A developer wants to construct more than three dozen new townhomes just off Route 199 in Williamsburg.
The proposal by Cale Management calls for the construction of 38 townhomes adjacent to the Holly Hills Carriage Homes, at the intersection of Route 199 and Brookwood Drive.
The city’s Planning Commission will review the proposal at its meeting May 16.
The townhomes are being built with the intent to sell to private owners, rather than rent, Cale said in the proposal.
The homes will be between 1,600 and 1,800 square feet, Cale said. They will be priced beginning in the low $300,000 range.
Site plans have not yet been submitted, according to the city’s Planning Department, and Cale said designs are still in the works.
“We’re going to maintain that quality,” of the neighboring subdivision, said developer John Cale of Cale Management. “It should be a good smaller option to the carriage homes.”
He said the homes will be two stories with street parking, or three stories if garages are installed on the ground floor. Residents will have multiple floor plans to pick from, all of which will have at least 2½ baths.
The homes will come with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen and with hardwood floors through most of the living area, Cale said. The exterior architecture and materials used will be consistent with those of the neighboring development.
The applicants are asking remove proffers on the property that dated back to 2008, according to Planning Commission meeting documents. The proffers limited the number of units on the property to 20.
In return for having the proffers lifted, the developers are asking to pay $60,000 to the city for reimbursement of the construction of a sidewalk between the Holly Hills Townhomes and the Holly Hills Carriage Homes.
The homes will not be visible from Route 199 and will be accessed by a traffic light at the intersection of Route 199 and Brookwood Drive. Traffic entering the new community will not pass through the Holly Hills Carriage Homes, according to meeting documents.
The developers had submitted two previous proposals for the property, both of which they scrapped after facing oppositions from residents. The first called for the construction of about 50 high-end rental apartments and was submitted in November 2017, according to meeting documents.
The second called for 50 townhomes, but the developers decided to build fewer homes with their current application.
“This is our last try at this, and even though we didn’t get what we wanted the last two times I think it’s worked out for both parties,” Cale said, adding the proposal is a “win-win” for both neighbors and the developers.
Cale also emphasized the project is in line with the city’s comprehensive plan.
If the application is approved by the Planning Commission, City Council will make the determining vote on the proposal. The city’s Architectural Review Board would also have to approve the design of the townhomes.
Cale said the construction timeline would depend on when they receive city approval, but he hopes they could begin by the fall and have some completed by spring 2019.
“As soon as we get our approvals we’re going to rock ‘n’ roll,” Cale said.
