The Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to approve an expansion of the Glenmore community on a series of parcels known as the Leake property. The Board also voted to allow a nearby road to be built across a flood-plain to allow access to a separate subdivision to be built as part of a preservation development.
The action clears the way for the construction of an additional 110 units in the southeast corner of the Glenmore community.
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 Don Franco |
Last month,
the Planning Commission recommended a denial of the Leake rezoning
because the developer, Don Franco, had not sufficiently addressed concerns they had raised at the first public hearing in August. The Commission had to hold a second public hearing due to an advertising error.
Franco has since made several changes to reflect the Commission’s concerns, which included satisfying the County’s policy on affordable housing, as well as to depict the location of a pathway on the application plan.
Changes to proffers for the Leake property include:
At least two dozen people from the adjoining Running Deer subdivision, which is not currently connected to the Glenmore, attended the meeting to express concern that an emergency access road through their area would become a back door to the gated community. They were also concerned that construction traffic would travel through their neighborhood. However, Franco had already agreed to change the construction plan to prohibit construction vehicles from using Running Deer Drive.
Franco told Commissioners that the Glenmore expansion would feature single-story cottages and would be marketed to retirees who want to “age in place.” In fact, Glenmore resident Michael McCorry told the Board that he supported the development because he and his wife might like to move to one of the new units.
 Running Deer resident Poppy Lesti |
Another concern was over the location of the walking trail that will be constructed as part of the Leake development. Betsy Baten represented the Glenmore Community Association, which would like to have some say over where it will be built. She said homeowners along the walkway’s route were not consulted, and are opposed to its construction.
“These homeowners feel that a sidewalk on the west side of the street would be unnecessary and invasive to the appearance of their property,” Baten said.
But Glenmore resident Paul Akkad spoke up in support of the trail, because he said the residents of the new units will need some way to get to Glenmore’s recreational facilities without a car.
The proffers were finalized on the day of the meeting. The Board of Supervisor’s proffer policy discourages action from being taken on the same day, but does not disallow a motion from being made.
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Sean Tubbs
