Berryville Planning Agrees with Plan
*Printed in Winchester Star, January 2024*
The Berryville Planning Commission is to be commended for their decision to stick with the Berryville Area Plan and oppose an oversized proposal from developer D.R. Horton. The seven-member commission decided unanimously that the density requested did not fit the character of Berryville.
Commissioners that spoke noted agreement with citizen comments by Wingate Mackay-Smith that smart planning means sticking with your zoning decisions and not allowing one-off requests for rezoning, something the Berryville Area Plan discourages as well.
Additional comments reflected honoring the vision of those who came before us, and that once the land is gone, it’s gone.
Prudence and the wisdom of the commission were evident in their decision, to which the crowd in attendance joyously celebrated with applause in support of the recommended denial.
D.R. Horton will now have the opportunity to present their proposal to the Berryville Town Council for final consideration and potential approval.
The Town Council is charged by the Berryville Plan to pursue what is often called “smart growth” in simple terms, but spelled out more clearly in the implementation of the Clarke Comprehensive Plan and Berryville Area Plan.
The question and definition of smart growth comes down to this: should the plan that has been thoughtfully built and crafted for decades, through commissions and councils, be the rule to follow … or should it be a developer proposal that has shifted, changed, and even contradicted itself at times over the past six months?
Many citizens are in favor of smart growth that sticks with the Berryville Plan, and I hope the Berryville Town Council is too.
Horton Proposal Doesn’t Fit Plan
*Printed in the Winchester Star, December 2023*
Horton Proposal for Berryville Doesn’t Fit
Questions remain after the Berryville Planning Commission deferred its decision regarding D.R. Horton’s proposal for higher density rezoning and 198 homes on the northeast side of town. The Friant property is boxed in by Rt. 7, the railway, and a small low-density neighborhood.
According to the Berryville Area Plan, Medium Density Zoning “is targeted for (1) planning Sub-Areas with excellent accessibility and proximity to public and private community facilities, and (2) undeveloped planning Sub-Areas which are contiguous to similarly sized, existing residential areas.” (Pg. II-6)
First set of questions:
1) What public/private community facilities are excellently accessible to the Friant property? Which are in proximity? Walkscore.com, subsidiary of real estate website Redfin, scores the property access point as 14 out of 100, meaning majority of daily needs require cars since it’s car dependent. There are major traffic concerns with the near 20% increase thru town projected.
2) Is the adjoining Battletown neighborhood similarly sized? No, it’s low density with low-capacity streets. Revisions in 2015 to the Berryville Area Plan moved adjoining sub-area (14B), from medium density into the low-density zoning of the Friant property. That’s an increase in low-density land, not less.
The Plan continues:”[Medium density] would be applied to subject sites based on development proposals that address the specific issues and needs … that best mitigate negative impacts on surrounding properties and public infrastructure, and that provide open space with appropriate landscape design and viewshed protection.” (Pg. II-6)
Next set of questions:
· Does the Horton proposal address the needs of the Berryville Area Plan related to affordable housing, protecting the historic Bel Voi property, and preserving natural resources?
· Does the Horton proposal mitigate the negative impacts on surrounding properties and public infrastructure?
There is a vague proffer to Clarke County Public Schools for additional students and no attempt to project impact to public services. Traffic increases threaten Route 7 and thru town congestion. Wastewater management is also an issue due the amount of development and runoff.
The Friant property on its own doesn’t meet the qualifications for medium density, but the Berryville Area Plan says it can be considered due to missed opportunities. “Town and County Planning Staffs identified a total of 195 unused residential units in six residential Sub-Areas … As noted later in this Chapter, [the Friant property] … are identified as potential candidates to receive reallocated residential units…” (pg. II-7)
Final set of questions:
· Most unused lots come from Battlefield Estates (used for the high school), and the Hermitage (larger lots). Was the definition of medium density better suited for their prior locations (adjacent the urban core of town, better road connectivity, and other medium density) or the Friant property (edge of town and low density)?
· Does it makes sense to take missed opportunities and put them in another location not originally designated for it?
· If it does make sense — is the Friant property under Horton the right place for it?
The Planning Commission has done due diligence considering it, and I hope they say “no.”
Tell Berryville to Stick to the Plan
*Printed in the Winchester Star, November 2023*
On Nov. 28 at 7 p.m., the Berryville Planning Commission will hear public comment at the Berryville-Clarke County Government Center (located at 101 Chalmers Ct.) regarding a new 198-home housing development planned by D.R. Horton.
The proposed development is on the northeast edge of town close to the Route 7 intersection with Main Street. The proposal submitted by the developer is asking for an amendment to the Berryville Area Plan that would allow for an increase in density, which it is currently not zoned for.
The Berryville Area Plan, last updated in 2015, has considered this land to be low density residential (one to two homes/acre) for many years. If you think about it, there is a lot of wisdom in why the area would be viewed that way. With its location adjacent to large familiar farms like Audley and Clermont, it acts as a transition zone between the surrounding beauty of Clarke County and the small town feel of Berryville.
The Berryville Area Plan designates higher density for those with excellent access to local community services, which this property does not have. Additionally, the requested level of higher density doesn’t match the surrounding lower density residential area, and in fact, it would push a lot of traffic through it.
What sets this proposed nearly-200 home development apart from other large developments in Berryville (The Hermitage, Battlefield Estates) is its relation to traffic infrastructure. Both of the other 200-home developments in town are adjacent to the town’s urban center, as well as boast easily accessible collector roads (Hermitage Boulevard and Mosby Boulevard) that connect residents to both Main Street and Route 340 (Buckmarsh), which are the main roads through town.
This oversized development proposed by D.R. Horton has a major traffic problem. All of the traffic would push out onto Main Street just before the intersection at Route 7, which is often plagued with accidents that morning and evening commuters must make their way through. The traffic analysis put together by the developer estimates 50% of the traffic will flow down Main Street through town. The daily trip volume projected (1,892) through Main Street is 18% of its current volume (5,200 daily trips as of 2021). That might provide more congestion than your common cold.
The property being developed is boxed in by the Norfolk Southern Railroad, Route 7, and an existing residential development. The opportunity to significantly expand infrastructure is greatly limited, if not non-existent. The best way to mitigate this looming congestion problem is to reduce the number of homes in the proposal significantly. The Berryville Area Plan has current zoning in place for about 112 homes. That allows a much nicer and thoughtful placement along the entrance to town, and certainly keeps us from having a congestion-related headache on a daily basis.
If you are concerned like me, please write to the Berryville Planning Commission and your local representatives and ask them to stick to the plan — the Berryville plan.
Save Berryville 