Henrico Planning Commission to hold hearing on data centers, review proposals for 2 large residential developments in Varina District

The Henrico Planning Commission will hold a special joint public hearing May 15 at 5 p.m. at Highland Springs High School with the county's board of supervisors about proposed rules for data center development in the county.

As the Citizen previously reported, these changes are meant to restrict data center development to the existing White Oak Technology Park area of Sandston by requiring a provisional use permit be approved for any proposed outside of that “focus area.”

The hearing will be followed at 6 p.m. at the same location by the commission’s normal monthly meeting to review requests for rezoning and provisional use permits, including two proposals for sizable residential developments in the Varina District.

The first proposes the construction of as many as 141 detached homes on 52 acres between the northern end of Westover Avenue and the eastern end of Waving Meadow Road. The subdivision then would be connected to both roads. Homes would be at least 1,333 square feet in size, with 75% being at least 1,650 square feet.

A small park also would be built, along with a planted buffer where the subdivision borders the existing Tiffany Meadows development. Planners have recommended the case be deferred to allow the developer to make more changes and to allow time to consider this proposal alongside other pending developments in the area.

The second proposal is to build up to 99 townhomes on 15 acres along Dry Bridge Road, slightly south of its intersection with Old Williamsburg Road, extending the existing Landmark development across the road.

The county already approved as many as 41 homes on the site in 2020, so this would increase density but is otherwise a similar proposal. The subdivision would open onto Dry Bridge at two points, and there would be a planted buffer next to the existing Pine Heights development.

Planners have recommended deferral to allow time to make additional changes to the proposal to bring it into line with changes to county standards since 2020.

Other cases scheduled before the commission include:

• Fairfield District – A proposal to build a convenience store with gasoline pumps on a vacant lot on West Laburnum Avenue between Alma Avenue and Plymouth Drive;

• Brookland District – A proposal to build three single-family homes at the intersection of Staples Mill Road (U.S. Route 33) and Courtney Road in Glen Allen;

• Tuckahoe District – A proposal to add a massage school to the Joyner Building at Enterprise Parkway and Prestwick Road, which is a use that requires a provisional use permit.

• Tuckahoe District – A proposal to make permanent The Local at Forest and Ridge’s, located in the Tuckahoe Shopping Center on North Ridge Road, currently a temporary restaurant patio.

Members of the public who wish to attend in person or via livestream can find details at https://henrico.gov/planning/meetings.