Primrose Plan Rejected

BLYTHEWOOD – The Town of Blythewood has rejected the initial sketch plan by developer D.R. Horton to construct additional homes on what residents say was promised to remain green space in the Primrose area of Cobblestone Park, Town Administrator Gary Parker told the Planning Commission Monday night.

According to Parker’s letter to the developer, from which he read during Monday night’s meeting, “The zoning map amendment approved by Blythewood Town Council via Ordinance 2015.001 on (April 27, 2015) allows 143 additional single-family residential lots to encroach on the currently remaining open space. Your Sketch Plan proposes 158 new lots on that land.”

Parker recommended removing the 15 additional lots and asked the developer to “maintain more of the existing tree cover buffering existing Primrose lots and homes from I-77 noise and air pollution.” Parker also asked D.R. Horton to “provide more separation of new lots and homes from I-77, and to help handle naturally some of the storm water caused by the development.”

Cobblestone resident Lenore Zedosky told the Commission that residents in the Primrose area had been told by the developer when they purchased their homes that the section now targeted for new development would always be green space. Residents there, she said, paid premium prices for homes close to what they were led to believe would remain an undeveloped area.

Doko Manor was filled to capacity with Cobblestone residents Monday, most of whom had questions for Ben Lewis, Project Manager for the Blythewood Road widening project, during his presentation on the project earlier in the evening – specifically concerning the proposed roundabout planned for Blythewood Road near the Cobblestone entrance. But Zedosky’s urging of the Commission to give careful consideration to even the 143 new homes in the green space, “before they clear-cut any more of the area we live in,” she said, brought a rousing round of applause.

Parker’s letter stated that D.R. Horton, if they disagreed with the rejection of the sketch plan, could appeal at Monday’s meeting. And while no such appeal was issued Monday night, Parker told The Voice Tuesday that their appeal would be on the Planning Commission’s December agenda.

Council approved zoning for the 143 new lots in April 2015, Parker said, but the actual land development – location of streets, open space, etc. – would have to be approved by the Planning Commission before D.R. Horton could begin construction.

Pelican Snoballs

Earlier in the evening, the Commission voted to forward to Council a recommendation to deny a request by Brian Keller to rezone from Multi-Neighborhood Office to Multi-Neighborhood Commercial at lot at 10711 Wilson Blvd. where Keller has designs on erecting a Pelican Snoballs franchise.

Bryan Franklin, Commission Chairman, said his desire was to table the request. The Commission, however, voted 3-2 to recommend denial.

 

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