The James City County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved amendments to the Greensprings Master Plan on Tuesday night that will allow Patriots Colony to move ahead with plans to construct four hybrid apartment buildings.
In one 5-0 vote, the Board accepted the Planning Commission’s recommendation to rezone a section of the Patriots Colony retirement community to include revised proffers, amend the master plan and waive height limitations so the buildings can rise a maximum of 70 feet above grade.
The current height limit is 60 feet above grade, according to a report from planning staff. Molly Trant, associate corporate counsel at Riverside Health System, the parent organization for the medical practice at Patriots Colony, said a balloon test showed the buildings would not disturb the viewshed of Green Spring Plantation, despite their proposed height.
Board Chairman Michael Hipple (Powhatan) said he went out to the site and saw for himself that there would be no disturbance.
“I found it was nestled in there, very nice and hidden inside the tree canopy,” Hipple said.
The four, five-story buildings would add 80 independent living homes to the retirement community. Trant explained the term “hybrid” is used because the homes are slightly larger than standard apartments but are not condominiums.
The expansion could help reduce the community’s current wait list of 335 prospective residents.
Paul Treolo, a member of the Patriots Colony Board of Directors who spoke at the March Planning Commission hearing, advocated for the project as a way to bring committed, prospective residents like himself into the community.
“If we wanted to move to Patriots Colony this year, we couldn’t do that because they don’t have the space,” Treolo said. “This wait list speaks volumes about the outstanding service Patriots Colony provides. We very much need this expansion.”
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