Planning commission advances focus-area plans; asks staff for maps, code list and parcel counts

At an April work session the Louisa County Planning Commission discussed draft focus-area plans that identify growth corridors around Zion’s Crossroads, Route 15/250 and Lake Anna and asked staff to produce visual maps and a list of affected zoning code sections to support further action. The commission’s discussion ranged from requiring developers to contribute to transportation solutions to whether front setbacks and parking should be limited in some growth areas.

Planning staffer Mr. Eglin told commissioners the draft language now asks that “future development near Route 15, Route 30 3, and Cloughner Road should contribute toward transportation solutions,” and that focus-area guidance calls for “promote shared driveways and interparcel connectivity for commercial industrial uses.” He also identified an available transportation study for the Zion’s Crossroads area: the 2022 Cross Zion’s Crossroads Small Area Study produced through the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC), and noted that the plan recommends things such as roundabout or “bow tie” concepts the county has repeatedly pursued through SmartScale funding.

Commissioner John Goodwin said the…