The Williamsburg Outlet Mall building standing at the intersection of Richmond and Centerville roads will soon become a memory as it is replaced with Lightfoot Marketplace.
The James City County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday and followed the Planning Commission’s footsteps in giving the planned Lightfoot Marketplace its full support by issuing a special use permit for the development. The project is planned to demolish the existing outlet mall and parking lot, which will be replaced by six buildings filled with retail, offices and restaurants.
The mixed-use development is planned to center on a parking lot with several walking paths and an internal park with a gazeboed bus stop. The planned buildings would have four-sided architecture so passersby would not feel as if they were looking at the backside of a building.
Several traffic improvements are planned for the surrounding intersection, including lengthening the turning lane on Centerville Road and adding a crosswalk across Richmond Road.
The entire project is estimated to be completely built out by 2016.
While Lightfoot Marketplace, which will include a Harris Teeter and Walgreens, received the full support of all five board members, the decision was not made until the supervisors heard from citizens in a public hearing and expressed their own concerns.
One Colonial Heritage resident offered his full support for the project while others took issue with a few aspects.
Resident Joe Swanenburg did not appreciate a planned roundabout in the development and proposed the design team nix it.
“This isn’t Europe,” he said.
Aside from the roundabout, Swanenburg said the project was a great idea and he did not see any reason it should not be approved, but hoped the county would be able to grow its industrial business base rather than continuing to add retail.
Chris Henderson said he supported the project but did not like the building designs; he said colonial architecture should be incorporated. Henderson was also concerned with possible traffic increases along Richmond Road creating a need to widen the road in the future.
Project representative Paul Gerhardt, an attorney with Kaufman and Canoles, quelled that concern by explaining there was room to widen the road in the future if the need were to arise.
Supervisor John McGlennon (Roberts) asked for clarity about the amount of impervious surface – pavement and rooftop space that cause stormwater runoff – that would be on the site. In total, the amount of pavement reduction is about 83,000 square feet. In total, impervious surface will cover 65 percent of the site. Currently 85 percent of the site is covered by impervious surface.
McGlennon was also concerned Harris Teeter could create competition for area grocery stores, and said some corporations intentionally do so to flush out their competitors. He also said the board should work to establish an idea of what it wants to see develop in the area of the outlet mall as he expected future projects to come before the county in that area and he wants them to be cohesive.
“This is a great project for where we’re at, and what we have there now, and what we’re going to get,” said Supervisor Michael Hipple (Powhatan). “I’m satisfied and I really enjoy the look of it … I go by this every day and it will be a pleasure to see it transform into this.”
Supervisor Jim Kennedy (Stonehouse) said he would support the project because it was repurposing an existing site, but said the project was “homogenizing James City County even more.” While he accepted the character the county had when there was more open space and farmland is gone, he said he did not want to see the county end up with a drug store on every corner.
“It’s my feeling we’re over-built,” Kennedy said. If the project had not been reusing an existing site, he said he likely would not support it.
The board vote to issue a special use permit for the project is not the final step before Lightfoot Marketplace can be built. A county staff-approved site plan is required before development.
Related Coverage:
- Lightfoot Marketplace Up for Review at Tuesday’s JCC Supervisors Meeting
- Lightfoot Marketplace Gets JCC Planning Commission Support
- Public Hearing Scheduled Today for Lightfoot Marketplace Proposal
- Lightfoot Marketplace Plans Add Sixth Building, Park (w/ Photo Gallery)
- Stores in Closing Outlet Mall Plan to Relocate Within Area
- Lightfoot Marketplace in Early Stages to Replace Williamsburg Outlet Mall
- Williamsburg Outlet Mall to Close its Doors this Year
