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Commission discusses Highway Commercial Overlay revisions to preserve Route 60 character
Summary
Planning staff showed a revised Highway Commercial Overlay District proposal that would reduce building setbacks from Route 60, require more robust landscaping, and create a 75-foot connection zone for interparcel access; commissioners asked for more visuals and a landscape buffer sketch before advancing to public hearing.
Planning staff and a subcommittee updated commissioners on a proposed Highway Commercial Overlay District (HCOD) on March 4, showing a retooled approach that narrows building setbacks from Route 60 while adding a monument/landscape zone, a utilities easement, and a connection zone intended to support interparcel access.
Why it matters: The HCOD is intended to protect the highway’s rural character, require stronger landscaping and signage controls, and reduce the number of separate driveways by encouraging internal connections between commercial parcels.
Staff said the revised approach reduces the original 250-foot building setback measured from the Route 60 centerline to 215 feet by reallocating space among four elements: VDOT right-of-way (75 feet assumed in the model), a 25-foot utilities zone, a 40-foot monument/landscape zone and a 75-foot connection zone. Staff said the monument zone is intended to accommodate denser Type B landscaping, freestanding monument signs, sidewalks and stormwater features; utilities were proposed to be placed in a separate 25-foot corridor so underground utility easements would not conflict with the landscape zone.
Staff described the reasons for removing a larger monument zone and the interplay with landscape types, noting the proposal increases the minimum landscape standard from a low-density Type A to a denser Type B in the monument zone. Commissioners asked for a landscape-architect sketch showing planting density in the 40-foot monument zone and for clearer examples of how canopy trees, signage and gas-station canopies would fit within the overlay. Several commissioners said the 40‑foot monument zone felt large in some parcels and asked staff to explore further refinement that balances aesthetics and development feasibility.
Staff said the HCOD is intended to be phased in as parcels develop, and that the commission’s subcommittee will bring additional visuals and a draft ordinance text for formal public hearing consideration at a future meeting.
Ending: Staff will return with a landscape sketch and updated text; commissioners scheduled further review before sending the overlay for public hearing.
