Growing pains.
Williamsburg is having them.
The Williamsburg Firestone Industrial Products’ facility underwent a $51 million 68,000 square-foot expansion, which opened in 2023 resulting in 250 new jobs. Work on a new distribution center for the facility is underway this year.
The Mint Gaming Hall Cumberland opened in Williamsburg in 2022 bringing with it over 100 new jobs. It was a $50 million investment in the community.
These projects represent significant investments in the community, and a big boost for the local tax base, which is a great thing for the area.
Growth brings with it certain issues, not the least of which is a need for more housing at a when time housing, particularly affordable housing, is increasingly hard to find.
Because of this, Williamsburg is making some compromises.
For instance, last year the Williamsburg Board of Zoning Adjustment allowed one lot to be split into two lots so a pair of duplexes could be on the property instead of just one. This was done even though the split would mean that at least one lot wouldn’t meet all of the city’s legal requirements for things like lot size, yard size, and so forth.
This was done over the objection of at least one neighbor.
Last Thursday night, the Williamsburg Board of Zoning Adjustment met regarding issuance of a conditional use permit for a planned development on South Second Street.
The proposed project, which is named Coldiron River Estates, would be built down the block from the Merry Jeffries Center on the large vacant lot on the opposite side of the street from the center.
It would have 34-one bedroom units and eight two-story two-bedroom units, which would all be for people age 55 or older.
The conditional use permit is needed because the project would exceed the number of units typically permitted within a R-2 zoning area.
Including board members, there were nearly 20 people present for last Thursday’s meeting. Project developers were there in addition to a few home owners, who weren’t all that sure that they wanted to live across the street from an apartment complex.
The meeting was actually quite productive with concerned neighbors asking some good questions about things, such as whether the development would add to traffic woes on the street, whether the project was allowing enough parking spots for the number of people living there, and about crime at such developments.
To their credit, developers offered some good answers based on similar apartment complexes that they manage.
This time, at least, I think neighbors in attendance walked away feeling about as good as they could about the prospect of getting so many new neighbors.
However, cities, and not just Williamsburg, need to be careful about changing zoning rules to allow for new development.
One big reason that people choose to live inside a city is because they actually want zoning rules, which some may find a little hard to believe.
Let me offer an example of what I am talking about.
For instance, out in the county where there are no zoning regulations, you could buy a piece of property in a quiet area and build a $200,000 house there.
The next day after your house is finished, someone could announce plans to build a junk yard next door. There is nothing to stop it, and nothing you could do about it.
If you live in a city, there is zoning and planned development. For instance, someone typically can’t just build a junk yard next door to you or a noisy bar, if the land isn’t already zoned for such usage.
In cities, property areas are zoned for things, such as single family residential only, commercial, industrial and so forth.
If you buy a house in a city, the neighborhood will be zoned so you know whether there will be single family homes allowed next door, duplexes, an apartment complex, or a junk yard.
Yes, there is a need for more housing, particularly in growing cities, such as Williamsburg.
However, people buy property in cities and pay higher taxes there because they reasonably expect certain things in their neighborhood.
Cities need to be careful about changing the rules mid-stream on local property owners. Allowing larger than previously allowed developments to be built across the street from single family homes, or reducing lot size requirements so more duplexes can be crammed onto lots are examples of the kind of thing that I am talking about.
If cities aren’t careful about this kind of thing, then, in a few years, there might be fewer people willing to pay more taxes in order to live there.
All I am saying is proceed with caution.
