel the development is needed but would be more beneficial at another location.
“The traffic is crazy,” said Carl Deans, who lives in the neighborhood. “What are you going to do at 5 p.m. traffic? It’s already a mess.”
Frank Thomas, who lives across the site of the proposed development, said he doesn’t feel the infrastructure is adequate.
Another speaker said she is scared someone may get killed at the stoplight because of the danger turning out of there, and another asked for public sewer to come to the neighborhood if the developer receives access to that utility.
The property is served by public water and the county is studying the feasibility of adding public sewer, according to the county’s department of community development.
Morcom said the goal is to bring a first-class development in an area the county has designated for growth.
“My hope is we’re not going to have a bunch of rowdy seniors living there,” Morcom said. “We’re proposing a top-rate facility. We are trying to give you something the county will be proud of.”
Jeremy Bryant, director of community development, said the Virginia Department of Transportation was still assessing the project but had not issued a formal impact analysis at the time of the Aug. 18 meeting. A second entrance on Virginia 163 into the development is planned. Sidewalks also would be built, including along the entire length of Virginia 163, Bryant said.
A few commissioners said the development is contingent on VDOT’s review and public sewer availability.
Morcom said the unassisted senior living villas and memory care facility are the heart and soul of the project he describes as a “transitional” community for the aging population. He said he has reached out to senior living companies to manage it, has received interest and has been told it’s in a perfect location with close proximity to stores, restaurants and the U.S. 29 business corridor and bypass. It’s also on the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company route and is within 10 minutes of Lynchburg General and Virginia Baptist hospitals, he said.
Another rezoning of 0.3 acres would allow that land to become part of the senior living community and the two special exception permit requests include 17 acres for the apartments and roughly 26 acres for the assisted living/memory care facility with 140 units as well as an independent living facility for seniors with 150 units, according to county documents.
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors discussed public sewer aspects of the development during the board’s Aug. 2 meeting. All four zoning measures the commission recommended approval of will go to the board for review likely in September.
Supervisor Jimmy Ayers, who observed much of the Aug. 18 commission meeting, recently spoke of the need for the county to improve utility infrastructure on the Virginia 210 corridor and in that area.
“If growth is going to jump the James River, that’s where it’s going to jump to,” Ayers said.
He said Morcom is making a significant investment in the county with the development proposal and asked what the board can do to help with offsetting costs in regard to infrastructure.
“We need to do our part in looking at the infrastructure expansion through that corridor right there because there’s been interest off and on through the years,” Ayers said. “I just think we’ve reached the point we need to do that and when you look not only at the connection that we’ll see on the return... the revenue based on taxes will be substantial as well. I think we need to do what we can as a county to help facilitate so this growth can take place.”
Supervisor Tom Martin said the county’s Economic Development Authority, Amherst County Service Authority and county officials should work out ways to close a funding gap in regard to public sewer infrastructure.
Commissioner Derin Foor said the development is beneficial to the county’s growth needs at a time when Madison Heights revitalization efforts are in full swing.
“This county needs housing and needs jobs, and Mr. Morcom is proposing bringing both of these on this property,” Foor said.
In other news:
The commission recommended approval of two separate special exception requests for short-term rental of two homes, one on the 300 block of Elon Road and the other on the 100 block of Apple Way in Madison Heights.
