Botetourt planners approve Branch rezoning for vehicle-storage site on Route 11

Planning staff reported that a company called Branch won approval for rezoning of a site along Route 11 (Lee Highway) near Bryant Road in Botetourt County on a motion that carried following a public hearing with no speakers.

Planning staff said the property has access to public water, is within about 300 feet of public sewer lines (which would require connection for major development), and recorded 23 accidents at the nearby intersection of Lee Highway and Bryant Road, most of them rear-end collisions with no serious injuries or fatalities. Staff said the county's 02/2010 comprehensive plan designates the area for commercial and medium-density residential uses but concluded the proposed industrial use is compatible with surrounding M-1 and M-2 zoning across Lee Highway. Staff also reported there are no FEMA flood zones on the property and that county erosion and sediment-control and building regulations will apply when formal plans are submitted.

Staff described the applicants' site plan as having three tiers: a lower tier for vehicle storage, a middle tier with a main building and employee parking, and an upper area with existing trailers used for additional vehicle storage. The plan calls for a single commercial entrance on Route 11 for all truck and employee traffic. An approximately 8-acre portion of the site, shown in red on the plan, is intended to be used as a borrow pit for construction projects elsewhere in the valley; staff said that borrow-pit use is allowed by right and does not require rezoning but remains subject to erosion and sediment-control rules.

Planning staff said the Western Virginia Water Authority submitted comments and requested two water-line easements along Route 11 that will need to be finalized before site-plan approval; staff described that as a civil matter between the authority and the applicant. The applicants proffered two conditions: a prohibition on truck traffic along Bryant Road and installation of a vegetative buffer between the site and residential properties on Bryant Road to reduce noise and visual impacts.

Bronson Rowe, director of corporate real estate for Branch, said, "Branch is extremely excited about this opportunity, extremely excited about our investment and the partnership with Botetourt," and noted Branch had full support from the planning commission the prior week.

The meeting chair opened and closed the public hearing after no members of the public spoke, and a motion and second to approve the rezoning request were made. The transcript records the chair asking, "All in favor?" followed by an "Aye," and then the chair saying, "That motion carries."

The county will still review formal site and erosion-control plans, and the applicant must resolve the water-authority easement request before final site-plan approval. Staff emphasized compliance with Botetourt County erosion and sediment-control and building regulations during subsequent review.