Planning commission tables Whitewater Center rezoning, asks for traffic and permit information

The Washington County Planning Commission on a unanimous voice vote paused consideration of a rezoning application from US National Whitewater Center, Inc., asking the group to return with additional traffic and permitting information before the commission forwards a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

The Whitewater Center is seeking to rezone about 33 acres of a roughly 280-acre property at 24084 Berry Creek Road from R-2 (Residential General) to A-2 (Agricultural General) so ecotourism uses described by the applicant as “mountain bike trails” and small supporting buildings would be permitted by right. Jeff Wise of the US National Whitewater Center told commissioners the organization has acquired land in the region and “Today, we've spent about 3 and a half million dollars on building the trails and putting in that initial infrastructure.”

Commissioners and residents pressed the applicant and staff for details the planning packet did not contain. Neighbors focused on safety and traffic on Berry Creek Drive and Trick Street, which they described as narrow and unsafe for large volumes of nonlocal traffic. Bruce McNulty told the commission: “Our concerns would be noise pollution, light pollution, but most of all is traffic.” Commissioners also raised questions about permits and site work; some residents said construction and test holes were done before they were aware of permits.

Supporters said the project could expand outdoor recreation and local tourism. Link Elmore, a Washington County resident and Abingdon Cycling board member, said the proposal would build on local trail assets and asked commissioners to support the zoning change: “This is our generation's opportunity for the Creeper Trail part 2.” Wellspring Foundation Executive Director Sean McMurray told the commission his organization had committed funding and “our board wholeheartedly supports this project.”

Planning staff and the applicants acknowledged outstanding items. The commission asked for written confirmation from VDOT about entrance/driveway permits and for a traffic study or letters explaining likely traffic patterns, for documentation of building and grading permits and any outstanding violations, for a projected development completion schedule and an estimate of on-site staffing levels for operations. At the end of the meeting the commission voted unanimously to table the rezoning to the commission's next regular meeting on April 28 and requested the materials above be provided ahead of that hearing.

The planning commission emphasized that rezoning to A-2 would make many uses permitted by right in that district; if the applicant later seeks uses that require a special-exception permit there will be separate opportunities to impose conditions. The commission advised neighbors to attend the Board of Supervisors meeting April 8; the board can act independently of the commission's recommendation.