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Commission postpones vote on 501,000 sq ft River Road truck terminal after resident opposition and Fort Lee request for review
Summary
Provident Realty's request to rezone 47.2 acres for a 501,000-square-foot warehouse/truck terminal was postponed to allow Fort Lee additional time to study potential impacts and to give residents more opportunity to comment; commissioners cited traffic, environmental and military-buffer concerns.
Prince George Planning Commission members on April 23 postponed action on a proposed rezoning for a 501,000-square-foot warehouse and truck-terminal development along River Road after extensive resident opposition and a request by Fort Lee for more time to assess impacts.
Provident Realty Advisors asked to rezone 47.2 acres at 3510 River Road from A-1 to M-2 to allow a truck terminal/warehouse. Staff reported the site is identified as industrial in the comprehensive plan, but noted utilities would require developer-paid extensions for public water and sewer. Staff also reported that Fort Lee requested additional time to review potential effects on its mission and operations given the site's proximity to the base.
Company representatives and counsel described the project's proffers—building facades, buffering, lighting controls and restricted uses—and cited trip-generation estimates in the planning packet (staff/engineer estimates roughly 1,600–1,833 weekday trips depending on ITE code assumptions). Provident said it had reached out to Fort Lee and was prepared to coordinate.
Numerous residents urged postponement, citing traffic and safety on the narrow, two-lane River Road; potential noise and diesel emissions; possible impacts to wetlands and wildlife; and concerns about proximity to Fort Lee operations and explosive safety arcs. "A truck terminal of this scale does not simply sit near our neighborhood. It will overwhelm it," said Laura Waddell, an adjacent mobile-home resident.
After hearing public comment and questions about traffic, buffering and Fort Lee's review timetable, a commissioner moved to postpone action until the commission's August 27 meeting to allow Fort Lee to study the rezoning impact and to give citizens additional time to raise concerns. The motion passed on roll call and staff will coordinate next steps with the applicant and Fort Lee.
The postponement preserves public comment for a subsequent hearing and gives the county and Fort Lee time to examine potential operational and safety impacts before the commission or Board acts.
