City Council agreed to modify the Hillpoint Farms master plan to shift 230 of the 394 proposed multi-family housing units to another part of the property off of Godwin Boulevard to provide for more commercial development.

The 7-0 vote by council Dec. 18, following a public hearing, follows the Planning Commission’s 7-1 vote to recommend the adjustment to the master plan.

By shifting the units, it would allow for commercial use on the property at 3904 Godwin Blvd. According to the city staff report, Farmers Bank already exists on that section of the property, The highly forested and undeveloped portion of the property would be used for high density multi-family housing, with 164 units.

“To reallocate the 230 units … will provide new activity near the commercial core of Hillpoint,” said Melissa Venable, president of Land Planning Solutions and the company representing the property owner.

She said the change to the master plan would likely result in growth along the Route 10 corridor.

“This will promote and provide a walkable, pedestrian-friendly area within Hillpoint,” Venable said, “and we will reduce the density adjacent to the existing medium density site known as the Villa neighborhood.”

The property is surrounded by undeveloped land, with a movie studio and commercial use to the north and commercial development and undeveloped land reserved for office and commercial use to the south. To the east are the Hillpoint Commons condominiums and undeveloped property, and to the west is undeveloped land reserved for office and commercial use.

Council in 1986 approved a rezoning request to create the Hillpoint Farms Planned Development Housing District, located off of Godwin Boulevard and Hillpoint Road. That original master plan called for 2,448 dwelling units, and no more than 513 multi-family housing units in the planned development.

The 230 units would go onto 12.8 acres of the eastern part of the property, according to the staff report on the proposal, and will be able to be accessed from two points off of Hillpoint Boulevard.

Among the proffers as part of the proposal, the exterior building siding material will be cultured stone, brick and/or fiber cement, with the roofing made up of architectural shingles with a minimum 25-year manufacturer’s warranty and no more than 230 multi-family units to be allowed on the site.

The staff report recommended approval of the change.