During a marathon session that lasted beyond midnight, the Essex County Board of Supervisors voted on October 2 to continue a public hearing regarding a rezoning request that would create a mixed-used development at Brays Fork.
The matter was scheduled to be on the agenda when the supervisors held their monthly meeting on October 10.
Shiree and June Monterio have submitted the application for the project called Essex Point at Mt. Clement.
Shiree Monterio is the president and founder of project developer 7 and M Development, LLC. She is the granddaughter of the late Thomas Harris, a prominent African-American Tappahannock businessman, whose property is being utilized for the proposal.
They have requested that a 13.186- acre site be rezoned from Business to Planned United Development to accommodate the project.
If approved, the development will bring a variety of housing and business opportunities, including housing for ages 55-plus and workforce housing for teachers, nurses, law enforcement and local government employees.
The original proposal included around a dozen variance requests, while the amended version includes only three.
Those exceptions are:
• Less acreage than the 15-acre minimum requirement;
• The desire for private roads to be created within the project. Such roads would have public easements.
• A single entrance/exit off Route 360 with a secondary emergency only access while providing two future connector roads to adjoin Hospital Road. A right turn lane onto the entrance would also be created at bit
At last week’s hearing, Shiree Monterio made a 45-minute presentation to the Board of Supervisors who subsequently made inquiries of her and her development team that lasted for more than two hours.
Supervisors Rob Akers (Greater Tappahannock District) and John Magruder (Central District) both indicated they were not able to vote on the matter until they received additional information surrounding the project. Some of those issues — which the supervisors said were not included in their packet regarding the application — included a traffic study, an economic development study, and stormwater management issues.
They also noted that they only received their packets nine days prior to the hearing.
“That additional information is the only way I can get clarity,” Magruder remarked.
Monterio noted that she had previously submitted those documents to county staff.
She later expressed frustration at not being able to hold work sessions with the county’s planning commission — which previously recommended denial of the request by a 5-2 vote — or the supervisors.
“These same comments are what we’ve been hearing since December,” Monterio said, noting the date when the project was submitted to the county’s zoning department.
The public comment segment of the hearing did not begin until 10:05 p.m.
The supervisors heard testimony from 29 individuals with the vast majority supporting the proposal.
“The feedback I’ve received is that Essex County is in desperate need of housing,” Victor Burrell said.
“Essex Point at Mt. Clement will address so many shortfalls in the county,” said Madeline Lawson who presented the supervisors with a petition with more than 700 signatures supporting the project.
Hazel Hickman, the president of the Essex Branch of the NAACP, told the supervisors her organization supports the proposal.
“Essex Point at Mt. Clement will not cost Essex County one dime,” she said.
“The county and town needs this,” Jean Banks said. “It’s a win-win situation that will not cost the county anything.”
“Exceptions can be made and you have the power to do this,” the Rev. Cornelius Holmes told the supervisors.
“I believe this project is a step in the right direction,” said Lou Spencer, who noted the project would bring much-needed construction jobs here as well as addressing the affordable housing issue.
“We need to look forward to see what we can do today as a defining moment,” Dr. Gene Quarles said.
“When there is no cost to the county, then why not?”
“This project is right and you need to listen to the people,” Temple Grant told the supervisors.
Six speakers were opposed to the rezoning.
Matthew Fleet, of James River Equipment which adjoins the Harris/Monterio property, noted that the proposal falls under the 15-acre threshold for Planned Unit Developments (PUDs). He noted that the minimum acreage requirement for a PUD was previously 50 acres before it was changed when the zoning ordinance was amended last year.
Carter Ball, of Tidewater Lumber, urged the supervisors not to make an “arbitrary and capricious” decision. He said the location where the project is proposed is more of an industrial area.
Barry Bates, vice chair of the county’s Agriculture and Forestry Development Committee, told the supervisors that the panel is opposed to the rezoning.
“We believe the current businesses that are there are not compatible with this project,” he said.
Following the public hearing, Monterio spent time addressing concerns raised by those who expressed opposition to the project.
She noted that the county’s zoning administrator has indicated the applicants are in compliance with requirements of the request.
Addressing those who say the project should be proposed for a different location, she noted that she has a legal right to make the rezoning request for the site.
She also noted that — upon earlier questioning from Supervisor Sidney Johnson — that zoning administrator Brian Barnes reported there have been no noise complaints filed with the county concerning that area.
“If we do a noise study and it reveals (current operations) are in violation of the noise ordinance, what will occur,” she inquired. “Will you hold them accountable?”
The project has been slimmed down since its original submission to the county’s Planning Commission in June.
The revised proposal:
• Eliminated residential buildings closest to the neighboring LaGrange Industrial Park;
• Reduced the senior living component from 91 units to 56 units;
• Reduced the workforce housing component from 48 units to 28 units;
• Reduced the commercial footprint by 36 percent to 41,494 gross square footage;
• Reduced the community center space by 18 percent to 11,799 gross square footage;
• Increased the number of parking spaces from 395 to 456;
• Increased buffering and open space; and
• Added a secondary emergency only egress access.
Certain proffers were included in the proposal. Some of those were covenants (proximity to industrial, leasing office/ residential services), utility extensions and road improvements, and cash contributions to address utilities and transportation issues.
It was noted during the session, that the $60 million project has already received approval for $30 million in tax credits.
“We’re not asking the county to chip in a single dollar,” Monterio said.
According to a timeline presented by Monterio, if the project is able to come to fruition it would be totally completed by the last quarter of 2027.
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