The Christiansburg Town Council turned down a developer’s amended proposal that included deeding land for a public park on a site originally planned for more housing units.
The developer, Robert Fralin, also planned a new access road for the development off busy Peppers Ferry Road (Virginia 114), with more planned housing. However, an easement for the road — needed because it runs through Appalachian Power Company property — is not a possibility based on current negotiations, according to town documents.
The development — known as The Madison — is one of several at the center of increased traffic and safety concerns from officials and residents as growth sprouts across the town’s northwest corridor.
After council deadlocked 3-3 on Fralin’s request Tuesday, Mayor Mike Barber cast the deciding vote, forming a majority with council members Johana Hicks, Kim Bowman and Christine Waltz.
Barber did not explain the reason for his opposition, but seconds prior, he said, “I’m not saying the horse is dead, but he’s in a coma right now. We’ve beat it up pretty good.”
Other council members said the lack of the access road was a deciding factor in denying the request.
Referencing the developer, Councilman Beth Umberger said, “Nobody should be able to offer a proffer if they don’t own the land.”
The Peppers Ferry area is the fastest developing section of the town, with a debate over housing and commercial growth outpacing the infrastructure. In fact, one way the growth is being accommodated is the opening of access roads to link residential neighborhoods to alleviate traffic pressure — instead of making it easier for drivers to try to turn onto the main four-lane thoroughfare, busy Peppers Ferry. That can be difficult at present — and dangerous — due to an absence of traffic lights. Also on Peppers Ferry, drivers often use the middle turn lanes to get up to speed and merge with oncoming traffic.
On Bozeman Trail, a road that’s been extended through the Madison development, drivers are prohibited from turning left on Peppers Ferry. But they’re doing it anyway instead of having to turn right and figure out a way to make a U-turn, according to Tuesday’s council discussion. A Cardinal News journalist witnessed a car making a left turn onto Peppers Ferry from Bozeman on Thursday afternoon.
The council, as development requests are filed along the corridor, is faced with voting in favor of growth versus delaying or denying projects based on how they’ll complicate everyday life.
Councilwoman Tanya Hockett, in voting in favor of the changes, said: “To me, it just came down to those two choices. One of them had a positive outcome, which was green space and housing for the workforce community. And one of them stopped all the progress, and we didn’t get anything.”
There was no discussion during Tuesday’s meeting about any negative impact of increasing traffic through existing residential neighborhoods to satisfy the town’s development interests.
Located at the intersection of Peppers Ferry Road, New Village Drive and Bozeman Trail, Madison’s first phase to build multifamily units was approved by town council in 2021, and was limited to 72 units. Construction of 60 additional apartment units and 14 townhome-style units could proceed only after Madison secured the land for, issued bonds and constructed the public road connecting Bozeman Trail to Walters Drive, according to its 2020 rezoning.
The development team asked that the proffer for the access road be removed in February.
“We’re here to talk about our journey into acquiring land and working with AEP (Appalachian Power), which has been less than optimal,” said Fralin during a public hearing at the June 3 town council meeting. Fralin attended Tuesday’s meeting but did not comment.
“We have had ongoing discussions regarding the proposed right-of-way,” according to a statement this week from George Porter, a power company spokesman, “and while a few internal factors have slowed the process, we remain committed to working constructively toward a possible solution.”
Porter did not provide what those internal factors are, but confirmed that Appalachian Power would continue discussions with Madison. “Is it cost effective? Are we being reliable? Are we being safe for the community?
So anytime we’re looking at those issues, those are some of the main components that we’re looking at to make the best decision,” said Porter.
The amendment the council voted on Tuesday would have provided a deed of approximately an acre parcel to the town for the public park, an approximate 0.21-acre parcel to the Grubb/Chapman family, from whom the development firm purchased the Madison land, and a 20-foot easement to the town to allow future construction of a sidewalk or trail from Walters Drive to the park. The development company would keep 0.48 acres of land to use for future housing development.
The company was also willing to commit $30,000 for park facility improvements as well as $20,000 for the removal of invasive plant species and the planting of native ones, according to town documents.
Residents have raised concerns about whether the plan properly addresses traffic issues in that area.
“Currently, during heavy traffic times it is difficult and sometimes dangerous to try and make a left out of either New Village Drive or Bozeman Trail on to Peppers Ferry Road,” said Drew Taylor in an email sent to the town. While Taylor acknowledged the connecting road would help, “A better option would be to have a red light at New River Village and Peppers Ferry to have a protected turn.”
According to the minutes from a March planning commission meeting on the request, its members were told a traffic study at the development’s intersection found that a traffic signal at New River Village Drive was not warranted. They then questioned the study’s validity and discussed the process for requesting a new one.
Vice Chairman Felix Clarke expressed concerns about the study’s accuracy, saying he believed it was conducted in December 2019, when many people were out of town. The planning commission delayed their vote until May, ultimately approving a recommendation for approval unanimously.
A new traffic signal is planned farther east on Peppers Ferry, at its intersection with Stafford Drive.
Cardinal News contacted Fralin’s office for comment but had not received a response by publication.
