The James City County Board of Supervisors approved multiple grant awards and denied a self-storage facility proposal at its Oct. 13 meeting. The board voted on five land use applications ranging from a storage development to short-term rental requests, and a supervisor asked for follow-up on transit stops. Votes split along different lines depending on the application, with some proposals withdrawn before a vote could occur.
The board approved accepting grants for bicycle and transit infrastructure improvements. Staff recommended approval of two Virginia Department of Transportation Carbon Reduction Program awards: $450,000 for design of a Virginia Capital Trail extension along Eagle Way and $1,200,000 over three fiscal years, including $400,000 in fiscal year 2027, for Williamsburg Area Transit Authority bus shelters at approximately 141 stops in the county. The board also awarded a $336,000 contract to Henderson Inc. for Phase I construction of transit stop improvements at 15 locations throughout the county. All five consent calendar items passed unanimously.
An application for The Bluffs at Kiskiack was withdrawn before the board’s public hearing. The application combined a rezoning, a master plan and a special use permit, and its materials included a proposed master plan, proposed design guidelines, a community impact statement, a traffic impact analysis and a fiscal impact analysis. Staff said it could not recommend approval because the proposed rezoning was not consistent with the adopted 2045 Comprehensive Plan land use recommendations specific to the Croaker Interchange Mixed Use Area, and recommended that, if the board chose to approve, it do so subject to the attached conditions and proffers. The chair, John J. McGlennon, said the case had been withdrawn and the board did not hold a public hearing on it. (0:49:53)
The board denied an application for a self-storage facility at The Promenade mixed-use development on John Tyler Highway by a vote of 3 to 2. The proposal sought to amend proffers and a master plan to allow a two-story storage building with a 51,000-square-foot footprint on two vacant parcels zoned mixed use. Staff recommended approval, noting the facility would align with mixed-use comprehensive plan designations and would not be expected to negatively affect level of service for roads. The developer proposed restricting easement rights over residential streets, contributing $5,000 annually to the condominium association for road maintenance, and providing $50,000 to the county for open space preservation. Residents of The Promenade opposed the application, citing concerns about traffic safety on narrow private streets, construction impacts, property values, and the appropriateness of a storage facility in a residential community. Supervisors expressed concerns that the proposal did not meet the original mixed-use vision for the development and that storage facilities are not the highest use of land for tax purposes. Supervisors Tracy Wainwright and Barbara E. Null voted against denial, and supervisors noted the site could be reached from two access points and that alternative commercial development would generate more traffic. (0:50:24)
A group home amendment was approved. The board approved an amendment to a special use permit for a residential facility at 2010 Old Route 60 West, extending the required commencement period by 12 months from approval of the amendment and reducing maximum occupancy from 24 to 16. The staff report said the applicant is working with the Virginia Department of Health to install a new sewage treatment system and on interior building renovations, and stated that the additional year would give it enough time to complete both. The planning commission recommended approval 7 to 0, and no public comment was received. The board voted to approve the amendment. (2:31:46)
The board approved removal of a trail at Windmill Meadows subdivision. Supervisors voted 5 to 0 to amend proffers for the subdivision to allow removal of an approximately 2,200-foot soft-surface pedestrian trail that had not been maintained. The trail was required when the subdivision was approved in 2005 to meet recreation facility standards for density above one unit per acre. Staff said the homeowners association requested removal after a 2023 survey showed a majority of owners supported elimination of the trail, which had become covered with debris. The trail area is common area within the association. A 10-foot-wide multiuse path along Centerville Road provides alternative pedestrian access. The planning commission recommended approval 7 to 0. (2:36:40)
A short-term rental application on Railroad Street was denied. The board voted to deny a special use permit for a tourist home at 199 Railroad Street. The applicant sought to rent a three-bedroom unit in a two-family dwelling. Staff could not recommend approval because the property is designated low-density residential, is located internal to a subdivision, and fronts a local road rather than a major road, failing to meet comprehensive plan standards for short-term rentals. The planning commission recommended denial 7 to 0. The applicant presented parking, occupancy, noise and safety rules and cited more than four years of short-term rental experience in the county. Supervisors expressed concern that the applicant had continued to operate without a special use permit after being notified one was required, and that approving the application would create a precedent inconsistent with the comprehensive plan standards applied to other applications. (2:51:37)
An applicant withdrew a short-term rental request for 146 Watford Lane before the board took action. Staff confirmed the withdrawal and the board moved to the next case. (3:15:31)
The board approved rental of rooms at 900 Adams Road by a vote of 4 to 1. The application sought a special use permit to allow short-term rental of a two-bedroom accessory apartment while the owner resides in the primary dwelling. Staff could not recommend approval because the property is designated low-density residential and fronts a local road, but the planning commission recommended approval 7 to 0, noting a business across the street added commercial character to the area. The applicant said the accessory unit was built for visiting in-laws from Bulgaria and would be rented when the in-laws are not there or to friends. Supervisor Ruth Larson voted against approval. (3:15:55)
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