Board approves Dominion Hills rezoning for 61 attached homes after proffers to schools, parks and transportation

Spotsylvania County supervisors voted May 13 to rezone about 7.85 acres in the Lee Hill voting district from R-2 to R-8 to permit 61 single-family attached units under a proffered plan called Dominion Hills.

County planning staff described the proposal as a 61-unit attached development on five parcels with an overall density of about 7.7 units per acre and said the project "aligns with" the Mixed Use Light designation on the county's Future Land Use map. The staff presentation noted off-site sidewalk construction, 30 feet of right-of-way dedication on Lee Hill School Drive and a 100-foot right-turn taper into the development among the proffered roadway improvements.

Why it matters: the rezoning adds housing capacity near established commercial uses and Germanna Community College but also triggers school and public-safety impacts that the applicant agreed to mitigate through proffers.

Key provisions: the applicant committed to architectural standards using fiber-cement siding and architectural shingles, 3.29 acres of open space (exceeding the R-8 requirement), two planned amenity areas (playground and pavilion) and parking that exceeds the minimum by providing 29 guest spaces. Proffers include $4,500 per unit toward schools, $270.15 per unit for parks and $404.55 per unit for public safety; a $200,000 lump sum toward the Germanna Point shared-use path or other nearby transportation projects brings the total proffer value to about $515,656.

Staff estimated the project would add about 147 residents and roughly 34 school-aged children who would attend Lee Hill Elementary, Thornburg Middle and Massaponax High; the applicant also proffered toward a planned Thornburg Middle expansion and fire Station 12. Planning staff reported the applicant's fiscal-impact analysis projects a net positive tax revenue of about $30,000 after full buildout under the county model.

Applicant representative Charlie Payne described the project as "a high-quality project" that exceeds required open space and proffer amounts, and said price points would range from about $475,000 to $500,000 per unit.

Board discussion and vote: Before the vote, one board member announced an abstention on ethics grounds. Supervisor Childress moved to approve the rezoning with the proffers; the motion passed with a recorded tally described in the meeting as "5 yes," with Supervisor Lane voting no and one abstention announced prior to the vote. The transcript records the vote result as passing.

Transportation and public-safety notes: staff said a traffic-impact analysis was not warranted because projected trips were below the county threshold; the applicant nonetheless agreed to off-site sidewalk construction and the turn-lane taper. Fire calls were estimated at about 19 calls annually to Station 11; staff noted Station 11's call volume approaches capacity and that Station 12 — planned in the capital program — will ease pressure on several stations.

Ending: The board approved the rezoning with proffers after the public hearing; staff will incorporate the proffered commitments into final subdivision and site-construction reviews.