The four-story buildings would replace previous plans for two-story townhomes. (Images courtesy Godsey Properties)
As development on the massive Landmark community taking shape east of Sandston keeps rolling, the developer behind the project is taking a second look at a change in plan that calls for hundreds of so-called “active adult” apartments beside a commercial component that could include a grocery store.
Godsey Properties has filed plans for a 15-acre portion of the 100-acre development at Williamsburg and Dry Bridge roads that would include two apartment buildings totaling 310 units for renters aged 55 and up.
The land, northwest of the roads’ intersection, also is planned for a 30,000-square-foot grocery store or other commercial development such as fast-food restaurants.
The apartments are a change from Landmark’s original plan that called for townhomes on the site behind the commercial section. A 2020 rezoning approved Landmark for 355 for-sale townhomes and 41 detached homes across the 100-acre project, as well as a Wawa, fast food restaurants and potentially a hotel.
A site plan for Landmark, formerly Drybridge Commons, planned to consist of about 400 homes on 100 acres at Dry Bridge and Williamsburg roads. (County documents)
The new plan requires rezoning and provisional-use permit approvals, which Godsey has requested and the Henrico Planning Commission was scheduled to consider at its meeting this week. The requests are being deferred, however, as county planners are not in support of the proposal.
In a staff report, planners say the apartments “would be much larger in scale with a gross density over seven times higher than the previously approved townhomes concept.”
“Based on the significance of this increase, the precedent it would set for the area, and the degree of potential impacts on surrounding properties, staff cannot support this request until it is scaled down and redesigned to address these and other issues…” the report states.
Godsey has requested deferral to the Nov. 14 meeting and is planning to hold a second community meeting. An initial meeting held last month drew nearly a dozen attendees who, according to the report, raised concerns about density and building mass, rentals versus for-sale homes, light and noise impacts, buffers, environmental concerns, and adequate public notice.
Reached Tuesday, principal Doug Godsey noted the Varina-based firm would be holding the second meeting, the date of which has not been released. Local attorney Andy Condlin with Roth Jackson Gibbons Condlin is representing Godsey in his requests.
The apartments would include surface parking spaces and be adjacent to commercial buildings.
As proposed, the apartment buildings would rise four stories – twice the height of the two-story townhomes – and house 167 units in one building and 143 in the other, with 28 three-bedroom units among them. The apartments would range in size from 725 to 1,375 square feet and include 364 parking spaces. An additional 169 spaces are planned for the commercial development.
Godsey has previously said he would like an Aldi at the site but had not secured a grocery store as of May, when a ribbon-cutting ceremony kicked off home sales at Landmark.
Reston-based Ryan Homes is building the homes, as well as nearly 500 more planned next door at Gateway at Landmark, an extension project that Godsey also is developing on about 50 acres beside Interstate 295. The first batches of townhomes at Landmark are priced in the upper $200,000s.
Godsey also is developing the former Glenwood Golf Course on Creighton Road into two subdivisions called The Fairways totaling 290 detached homes.