Thacker’s View is a proposed residential development that would bring 260 new housing units to a property, shown in blue, on the Swift Creek Reservoir. (BizSense file)
A waterfront residential development on Swift Creek Reservoir has gotten the green light from Chesterfield supervisors.
The board on Wednesday approved the zoning request tied to Thacker’s View, which is planned to have 260 homes on a 139-acre site formerly occupied by events venue Celebrations at the Reservoir.
The project, a joint venture between developer Cross Creek Development Corp. and the Thacker family, would feature 172 single-family homes and 88 townhouses. Plans also include a restaurant, shared-use paths and recreational amenities.
With the rezoning approval now in hand, the project is anticipated to break ground in about two years, Cross Creek President Don Balzer said in an interview before the meeting. He said the project would take three to five years to fully build out.
The single-family homes would be a mix of lots of at least 12,000 square feet in addition to “cluster” lots that would range between 8,400 and 11,999 square feet, a staff report states. The townhomes would have a minimum lot area of 1,520 to 2,720 square feet.
Conceptual elevations of single-family homes planned for the Thacker’s View project.
The townhomes would be concentrated in the center of the property, and the single-family lots would be positioned around them, according to a site map. The project’s 3.3-acre restaurant pad would be located near Woolridge Road. Balzer said talks are underway with several potential operators for the proposed 5,000-square-foot space.
The largely undeveloped site, which borders the reservoir and the Woodlake subdivision, was home to Celebrations at the Reservoir for about 20 years until it closed in January 2022. The existing 7,400-square-foot, seven-bedroom home used by Celebrations would remain on the property to be sold as a residence.
The Thacker’s View project would retain the property’s existing pathways, gazebos and dock along the water. A new open-air pavilion of no more than 500 square feet is also planned. The development would have a homeowners association, and Thacker’s View could potentially join the Woodlake HOA or have its own association.
The development would have 100-foot buffers on Woolridge Road and a minimum 65-foot buffer from the Woodlake subdivision.
There would be two vehicle entrances onto Woolridge Road. Road improvements like a separate right-turn lane at each access to the development on Woolridge Road, as well as a sidewalk along the road for the entire frontage of the property, are also planned.
A conceptual plan of the Thacker’s View project.
The development’s general contractor is Benchmark Construction, where Balzer is a partner. The project’s engineer is Balzer and Associates, where Balzer was formerly president and owner before he sold the firm.
Balzer said two unidentified homebuilders are expected to handle construction of the houses and townhomes planned for the site.
The Thacker’s View proposal has evolved since the project’s plans were filed in 2022. A previous version envisioned townhomes along the water and a greater number of townhomes than is now proposed among other tweaks.
The townhome count was reduced to its current cap of 88 units, and the number of planned single-family homes increased. The developer has also agreed to proffer conditions including a height restriction on residential buildings to be either three stories or 40 feet, whichever is shorter, and enforcement and penalties for prohibited tree removal, a staff report states. A minimum of 30% of the site’s existing tree canopy would be retained.
The development proposal on Swift Creek Reservoir had attracted opposition from nearby residents in recent months, and opponents continued to voice concerns about environmental impacts of the project and other concerns during a public hearing that preceded the board’s approval this week.
While she thanked the developer, county staff and elected officials for their efforts to engage with residents’ concerns, Paula Gordon, a representative of a group opposed to the project, said the project could still have stronger protections to mitigate environmental impacts.
“We are encouraged by all these positive steps that have been taken thus far,” Gordon said. “The Friends of Swift Creek Reservoir strongly believe that this development, if approved as it currently stands, still can pose some significant risk to long-term health of our environment and community.”
Anne Miller of Balzer and Associates, who represented the developer before the board, said that project featured multiple measures to minimize environmental concerns. She noted that after the rezoning further approvals would be needed from authorities.
“From our standpoint, we feel like we have put as many protections as we can by proffering all that information. The RPAs, the buffers, everything are shown on the conceptual plans, and they’ll have to be shown on the preliminary plats, the construction plans, which are all reviewed and approved by the county and state agencies,” she said.
Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the project, with Supervisor Kevin Carroll casting the dissenting vote.
Supervisor Jessica Schneider, who represents the Clover Hill District where the project is located, said that preserving the natural features of the land as much as possible was a priority for her. She felt the project was in the best place it could be to mitigate environmental impacts.
“I feel that we have done what we can to make this a good project. I feel the family and Ms. Miller have really put forward their best efforts to accommodate all the requests,” she said.
Chesterfield’s comprehensive plan calls for residential development for the property. The Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the project in November.
The board also OK’d the developer’s request to retain zoning permission to allow the continued operation of a vacation rental on the site, which has been in place since 2002 and uses the former Celebrations property, until the first phase of the subdivision is recorded.
Thacker’s View is a proposed residential development that would bring 260 new housing units to a property, shown in blue, on the Swift Creek Reservoir. (BizSense file)
A waterfront residential development on Swift Creek Reservoir has gotten the green light from Chesterfield supervisors.
The board on Wednesday approved the zoning request tied to Thacker’s View, which is planned to have 260 homes on a 139-acre site formerly occupied by events venue Celebrations at the Reservoir.
The project, a joint venture between developer Cross Creek Development Corp. and the Thacker family, would feature 172 single-family homes and 88 townhouses. Plans also include a restaurant, shared-use paths and recreational amenities.
With the rezoning approval now in hand, the project is anticipated to break ground in about two years, Cross Creek President Don Balzer said in an interview before the meeting. He said the project would take three to five years to fully build out.
