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Chesterfield commission approves 339 new housing units

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WRIC) — Two new developments totaling up to 339 new townhouses and apartments are one step closer to construction, after the Chesterfield Planning Commission gave them a stamp of approval Tuesday night.

The two properties — located on Route 1 North of West Hundred Road and Hull Street Road West of the Swift Creek Reservoir, respectively — will still need to be approved by the Board of Supervisors at an upcoming meeting.

Residences off Route 1

The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval for the 234 unit apartment complex proposed by Caldwell Reese Enterprises.

The development will be made up of a mix of “carriage homes” — housing units built over garages — and two apartment buildings. Conditions of the approval require that no more than 10% of the units be designated for three-bedroom apartments.

Map of the proposed development off of Route 1. (Map courtesy of Chesterfield County)

The site will be required to include a clubhouse and 5,000 square foot pool, shown on the far left side of the map above.

The developers will also be required to build a six-foot fence along the southern end of the property.

Trouble in Foxcroft

The second proposed development, put forward by Millwood Investment Company, is located just South of the Foxcroft development West of the Swift Creek Reservoir.

Map of proposed development at the corner of Fox Club and Village Square Parkways. (Map courtesy of Chesterfield County)

The proposal permits up to 105 units, containing a mix of single-family homes and duplexes, but a conceptual plan shows that the company currently intends to build 98 units in total.

The company could build no more than 70 of each type of home, with the total number of units capped at 105.

Several residents of Fox Club Parkway spoke at the public hearing to register their concerns about the project.

One resident called on the commission to include a provision barring construction workers from traveling through Foxcroft.

“The construction traffic is too much,” she said, adding that children often walk in the area to and from school.

She also called for the commission to remove a provision requiring construction of a sidewalk around the proposed development along Fox club Parkway.

A representative of the Foxcroft Homeowner’s association said the sidewalk and accompanying crosswalk would be a “sidewalk to nowhere.”

“The developer doesn’t want it, it’s not necessary,” he said.

But another nearby resident was in favor of the sidewalk, calling on the commission to cement the requirement as part of textual proffers, “It’s already agreed to, so let’s put it in the proffers.”

Although residents characterized it as a “sidewalk to nowhere,” Google streetview images show that it would connect to a path into Foxcroft and create continuous pedestrian paths between the two developments.

The commission approved the proposal with an amendment laying out the 70-unit limit, but left the issue of the sidewalk to Foxcroft for the Board of Supervisors to decide.