Planning Commission approve 10 acre project at Bliley & Forest Hill
The last time this project popped up on my radar was 2009. After yesterday’s meeting it appears to be moving forward. The Richmond Planning Commission approved by a vote of 4-3 a 59-unit single family housing development on 10 acres at Forest Hill Ave and Bliley Road. It will now go before City Council.
Prices for the homes are planned to be between $200,000 and $250,000 for the proposed $12 million development.
The property will need a zoning change from R-3 Single-Family Residential District to R-6 Single-Family Attached Residential District. City planning staff recommended denial of rezoning during the meeting. The Richmond Traffic Department did studys on Bliley Road and said that the roadway could handle the extra traffic. The entrance and exit to the housing development would only be located on Bliley Road and the proposal includes a “road splitter” to act as a traffic calming measure on Bliley and as a left turning lane into the property.
Organizations that supported the development include Westover Hills Association, Willow Oaks Country Club, Forest Hill/Bliley Road Association and more. City Council president Kathy Graziano gave her support at the meeting as well.
Bliley Road has no sidewalks and is considered by neighbors to be a dangerous place for pedestrians and cyclists. Lucille Brown Middle School on Blakemore Road has many children that walk in the area, and speakers mentioned that it is already difficult for children to safely walk to school in that area.
Henry Dixon, who has lived on Limerick Drive for 47 years said “my biggest objection is they want to put six units in my backyard. That will do nothing to up the value of my house with six backyards staring you in the face.” He also mentioned that the proposed community has no extra parking for visitors.
59 houses on 10 acres, that seems kinda crammed in there
The original plan presented to the Forest Hill-Bliley Road Neighborhood Association several years ago was for 80+ townhouses to be built on the property. The new plan allows for buffer and green space between the development and neighbors. We’ll wait and see on the traffic that isn’t supposed to have an impact on Bliley Road ….
I certainly hope they’ll use some of their development to improve the scary part of Bliley. Head-on crashes are no fun, and the trees always win.
THERE ARE 100′S OF HOMES FOR SALE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. IS THERE REALLY A DEMAND FOR 59 MORE? THAT’S LESS THAN 1/4 ACRE PER HOUSE.
YOU CAN ANTICIPATE ABOUT 50 DOGS JOINING THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MOST LEFT OUTDOORS.
@ Jennifer: The developer has given an easement to help with traffic calming. The hope is Bliley will look more residential and less rural. Maybe those cut-through drivers will slow down a bit and stop hitting our trees and light poles.
Economics don’t work — I don’t see any bank financing this project. Assuming a value of $250,000 for ALL units, the gross proceeds value is $14,750,000 or a Loan to value of 81%. Bank’s wouldn’t touch a single family development project over 65% loan to COST right now, so that means the developer will need to pony up $4,200,000. For a return of $2,750,000 (not including the required letters of credit or bonding) the return is just not there. They will want more density.
I would like to point out that the WHNA only sent a letter saying they had no objections to it, not that they supported it. They felt as though the development would not have direct impacts on Westover Hills residents, but that adjacent homeowners should have the greatest say because they would be more directly impacted.
Oh, and Noreen, less than a quarter of an acre is actually consistent with much of the development in the area. This is not the suburbs, and shouldn’t be developed as such.