‘Promontory’ would include fast food, sit-down restaurants

Published 9:08 am Wednesday, February 5, 2025

As Smithfield’s Planning Commission awaits its first official look at “The Promontory,” filings by its Charlottesville-based developer, Greenwood Homes, have provided additional details about the proposed mixed-use development that would add 262 homes and five commercial parcels off Benns Church Boulevard.

Greenwood’s zoning application, which was first filed in 2023, will be on the agenda for the Planning Commission’s Feb. 11 meeting.

According to a project narrative submitted to the town, the residential phase would include 88 townhouses, 154 single-family homes and 20 “villa” duplex units. Illustrations of the five commercial parcels, which would range from 3,000 to 5,000 square feet of floor area, show a fast food restaurant, two “high turnover” sit-down restaurants, an automated car wash and a bank with drive-thru teller service.

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Isle of Wight County’s Planning Commission reviewed the filings at its Jan. 28 meeting under an agreement that allows the town and county to review and weigh in on each other’s developments adjacent to the town-county line. Smithfield’s Planning Commission recently did the same for the Bridger’s Quarter commercial development proposed for a 17½-acre farm on the county’s side.

Amy Ring, director of community development for the county, said the Promontory filings provided to Isle of Wight’s Planning Commission were Greenwood’s third submittal since 2023. She said she was aware of a fourth submission that she had not reviewed as of that date.

While the county Planning Commission and staff will be able to make comments on The Promontory, Smithfield’s Planning Commission – and ultimately its Town Council – will have the final say on the requested rezoning.

The development would occupy roughly 133 acres behind and adjacent to Tractor Supply at the site of a sand mining operation, or “borrow pit.” The project narrative states the land has served as a sand and stone quarry for 29 years.

The land slated for the commercial phase “has been approached by franchisees and developers for the last decade with interest to add highly desirable restaurants, retail, and other service oriented commercial,” Greenwood’s narrative states. It doesn’t identify any specific national chain restaurants.

The townhouses would be three stories with rear-facing garage doors. The filings don’t list a proposed price point for the attached or detached homes.

Proposed amenities include boat, kayak or fishing access to the manmade lake that now occupies much of the reclaimed quarry, as well as a walking trail, all of which would eventually be deeded to a homeowners association.

The latest conceptual plan shows roughly the same layout as what was proposed in 2023 with access to the development’s residential phase to be located on a planned extension of Cypress Run Drive, which now provides access to the Kroger and Cypress Run Plaza shopping centers off Benns Church Boulevard. The existing entrance to Tractor Supply would be extended to facilitate access to the five commercial parcels, which would have secondary access via a connection to the proposed single-lane roundabout to be built on Turner Drive by 2029.

A draft proffer statement pledges a $1 million commitment toward the estimated $7.6 million cost of the roundabout and related turn lanes. The town of Smithfield pledged its own $900,000, or 11.8%, commitment in December under a cost-sharing agreement to fund the $4.5 million remainder not covered by just over $3 million in state funding the Virginia Department of Transportation awarded the county for the project last year. Roughly $600,000, or 60%, of The Promontory’s share would come from Greenwood, while the remaining $400,000 would be paid by the owners of the commercial parcels based on their proportionate traffic impacts. The county agreed to its own $1 million share of the cost last year.

The proffers further pledge Greenwood would pay $62,519 per classroom seat, or a maximum of $750,228, in cash “if the project results in a lack of capacity” at Smithfield Middle School. SMS, according to Isle of Wight County Schools’ data from October, is already at 82% of its 683-student “program capacity” and is projected to reach 106% when all in-progress and approved but unbuilt developments slated for the county’s northern end are completed. The term refers to constraints on capacity due to state standards regarding class size rather than building or fire prevention codes.

The Promontory alone is projected to add 85 students, 13 at SMS, according to the IWCS data.