Isle of Wight County’s Planning Commission voted 6-3 on May 27 to endorse a reduced-density concept for the Bridge Point Commons development in Carrollton.

Quality Homes of Currituck seeks rezoning to mixed use for 147 townhouses and just over 26,000 square feet of commercial space on 43 acres adjacent to the existing Ashby subdivision and the Carrollton Volunteer Fire Department at Deep Bottom Drive and Carrollton Boulevard. It would result in nearly 58% fewer homes and a 65% reduction from the 350-unit apartment and condominium complex and 75,000-square-foot commercial phase proposed in a 2008-approved concept that stalled in the wake of the 2007-09 Great Recession and nationwide housing crisis.

Planning Commission Chairman Bobby Bowser joined Commissioners Brian Carroll, James Ford, Raynard Gibbs, Brian Shotwell and Matthew Smith in voting to recommend approval of the revised concept. Commissioners Jennifer Boykin, Keith Johnson and George Rawls cast dissenting votes. The 10th Planning Commission seat, formerly held by Cynthia Taylor, remains vacant.

The matter will go to the Board of Supervisors on July 10 for a public hearing and possible final vote.

More than a dozen Carrollton residents who spoke at a prior Planning Commission public hearing on April 22 said they opposed plans to turn a dead-end road in the Ashby subdivision into a secondary entrance to Bridge Point.

Community Development Director Amy Ring said the original developers of the 2008 concept had proffered at the time to dedicate right-of-way for a future connection to Britt Way, which is currently a cul-de-sac in Ashby, though no public connector road was shown on the 2008 plan. The current concept shows a single direct access point to Carrollton Boulevard, down from two proposed in the 2008 plan, and the relocation of the secondary access to Britt Way.

Johnson said the traffic impact on Britt Way and Carrollton Boulevard were among his concerns. He specifically referenced a traffic impact analysis included with the rezoning application stating that Britt Way and Ashby Way would see “402 additional daily trips,” or double the 200 average vehicles per day Britt Way currently sees. The traffic study lists 682 vehicles per day as the current volume for Ashby Way.

Johnson added that traffic on Carrollton Boulevard heading to and from the James River Bridge has been “getting worse and worse” over the past several decades, contending the corridor would be disproportionately impacted by multiple in-progress and proposed housing developments concentrated in the northern end of the county.

Carroll, however, said a connection between Ashby and Bridge Point at Britt Way would likely be built regardless of whether the 2008 plan or the latest version is built.

“Britt Way is a connection regardless of this downzoning or not,” Carroll said, contending the Planning Commission “has no control over whether this development or the already approved development connects to Britt Way.”

Ring said a provision of the county’s subdivision ordinance requires that when a subdivision such as Ashby has an existing connection in place, that subdivision would be required to connect to the new adjacent development.

Christine Early, land entitlements manager with Allied Properties and Quality Homes, said in April that locating the secondary entrance on Britt Way wasn’t the developer’s first choice but is being required by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Quality Homes of Currituck is unaffiliated with the Suffolk-based Quality Homes developing the 104-home Cottages at Battery development in Smithfield.

VDOT spokeswoman Kelly Alvord told the Times in April that per a 2009 change in the state agency’s regulations, a new residential subdivision is required to have two access points, and would need three if proposing 200 or more units. Alvord said Britt Way is currently classified as a “temporary cul-de-sac” or “stub out.” State regulations also require a proposed development to connect to an existing stub out when an adjacent development exists, Alvord said.

The original concept for Bridge Point had proposed 120 rent-controlled “workforce” units and 230 owner-occupied multifamily condominium units, with 116 of those being age-restricted. None of the 147 townhouses shown on the revised plan would be age-restricted or workforce housing. A project narrative by Land Planning Solutions, a consultant for Allied Properties and Quality Homes, states the revised concept for Bridge Point Commons would create a “moderate density, walkable townhome community with a commercial property at the site’s entrance.” The narrative states the townhouses would be “moderately priced.”

The traffic study projects Bridge Point’s commercial phase would see just over 1,000 vehicle trips in, and another 1,000 out, or 2,137 in total. The traffic study states at least one of the tenants of the commercial phase would be a coffee and doughnut shop. A May 15 revision to Quality Homes’ proposed proffers lists strip clubs, vape stores and drive-thru restaurants as prohibited commercial uses.