The request to rezone a section of the southeast corner of Sierra Lane and Appalachian Highway will be heard by the Blue Ridge Planning Commission Tuesday, October 6.
The hearing was originally scheduled for September 1, but the applicant, Johnnie Hastings, on behalf of Integrity Development Group, LLC., pulled the original application after noticing the negative feedback from area residents.
The request is specifically an effort to rezone from General Commercial to High Density Residential.
The application has been resubmitted with some adjustments.
Instead of 107 townhomes and cottages, Hastings proposes 83 single-family, attached townhomes at 2,400 square foot each on the 14.15 acre tract, according to the application.
On the contrary, in a phone interview with The News Observer, Hastings stated they planned to create 80 single-family, attached townhomes at 1,800 square foot each.
A Letter of Intent, written by Kenneth J. Wood of Planners and Engineers Collaborative, Inc., said, “The rezoning would facilitate the development of a new 81-unit townhome community.”
As outlined in the letter, 81 townhomes would account for nearly six units per acre.
The original plan would’ve consisted of nearly eight units per acre.
The southern quarter of the property would remain “undeveloped and natural,” according to the letter.
Access to the community would be through both Appalachian Highway and College Street.
In the phone interview, Hastings explained that the development would be similar to Overlook at Blue Ridge, which is a neighboring community.
The townhome community would be full of amenities, he said, to include fire pits, walking trails, barbecue grills and a transit to shuffle residents to the downtown area.
The homes would be “affordable” at around $350,000 each.
A home owners association would also be implemented to “protect the beauty and integrity of the community,” Broker Ken Baker said in a phone conversation.
Although the proposal must go before the planning commission, the ultimate fate of the project is in the hands of the City of Blue Ridge Council as they will take the final vote.