Clore family rezoning goes back to public hearing

The Town Planning Commission resumes its consideration Tuesday night of a land rezoning request that could bring large commercial development to the town’s south side — a shopping and dining possibility widely supported by some area businesses and residents.

The development could also contain up to 150 residential units depending on what is ultimately developed — a proposal not as widely supported.

The Clore Family request to rezone 4.3 acres along Madison Road from residential-1 to commercial-3 comes back before town planners Tuesday night for a continued public hearing. The meeting will be held at 7 in the county board-room, 302 N. Main St.

The Madison Road land is located along Zeuswyn Drive, just beyond the town’s Kestner Wayside Park and across Madison Road from the new Holiday Inn Express. The entire development, as proposed, would span some 15-acres of land, spreading out onto adjoining parcels owned by the Clore family.

Plans for the development submitted in April contained four possibilities ranging from 68,000 and 153,000 square feet of community-type shops and/or big box development, possibly in combination with apartment units.

At least five meetings have been held on the rezoning request and town staff recommends approval with the following con-ditions: 1) maximum multi-family residential units should be specified 2) other land uses should be excluded including agriculture, hotels, motels, motor vehicle fuel stations (no excep-tions), dorms, public facilities, Laundromat, schools, and machinery sales 3) stricter lighting standards and 4) dedication of Zeuswyn Drive, a private street currently owned by the Clores, to the town of Culpeper in addition to sidewalks on both sides.

The town’s new future land use map for the area shows the Clore property as general commercial, and therefore consistent with the rezoning application.

“Given what could be developed under by-right zoning, the concept plans and photographs present a reasonable and appropriate mixed-used development,” town staff notes in the 50-page rezoning report.

The owners of Holiday Inn Express and Best Western across Madison Road from the proposed development have formally supported the project’s commercial aspect as well as the homeowners association of nearby Southridge Townhomes. Southridge does not support the residential option.

Resident Frank Andrews of nearby Buck Run Court also recently supported bringing more business options to the town’s south side. In addition, Culpeper businessman Joe Daniel has made the planning commission aware of his support for the Clore project.

Zeuswyn Drive residents, including Tom Boyd, have been less forthcoming in their all-out support for the project.

Neighbors hope to “mitigate the harm” of the large commercial complex on their day-to-day, he told planners in June, claiming all of the issues had not yet been property vetted.

Though photos of Bonefish Grill and Wegman’s supermarket were included as part of the rezoning application, there is no definite plan to build anything on the site at this time, according to the Clore family’s attorney, though inquires had been received.

The planning commission has until September 24 to offer its recommendation on the case to Town Council, which has final ruling on all town rezonings.

Want to go?
The Culpeper Town Planning Commission meets Tuesday night at 7 in the county boardroom, 302 N. Main St.