The single-family homes would be a mix of lots of at least 12,000 square feet in addition to “cluster” lots that would range between 8,400 and 11,999 square feet, a staff report states. The townhomes would have a minimum lot area of 1,520 to 2,720 square feet.
Conceptual elevations of single-family homes planned for the Thacker’s View project.
The townhomes would be concentrated in the center of the property, and the single-family lots would be positioned around them, according to a site map. The project’s 3.3-acre restaurant pad would be located near Woolridge Road. Balzer said talks are underway with several potential operators for the proposed 5,000-square-foot space.
The largely undeveloped site, which borders the reservoir and the Woodlake subdivision, was home to Celebrations at the Reservoir for about 20 years until it closed in January 2022. The existing 7,400-square-foot, seven-bedroom home used by Celebrations would remain on the property to be sold as a residence.
The Thacker’s View project would retain the property’s existing pathways, gazebos and dock along the water. A new open-air pavilion of no more than 500 square feet is also planned. The development would have a homeowners association, and Thacker’s View could potentially join the Woodlake HOA or have its own association.
The development would have 100-foot buffers on Woolridge Road and a minimum 65-foot buffer from the Woodlake subdivision.
There would be two vehicle entrances onto Woolridge Road. Road improvements like a separate right-turn lane at each access to the development on Woolridge Road, as well as a sidewalk along the road for the entire frontage of the property, are also planned.
A conceptual plan of the Thacker’s View project.
The development’s general contractor is Benchmark Construction, where Balzer is a partner. The project’s engineer is Balzer and Associates, where Balzer was formerly president and owner before he sold the firm.
Balzer said two unidentified homebuilders are expected to handle construction of the houses and townhomes planned for the site.
The Thacker’s View proposal has evolved since the project’s plans were filed in 2022. A previous version envisioned townhomes along the water and a greater number of townhomes than is now proposed among other tweaks.
The townhome count was reduced to its current cap of 88 units, and the number of planned single-family homes increased. The developer has also agreed to proffer conditions including a height restriction on residential buildings to be either three stories or 40 feet, whichever is shorter, and enforcement and penalties for prohibited tree removal, a staff report states. A minimum of 30% of the site’s existing tree canopy would be retained.
The development proposal on Swift Creek Reservoir had attracted opposition from nearby residents in recent months, and opponents continued to voice concerns about environmental impacts of the project and other concerns during a public hearing that preceded the board’s approval this week.
While she thanked the developer, county staff and elected officials for their efforts to engage with residents’ concerns, Paula Gordon, a representative of a group opposed to the project, said the project could still have stronger protections to mitigate environmental impacts.
“We are encouraged by all these positive steps that have been taken thus far,” Gordon said. “The Friends of Swift Creek Reservoir strongly believe that this development, if approved as it currently stands, still can pose some significant risk to long-term health of our environment and community.”
Anne Miller of Balzer and Associates, who represented the developer before the board, said that project featured multiple measures to minimize environmental concerns. She noted that after the rezoning further approvals would be needed from authorities.
“From our standpoint, we feel like we have put as many protections as we can by proffering all that information. The RPAs, the buffers, everything are shown on the conceptual plans, and they’ll have to be shown on the preliminary plats, the construction plans, which are all reviewed and approved by the county and state agencies,” she said.
Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the project, with Supervisor Kevin Carroll casting the dissenting vote.
Supervisor Jessica Schneider, who represents the Clover Hill District where the project is located, said that preserving the natural features of the land as much as possible was a priority for her. She felt the project was in the best place it could be to mitigate environmental impacts.
“I feel that we have done what we can to make this a good project. I feel the family and Ms. Miller have really put forward their best efforts to accommodate all the requests,” she said.
Chesterfield’s comprehensive plan calls for residential development for the property. The Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the project in November.
The board also OK’d the developer’s request to retain zoning permission to allow the continued operation of a vacation rental on the site, which has been in place since 2002 and uses the former Celebrations property, until the first phase of the subdivision is recorded.
This story is for our paid subscribers only. Please become one of the thousands of BizSense Pro readers today!
Your subscription has expired. Renew now by choosing a subscription below!
For more informaiton, head over to your profile.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
TERMS OF SERVICE:
ALL MEMBERSHIPS RENEW AUTOMATICALLY. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR A 1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AT THE RATE IN EFFECT AT THAT TIME UNLESS YOU CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY LOGGING IN OR BY CONTACTING SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM.
ALL CHARGES FOR MONTHLY OR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS ARE NONREFUNDABLE.
EACH MEMBERSHIP WILL ONLY FUNCTION ON UP TO 3 MACHINES. ACCOUNTS ABUSING THAT LIMIT WILL BE DISCONTINUED.
FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE EMAIL SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM
Already a Member? Sign in
Return to Homepage
Green space? Trails? Gazebos? Who needs ’em? People want to see front-loader gararge forward elevations from the 1990’s with a mix of as many materials as possible: stone veneer, brick veneer, vinyl, shingle, undersized plastic shutters, you name it.
Such cynicism George!
Congrats to the team that’s been putting this one together for years. It’ll be a big success.
Bring back the tri- level.
Tri Levels rule
I wonder how they will ensure homeowners maintain the woody green buffer depicted on the map. Will their be permanent signage letting folks know that this is legally protected (like they have in the Highlands)? Woodlake has no such signage, and I’ve seen homeowners come at the understory plants to clear-cut a view of the lake.
Why not just follow the architectural standards at a place like Halsley? These renderings are horrendous. The negligible increase in the cost to build will be more than covered by the increased sale price.
Halsley houses were set at $1.2-5 M nearly 10 years ago.