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Townhouse plan would replace surface parking at 4035 Ridgetop Road; staff recommends overlay conditions
Summary
Applicant proposes up to 128 townhouses (maximum 20 dwelling units per acre) at 4035 Ridgetop Road, retaining the existing eight‑story office during Phase One and adding a central publicly accessible park; staff recommends overlay-level approval with conditions on design, buffering, pedestrian connections and phasing.
A developer-proposed plan to replace surface parking with townhouse-scale housing at 4035 Ridgetop Road would allow up to 128 units at a maximum of 20 dwelling units per acre, while retaining the existing eight‑story office building during an initial phase, county staff said.
The proposal, presented by attorney Andrew Greg, would combine about 54 stacked 'two‑over‑two' townhouse units and 74 traditional townhouses on roughly 6.78 acres and center development around a publicly accessible urban park. "The concept is a townhouse-scale residential transition," Greg said, describing expectations for pedestrian and bicycle connections, buffering, phased implementation, and compatibility with nearby three‑ and four‑story residential communities.
Staff explained why the parcel-specific plan option is being considered and how it would relate to zoning: the Comprehensive Plan provides guidance and the plan amendment would only set overlay-level expectations; any detailed technical matters — traffic, stormwater, architecture, and exact phasing — would be considered later during rezoning and site plan review. "Tonight does not resolve those technical issues," a county planner said.
Why the townhouse approach? County staff and the applicant reviewed alternatives, including repurposing the existing office or replacing it with higher-density multifamily. Staff said multifamily options they tested (about 1.9 FAR, five to seven stories, roughly 275 units in one scenario) raised concerns about on-site shade impacts, fitting required on-site urban park acreage, and compatibility with adjacent lower-scale neighborhoods. The townhouse layout, staff said, better matched transition goals while allowing meaningful on-site open space.
Staff's draft recommendation at the overlay level would permit single‑family attached and stacked townhouse forms at up to 20 du/ac with conditions: orient front facades to Ridgetop Road or interior urban parks to support a pedestrian-friendly streetscape; prioritize high-quality, publicly accessible on-site parks; phase development so future phases are reasonably anticipated; provide landscape buffering along the eastern property line; and consider a pedestrian connection southeast toward Government Center Parkway if off-site rights can be secured.
Transportation and circulation remain critical considerations. Staff noted a proposed shared-use path along Ridgetop Road and potential internal pedestrian routes; a southeast connection to Government Center Parkway would depend on off-site property rights and further review. Staff also said redevelopment should include stormwater quality and quantity measures that exceed code minimums.
The next steps: staff will incorporate community feedback and coordinate further with the applicant. The plan amendment is tentatively scheduled for a Planning Commission hearing later this year, with Board of Supervisors consideration to follow. Staff asked for public comment and encouraged residents and stakeholders to review posted materials on the County comprehensive-plan webpage.
Closing note: no formal rezoning or site-plan approvals were granted at the meeting; the county emphasized that any final development would undergo separate public review processes and technical studies.
