Pruden proposal back before Council
Published 8:49 pm Monday, September 2, 2019
The proffers have changed for a proposed rezoning to bring a 414-unit development to an area off of Pruden Boulevard, but the city’s recommendation has not.
The new proffer for the proposed Hallstead Reserve development would bring a minimum of 51 units that would be restricted to those ages 55 and up, according to a staff report of the proposed rezoning. The developer also said it would pay out $26,563.67 for each student generated by the proposed development.
However, because Elephant’s Fork Elementary School is overcapacity, city staff continues to recommend that the rezoning be denied.
City Council is expected to take up the rezoning request at its Wednesday meeting. On June 19, council tabled the rezoning request until Jan. 15, 2020 by a 5-3 vote, with Vice Mayor Leroy Bennett and Councilmen Tim Johnson and Lue Ward dissenting.
Developers for the project submitted a revised proffer Aug. 9, and council approved on Aug. 21 a motion to rescind its June 19 motion. The developer then submitted its latest proffer statement Aug. 26.
The rezoning would affect 48 of the property’s 57 acres at 2575 and 2665 Pruden Blvd., near Murphys Mill Road. If approved, the property would be rezoned to residential urban from general commercial.
Of the 414 units proffered by the developer, there would be 312 apartments and 102 four-plexes, or condominiums. Of the 312 apartments, 100 of those would be one-bedroom units, with the remainder to be two bedrooms or more.
As part of the revised proffer, the developer would be required to set up a condominium association for the 102 such units, and it would be responsible for enforcing the age-restricted requirements, a requirement that no more than 20 of the non-age restricted condo units would receive an occupancy permit each year, and that the condos would have their master bedrooms on the first floor.
City staff said in a report that the proposal would increase capacity at Elephant’s Fork, which is currently 99 students over-capacity. Between committed and proposed development coming from the request, the school would be 225 students over its capacity of 498 students, according to the staff report.
In other items on the council’s work session agenda, Suffolk Fire Chief Michael Barakey and Fire Marshal Charles Chapin will provide an overview of commercial building inspections, and Suffolk’s Director of Information Technology Ken Beam will brief council on the Hampton Roads Regional Connectivity Ring project, and the forming of a regional Broadband Steering Committee.
The council’s work session begins at 5:30 p.m. and its regular session starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.