500 homes planned for former Christmas tree farm

townhome building

A proposed townhome building on the Iron Bridge Road site. (Chesterfield County)

A local development team active north of the river is eyeing Chesterfield County for its next residential project.

Developer Harry Pollard is working with Montpelier-based contractor C.T. Purcell Inc. on plans for up to 500 new homes and a 120-bed assisted living facility on 82 acres at 6767 Iron Bridge Road, the site of an old Christmas tree farm.

Documents filed with the county call for as many as 270 townhomes, 230 apartments, a clinic and assisted living facility, and commercial uses in the development and along Iron Bridge Road.

A rezoning request to accommodate the project was deferred this month to the county planning commission’s Feb. 20 meeting. County staff says the additional time will allow the developer to finalize the proposal, which Pollard said has been months in the making.

“We’re working with the county to find out what’s going to come forward to the planning commission. We think we’re there, but we’re not sure we’re there yet,” he said.

Pollard, a partner with local law firm Parker, Pollard, Wilton & Peaden, said he and Purcell picked up the project last summer from another group that had submitted a comparable plan to the county in 2016. That group, led by homebuilder Rick Byers of Glen Allen-based HRHVA LLC, had planned an age-restricted development specific to retirees, Pollard said.

“When we looked at it, we weren’t sure we could do that based on the market out there,” Pollard said. “If we find once we get started out there that the market’s deep enough, we may stay with that.”

Of his proposal, Pollard added: “It’s a mixture of townhomes, apartments, some healthcare assisted living units, and some commercial upfront that would be supportive of that type of usage. It leans toward retirement age groups, but it’s not restricted to retirement.”

Pollard is under contract to purchase the property from owners Rodney S. Payne and B.P. Harris. The bulk of the site is a 77-acre parcel that has been listed with an asking price of $1.2 million. A county assessment valued the land at $966,000.

According to documents filed with the county, 60 acres of the development would contain as many as 270 townhomes, 12.5 acres would house the assisted living facility and 230 apartments in eight buildings, and 4.5 acres would be set aside for the clinic and medical uses such as a pharmacy, childcare center and 24-hour urgent care center.

The project also would include commercial uses in one or more clubhouses within the development, as well as along Iron Bridge Road. Uses could include a coffee shop, salon and dry cleaner.

Plans also call for potentially two clubhouses at about 1,250 square feet each, or a combined one totaling 2,500 square feet. Amenities would include swimming pools, a pickleball court, walking trails, a play field and a 192-square-foot pavilion.

Pollard and Purcell are working with Midlothian-based Balzer and Associates on the plans, which Pollard said could change depending on the market. He noted such changes could require subsequent approvals from the county.

“It would be a facility that would provide age-in-place health services, but that’s not exclusive and we’re not locked into that right now, because we need to find the market,” Pollard said.

Residential developments targeting older residents are on the rise in Chesterfield.

Last summer, Henrico-based Cornerstone Homes broke ground on its Villas at Ashlake, an age-restricted development comparable to Cornerstone’s Villas at Magnolia Lakes in Chester. Age-restricted apartments are set to make up much of Blackwood Development’s recently approved Winterfield Crossing development. And an age-restricted section makes up part of the sprawling Magnolia Green, where a nearly 250-unit apartment complex is also in the works.

townhome building

A proposed townhome building on the Iron Bridge Road site. (Chesterfield County)

A local development team active north of the river is eyeing Chesterfield County for its next residential project.

Developer Harry Pollard is working with Montpelier-based contractor C.T. Purcell Inc. on plans for up to 500 new homes and a 120-bed assisted living facility on 82 acres at 6767 Iron Bridge Road, the site of an old Christmas tree farm.

Documents filed with the county call for as many as 270 townhomes, 230 apartments, a clinic and assisted living facility, and commercial uses in the development and along Iron Bridge Road.

A rezoning request to accommodate the project was deferred this month to the county planning commission’s Feb. 20 meeting. County staff says the additional time will allow the developer to finalize the proposal, which Pollard said has been months in the making.

“We’re working with the county to find out what’s going to come forward to the planning commission. We think we’re there, but we’re not sure we’re there yet,” he said.

Pollard, a partner with local law firm Parker, Pollard, Wilton & Peaden, said he and Purcell picked up the project last summer from another group that had submitted a comparable plan to the county in 2016. That group, led by homebuilder Rick Byers of Glen Allen-based HRHVA LLC, had planned an age-restricted development specific to retirees, Pollard said.

“When we looked at it, we weren’t sure we could do that based on the market out there,” Pollard said. “If we find once we get started out there that the market’s deep enough, we may stay with that.”

Of his proposal, Pollard added: “It’s a mixture of townhomes, apartments, some healthcare assisted living units, and some commercial upfront that would be supportive of that type of usage. It leans toward retirement age groups, but it’s not restricted to retirement.”

Pollard is under contract to purchase the property from owners Rodney S. Payne and B.P. Harris. The bulk of the site is a 77-acre parcel that has been listed with an asking price of $1.2 million. A county assessment valued the land at $966,000.

According to documents filed with the county, 60 acres of the development would contain as many as 270 townhomes, 12.5 acres would house the assisted living facility and 230 apartments in eight buildings, and 4.5 acres would be set aside for the clinic and medical uses such as a pharmacy, childcare center and 24-hour urgent care center.

The project also would include commercial uses in one or more clubhouses within the development, as well as along Iron Bridge Road. Uses could include a coffee shop, salon and dry cleaner.

Plans also call for potentially two clubhouses at about 1,250 square feet each, or a combined one totaling 2,500 square feet. Amenities would include swimming pools, a pickleball court, walking trails, a play field and a 192-square-foot pavilion.

Pollard and Purcell are working with Midlothian-based Balzer and Associates on the plans, which Pollard said could change depending on the market. He noted such changes could require subsequent approvals from the county.

“It would be a facility that would provide age-in-place health services, but that’s not exclusive and we’re not locked into that right now, because we need to find the market,” Pollard said.

Residential developments targeting older residents are on the rise in Chesterfield.

Last summer, Henrico-based Cornerstone Homes broke ground on its Villas at Ashlake, an age-restricted development comparable to Cornerstone’s Villas at Magnolia Lakes in Chester. Age-restricted apartments are set to make up much of Blackwood Development’s recently approved Winterfield Crossing development. And an age-restricted section makes up part of the sprawling Magnolia Green, where a nearly 250-unit apartment complex is also in the works.

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Bruce Milam
Bruce Milam
6 years ago

The Route 10 corridor in Chesterfield is going to see a great resurgence of activity with the reduced cash proffer system. Most of the essential infrastructure is in place, including schools with excess capacity, roads that are built to handle more traffic, and public utilities. This in-fill area was passed by developers with the exception of that of WaterMark, due to the onerous cash proffer system. Now, affordable for sale housing can be built on the corridor. There’s a new WalMart Neighborhood store and more commercial on the way. Its a road of great opportunity!