Board approves rezoning for Route 11 truck dealership; residents press odor and access concerns

The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 11 conditionally approved a rezoning request from agricultural A-1 to industrial M-2 for about 87.87 acres along U.S. Route 11 in the Amsterdam magisterial district to allow a Peterbilt truck dealership and an adjacent truck service facility.

The proposal, brought by Palm Way Investments LLC, would place the dealership on roughly 17 acres along the parcel’s southern boundary; the applicant’s conceptual plan shows a roughly 40,000-square-foot, single-story building with vehicle and tractor-trailer parking and service areas. The applicant did not proffer specific guarantees on the final building location, size or orientation, and staff described the filing as a straight M-2 rezoning without substantial conformance to a final site plan.

Why it matters: The site borders residential properties on Brown Road and sits near existing industrial uses across Route 11. Supervisors and nearby residents pressed the applicants on potential odors and vehicular access, issues that affect neighbor livability and traffic safety.

Staff told the board the parcel has hilly and partly steep terrain with pasture and woods, no FEMA floodplain, and access to public water and sewer lines near the southwestern corner of the property. Traffic data cited by staff from the Virginia Department of Transportation show about 12,000 vehicles per day on that stretch of Route 11 and 13 reported crashes in the last nine years near the Brown Road intersection; staff said most were rear-end collisions with no serious injuries or fatalities.

Resident Danny Goad, who said his home is downwind of the parcel, asked what measures would prevent industrial odors, saying he and neighbors already sometimes smell heavy welding-like fumes from existing nearby businesses. Chris Burns of Walzer and Associates, representing the applicant, told the board, “There won't be any odors admitted or shouldn't be anything more admitted from what we're doing there than is actually a truck run up down interstate or trucks that are running up and down 11 right now. So it shouldn't add anything to” existing conditions and that “there's no manufacturing with this project. We're just repairing trucks and testing them on a lot.”

On access, applicants described the primary entrance at the existing Brown Road approach to Lee Highway/Route 11 and said they intend to improve that entrance and coordinate with adjacent property owners. The applicants said they attempted to provide separate public and residential entrances but VDOT pushed back on distance between driveways; they said they are revisiting the design and plan to meet VDOT requirements. The Western Virginia Water Authority has requested two waterline easements along Route 11; staff said any easements would be a private agreement between the utility and the developer and must be finalized before site plan approval.

Board action and conditions: The board moved and seconded a conditional approval consistent with the planning commission recommendation and the staff extract. The motion carried. Staff noted the rezoning is a straight M-2 rezoning and that future development must meet county standards and any required permits.

What’s next: Because the applicant did not proffer binding specifics about building siting or operational details, future site plan and permit reviews will be the stage for traffic, access and utility easement resolutions. The applicant and the homeowners along Brown Road will need to reach any private agreements governing shared access and maintenance.

Sources: Presentation and testimony at the Oct. 11 Botetourt County Board of Supervisors public hearing; applicant representatives Chris Burns (Walzer and Associates) and Robert Lucas (Palm Way Investments LLC); resident public comment by Danny Goad.