The York County Board of Supervisors rezoned a 22.4 acre property at the intersection of Lightfoot Road and Old Mooretown Road for a proposed mixed-use development that includes apartments, townhouses and commercial space.
The vote, which came after a public hearing Tuesday, was 3-2, with Supervisors Walter Zaremba and Chad Green voting against rezoning. The land was previously zoned for economic opportunity.
The development plans include 204 apartments, 32 townhouses and 12 live-above units to go over retail space. Supervisors said the area around the development had a mix of successful and struggling businesses.
When the developer, Lightfoot Development LLC, went to the Planning Commission, plans called for 276 apartments. The commission unanimously voted to recommend denial of the project. Amy Parker, a senior planner for the county, recommended denial because the application was not consistent with the comprehensive plan or mixed-use zoning.
The developer changed the design to be more aesthetically pleasing and have a lower residential density. Plans also include walkways intended to improve connections between commercial spaces.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Tim Cross, the county’s principal planner, said the updated plans fit the county’s guidelines, and he and County Administrator Neil Morgan recommended approval.
The development is geared toward empty nesters and young professionals. Members of the development team said they were attracted to the area because of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center less than a mile away.
Don West, the hospital’s director of support operations, spoke at the public hearing to request approval, saying hospital staff need closer living options.
Zaremba took issue with the location of the development, which he called “a baseball’s throw” from railroad tracks that run across Lightfoot Road. He also did not want to increase traffic on the roads with no plans for widening.
Reyes can be reached by phone at 757-247-4692. Follow him on Twitter @jdauzreyes.