Planning commission recommends rezoning for Holland Glen, a 83-unit development with 11 HUD-defined affordable units

The Suffolk City Planning Commission voted 7-0 at its April meeting to recommend approval of rezoning request RZN2024010, known as Holland Glen, a conditional rezoning to the RC (Residential Compact) district for a portion of property at 2201 Holland Road.

Staff planner Britney Collier summarized the application as "a request to rezone a portion of the subject property from agricultural zoning district to RC residential compact conditional zoning district for the purpose of constructing 83 residential units." Collier told commissioners the area to be rezoned totals 28.67 acres, wetlands occupy about 0.79 acres of the site, and the parcel’s net developable acreage is 27.88 acres.

Why it matters: The proposal would add housing near the Route 58 employment corridor and is the first new neighborhood proposed along Holland Road in some time, proponents said. The applicant proffered a school mitigation contribution and a cap of 83 total units, and staff concluded the development would meet the intent of the Suffolk 2045 comprehensive plan and the Unified Development Ordinance if proffers are accepted.

The applicant team said the project is intended to mix housing types and include subsidized units. Grady Palmer, representing the applicant, said, "we actually have committed to, bringing on 11 of our attached units to be affordable as defined by HUD," and noted the timing with the Route 58 widening project. Brian Rowe, identified as the applicant, said, "the affordable housing piece of this is critical to us." Amy Bocchicchio of Land Planning Solutions explained the zoning choice, saying the RC district "was selected, because it is the lowest density zoning district that the city has that allows you to do, condo style ownership in addition to fee simple."

Staff detailed anticipated public‑facility impacts and mitigation: water and sewer are available for connection but water‑main looping for redundancy will be required at plan review; the Department of Public Works had no stormwater concerns at this stage; and the development would require a secondary emergency access at plan review. Collier said the net density of the proposed 83 units on the rezoned acreage would be about 3.4 dwelling units per acre. School impact calculations in staff’s report estimated a net increase of 11 high‑school students, 9 middle‑school students and 15 elementary‑school students after accounting for by‑right credits; staff noted a capacity deficit exists at the elementary level and the applicant proffered a cash contribution to mitigate those impacts.

The applicant’s proffers filed with the rezoning include: (1) school contributions to mitigate school impacts (amount not specified in the record), (2) a limit of 83 residential units, (3) compliance with the submitted conceptual master plan, (4) and (5) traffic improvements outlined in the staff report, and (6) certification that at least 11 duplex units will conform to the HUD affordability standard for the Hampton Roads region (the proffer ties affordability to households earning under 80 percent of area median income and identified an illustrative cap on sale price of $340,000 for FY2025).

Commissioners moved and the body approved the recommendation to City Council by a 7-0 vote. The commission record indicates the item will be placed on City Council’s May 21 agenda with the commission’s recommended approval.