Magnolia Point: More than 100 apartments and townhomes are being planned for the intersection of Peppers Ferry Road and New Village Drive.
By Marty Gordon
The Route 11/Peppers Ferry Road corridor and its future was the main topic of Tuesday night’s Christiansburg town council as residents expressed concern over traffic problems two new developments could cause.
Magnolia Point is a proposed 9.14-acre development at the intersection of Peppers Ferry Road and New Village Drive that would consist of 14 townhomes and seven 3-story buildings with 132 apartments.
Larry Waddell lives along Sage Lane to the rear of the planned developed. “You can’t tell me this will not increase traffic. I just want to make sure it does not overload the roadway,” he said.
Steve Semones with Balzer Architects pointed out the project would include the extension of Bozeman Trail Road, which would take some of the additional traffic off New Village.
Developers promoted the project as “upscale affordable housing” that will include a clubhouse and a pool area.
Several adjacent landowners threw their support behind the plans and were satisfied that the increase in traffic would not drastically affect the area
The second proposed project is called Clifton Town Center and would include a mixed use of retail, office and housing space. Currently the property, located at 495 Peppers Ferry, is zoned B-1. Developers have requested that be changed to B-3 General Business, which would allow the mixed uses.
Stateson Homes is the lead agent on the project, and Todd Robertson told the town council a project like this has never seen in Christiansburg and the New River Valley. “And we think this is perfect for the location and the town itself,” he said.
But nearby residents like Jeff Greenroe complained that the developer of this project did not fix the roadway during an earlier project. He, too, was concerned about how more traffic would affect nearby roads and neighborhoods.
Under an agreement worked out by the developers and Town of Christiansburg staff, the developer would be responsible for the widening of Stafford Drive and the placement of concrete gutters.
The timetable for construction is 5-8 years down the road, but Robertson said Stateson has already been approached by companies interested in locating there.
“We would like to provide a main street (of sorts) where people can work and then go grab a bite to eat or buy a cup of coffee,” he said.
In most cases, residential areas would be located above some of the businesses. There are also plans for apartments and townhomes on the 28.6 acre site, formerly owned by the Halbertadt family. A hotel is also being considered for the location.
Robertson said he has met with residents in the Villas, directly to the rear of the site, and they seem open to this type of project.
With regards to the increase of traffic from the second project, the town has recently constructed a signal light at the intersection of Quin Stuart Blvd.
The Christiansburg planning commission has given the green light for both of the projects to proceed, but the town council would have to approve rezoning and special-use permit requests.
The discussion came just hours after several local economic projections for Montgomery County revealed the need for more housing in the NRV. “Affordable” housing was the underlying debate as those projections predict the county will grow by as many as 10,000 new residents over the next 5-10 years.
A new 70-acre park is also being proposed directly across the from the Clifton Town Center with a planned four-lane roadway from Peppers Ferry to Cambria Street.
In other matters, the council approved a change order for the North Franklin storm drain improvements project. An additional funding of $115,586 is needed to address several items encountered during recent work at the site.
This includes additional pavement on North Franklin Street rather than asphalt patching and some storm sewer connections to nearby buildings. A water line relocation was also unplanned, but because of the close proximity to the proposed storm structures, it required relocation.
The council also agreed to appoint a special commissioner in regards to the demolishing of the former Church of Christ property at the intersection of West and Johnson streets. Under the town’s derelict structure program, the church was torn down earlier this year. Because there are no clear owners of the property, the town is pursuing acquisition of the property to deal with a lien. The board members of record for the church are all deceased.
The group also proclaimed Nov. 1, 2019 as “Extra Mile Day.” Citizens are encouraged to take the extra step in personal effort, commitment and conviction to their individual ambitions, friends and community. The mission of the day is to create an estimated 550 Extra Mile Cities in America.
