Four public hearings were scheduled for the Spotsylvania County Planning Commission Wednesday night, but only one motivated residents to line the hallways of the Holbert Building in anticipation of a vote.
They wanted to know the planning commission’s stance on a potential Sheetz convenience store and gas station at the corner of Heatherstone Drive and Plank Road, where Powell’s Furniture is currently located.
The commission voted 7-0 to forward a recommendation of denial to the board of supervisors, with Commissioner Tim Gronau telling the dozens of residents who signed up to speak that they might as well save their breath because there was no chance of approval.
“I don’t know if it’s appropriate or not, but unless everyone wants their three minutes at the podium, I’m ready to make a motion to deny it,” Gronau said to applause.
Parishioners and officials at nearby Faith Baptist Church spoke out against the project. Spotsylvania residents who live nearby were not in favor of it, either. Most cited traffic concerns, as well as a potential increase in crime and the fact that at least eight other gas stations are within a one-mile radius of the heavily traveled road.
“I have gotten so many opinions against your project with the road being level service ‘F’ already and just going down from there,” Gronau told a representative of Sheetz. “There’s just no way in the world I can support this project. I’m just letting you know upfront.”
The property is still owned by Powell’s Furniture, which has been in business in the Fredericksburg area since 1942.
Linda Powell, whose brother inherited the company from their father, answered the phone at Powell’s Thursday morning.
Powell told the Free Press that Sheetz made an offer, but there are no plans to sell the store or to move it to another location.
Sheetz’s narrative submitted to the planning commission states that the company is the “contract purchaser” of the property, meaning it entered a contract to buy the property but has not settled on the purchase. The narrative states that Sheetz plans to demolish Powell’s and build its convenience store and gas station.
“Mr. Powell is not retiring, and he’s not selling the store,” Linda Powell said. “Just because a company wants to buy a location doesn’t mean it’s happening. The store is not for sale. Mr. Powell is not closing the store. Sheetz wants to buy the store. They would like this location, but we’re here.”
The planning commission also forwarded a request to rezone two parcels totaling 16 acres for the development of 80 age-restricted (55-and-older) single-family attached villas to the board of supervisors with no recommendation.
A motion to recommend approval failed 4-3 with only Jennifer Maddox (Berkley District), Allen Prickett (Chancellor District) and Raymond Bell (Salem District) voting in favor of the motion.
Staff recommended approval of the project, which would be on the north side of Courthouse Road, about 1,600 feet from its intersection with Breckenridge Road.
In other business, a public hearing to rezone 15 parcels encompassing 325 acres from Planned Development Commercial and Village to Industrial Mixed Use and Mixed Use was deferred at the request of applicant Luck Stone by a 5-2 vote.
The project being considered is called Ni Village and would include up to 950 residential units consisting of multi-family, single-family attached and detached homes, as well as commercial/office space, warehouses, industrial/flex space and passive/active recreational areas.
The parcels with assigned addresses are at 7695 and 7630 Patriot Highway, as well as 8110 and 8111 River Stone Drive off U.S. Route 1. The project would feature two campuses. The east campus is located approximately 1,600 feet south of Guinea Station Road near Massaponax High School.
The west campus would be 550 feet south of the Guinea Station Road and U.S. Route 1 intersection.
Gronau and Maddox stated that they are concerned about the number of units, and how that would affect transportation and the school division.
The planning commission gave residents a chance to speak despite the deferral, with several speaking out against the project. County Director of Planning and Zoning Kimberly Pomatto noted that Luck Stone is expected to tweak its plans when it returns for a public hearing at an undetermined date.
“They have reviewed the staff report and they wish to reconsider the project’s proposal, specifically related to transportation, education and density,” Pomatto said.
