Town Planners Talk PUD, Elect Officers

The Tappahannock Planning Commission elected officers for fiscal year 2024 during its business meeting conducted on July 5.

Timothy Bradshaw was re-elected chairman, while Dianna Carneal was elected vice chairman.

They will both serve one-year terms.

The predominant topic of discussion during the session centered around the planned unit development that is proposed for Brays Fork.

The project is proposed by 7 and M Development, LLC., whose president and founder is Shiree Monterio, who is the granddaughter of the late Thomas Harris, whose property is being utilized for the project that has been dubbed “Bray’s Fork Redevelopment Project.”

Monterio’s family owns approximately 40 acres in Bray’s Fork with 13.186 acres —between the LaGrange Industrial Park and the VCU Tappahannock Hospital property — being the initial phase described as “Essex Point at Mt. Clement.”

The PUD was the subject of a June public hearing conducted by the Essex Planning Commission.

The Essex County Planning Commission has deferred a vote on the matter until its August 1 meeting. The Commission will recommend to the county’s Board of Supervisors if the 13.186 acre site should be rezoned from Business to Planned United Development to allow for the creation of a mixed-use project

The project’s first phase was initially slated to include a planned community with independent, affordable senior housing, centralized wellness and community services, workforce housing, retail, and a medical/education office.

7 and M Development is presently addressing concerns raised by Essex County staff that are expected to be addressed during the August 1 meeting.

At last week’s Tappahannock Planning Commission meeting, discussion centered on whether a project overview should be presented to the town’s planning commissioners.

“It needs to go through other channels before it comes before us,” Carneal remarked.

Bradshaw, meanwhile, asked his fellow commissioners to better understand the town’s boundaries. The proposed PUD is located just outside of Tappahannock’s town limits.

“We have a good relationship with Essex County and we’d like to keep that,” he said. “We don’t really want to…intrude into any county business or give them an impression that we are digging in their backyard.”

Commissioner Maria Pitts said she only learned about the project during a June concert at the River Park in Tappahannock.

Fellow commissioners pointed out that the project has been the subject of multiple stories that have appeared in the Rappahannock Times.

“I don’t think it would be considered meddling if we were strategically trying to diversify our town and our county, if they brought their information to us and showed us what they are trying to do,” Pitts said. “It is going to affect our population, the flow of the town, and our traffic.”

Pitts said her objective was to provide “awareness” to the town’s commissioners. She suggested the commission take a stance on the project.

“It would give them a support system,” Pitts suggested. “Even if half of us agree or disagree there’s still awareness. What’s the problem of them presenting it to us because we are tax paying citizens of both the town and the county. And, (the town manages) the water and sewer system for the county.”

Bradshaw suggested the Town Council would be the proper agency to look into the matter.

“We’re only an advisory commission,” Commissioner Scott Cannady noted. “While we have control over things like the historic overlay district, we only make recommendations to Council… That’s an issue with the county. It’s their jurisdiction and its not our jurisdiction.

I feel even an advisory role for something that is outside our jurisdiction would not be appropriate. That’s just my opinion.“

Cannady agreed with Bradshaw about the Town Council being the best avenue for gathering details about the project.

Tappahannock Community Development Director/ Zoning Administrator Connie Dalton suggested that Commissioners interested about the project should reach out to Essex Zoning Administrator Rob Hodges.

“You can meet with him and he can walk you through it,” she said. “I’m also sure the applicant would be happy to share the PowerPoint with you.”

Dalton also agreed that the Town Council would be the proper authority to address the matter.

“If you’re too aggressive, it may put the Town Council in a position they may or may not want to be in,” she told the Commissioners.

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