Grind-All CUP gets 60-day deferral 

At the March 26 Board of Supervisors’ meeting, applicant Willie Gilman requested a 60-day deferral regarding the conditional use permit for Grind-All, LLC.  

The CUP would permit a trash collection site to produce mulch on 15 acres of the Gilman property off Ashland Road in the South Anna district.  

The Planning Commission denied the CUP on a 6-0 vote at its February 21 hearing. Neighbors cited concerns over traffic volume, increased truck traffic, noise level, and unknown groundwater and runoff factors.

Planning Commission, April 17, 2008: 

Approves Route 33/Hylas plan 

A Comprehensive Plan amendment and a Business Park (BP) ordinance were approved in separate 7-0 votes. 

These actions laid groundwork for the development of the 1795-acre business park in the South Anna district. The area bounded by U.S. 33 and Ashland Road was added to the Suburban Services Area and designated for business park development in the 2006-07 Comprehensive Plan update process.  

The Hylas/Route 33 Community Planning Committee, chaired by South Anna Commissioner Janet Binns and composed of residents, contractors and developers, held public meetings for nine months in order to craft the new zoning classification of Business Park District (BP). 

Approves infill development on U.S. 301 

D & R Property Development, Inc. sought to rezone 19.768 acres on the east side of Chamberlayne Road (U.S. 301) and north of Hanover Crossing Drive for  B-3, general business and R-4, townhouses.  

Henry District residents were concerned with the housing density, citing noise, traffic flow and turning problems, but generally supported the business use along the U.S. 301 corridor. The Crown Colony, Swannanoa and Berkeley Forest subdivisions are adjacent to the tract. 

The Commission approved the rezoning, 7-0. 

Defers Slavic Evangelical Church 60 days 

The Commission moved the CUP request by Slavic Evangelical Church off the expedited agenda and into a full public hearing when several South Anna residents said they had not received proper notifications. 

The church seeks the CUP for 13.86 acres on the west side of U.S. 33 north of Locust Run Drive. Plans include a cemetery on the property. 

Neighbors from the Locust Run subdivision and Wild Cherry Lane cited concerns over light pollution, traffic, noise level,wellwater and drainfields,  

Commissioner Janet Binns requested a community meeting in order to address residents’ concerns. 

Action on the CUP has been deferred 60 days on a 7-0 vote. 

Martin Marietta CUP approved 6-1 

On February 27, 2008, the Board of Supervisors approved Martin Marietta’s  request to expand its Verdon Road quarry operation to 1297 acres, an increase of 764 acres.  

Area residents objected to the expansion on the basis of quality of life issues associated with blasting, increased traffic, 24 hour crushing, stream and groundwater impairment as well as encroachment upon the historic North Anna battlefield. 

Supervisor Stanley moved for approval of the CUP, offering an amendment to the 24 hour crushing request. Crushing will cease between Thursday midnight and Monday 6:00 a.m. 

The CUP was approved by a vote of 6-1, with Supervisor Gordon dissenting.

Planning Commission denies Grind-All CUP 

By a vote of 6-0, the Hanover County Planning Commission denied the request by Grind-All for a conditional use permit to operate its mulch producing operation in the South Anna district. The company was seeking to set up on 15 acres of a 185-acre tract owned by Willie Gilman off Ashland Road 

Area residents spoke at the public hearing February 21, citing truck traffic, noise, dust, unknown groundwater contamination and fire hazard among their concerns. 

The Planning Department had recommended denial of the CUP, noting that its industrial nature was incompatible with the land use designated in the recently revised Comprehensive Plan. 

Commissioner Elizabeth Moorhouse was absent due to illness.  The CUP now goes forward with a recommendation of denial to the Board of Supervisors. 

Hylas Committee sends BP draft plan to BoS 

The US 33/Hylas Community Planning Committee has completed a draft plan of a Business Park (BP) zoning to be applied in a 1795-acre tract located in the newly expanded Suburban Services Area in the South Anna district.  

The committee wound up seven months of public work sessions with two community hearings February 19 and 20, 2008. 

Among the requirements for parcels to be developed: 30-acre minimum allowable for consideration; 25% of gross acreage, or 20% of net developable area, whichever is greater, to be set aside as open space; four-storey maximum building height, with no penetration of a 30-degree plane; limited traffic outlets to main thoroughfares. 

The BP draft plan will be considered by the Board of Supervisors in its March 26 meeting. At that time they will vote to send the plan to the Planning Commission to commence the public hearing process.

Planning Commission approves Martin Marietta CUP request        

On January 17, 2008 by a 5-1 vote, the Hanover County Planning Commission approved the Martin Marietta CUP request to expand its Verdon Road quarry operation by 764 acres to 1297 acres. The significant increase pushes the extraction operation north of Verdon Road and well onto the North Anna Battlefield. 

In its long-range planning, Hanover County will acquire the original quarry pit on the south side of Verdon Road for a reservoir when Martin Marietta vacates that portion, perhaps in as few as 15 years.  

Friends of North Anna and other citizens, during months of meetings and negotiations, had advocated for a smaller expansion, citing the quarry’s encroachment on the historic North Anna Battlefield; exacerbation of traffic, noise and blasting impacts; and groundwater depletion. 

The lengthy negotiation process yielded a 90-acre concession by Martin Marietta to the North Anna Battlefield Park, adding protection to “the killing fields”, lengthening the riparian buffer on the North Anna, and widening the buffer between the operation and nearby residences. 

On the night of the public hearing, residents reiterated their concerns with increased truck traffic on Verdon Road; light pollution; crushing noise; blasting damage; and access by emergency services across the rail line. 

Several citizens focused especially on the aspects of 24-hour secondary crushing and transport of overburden through the park, asking that they be deleted from the CUP request. These features remained and the request went through intact.  

Commissioner Joe O’Connor cast the dissenting vote, citing the transport of overburden through the park as unacceptable.  Commissioner Janet Binns was absent.