A new plan to add up to 147 homes to Kingsmill is going before the James City County Planning Commission for a public hearing Wednesday.
Xanterra has revised its initial plan to add up to 207 homes to Kingsmill, which the commission reviewed and deferred in early March, and will again appear before the commission for consideration.
In its earlier iteration, Xanterra’s plan included 30 townhomes, 11 single-family homes and 96 condominiums or apartments along Wareham’s Pond Road; 60 single-family homes near the Woods Golf Course; and 10 single-family homes near the intersection of Southall and Kingsmill roads. The proposal remains about the same now, but it no longer seeks to build about 60 of the homes planned near the golf course.
When the commission reviewed the plan in March, it had concerns with a lack of payments to offset a projected increase in the number of schoolchildren and a lack of affordable housing. The plan going before the commission Wednesday includes more than $1.1 million in payments to offset the use of schools, libraries and fire and emergency services.
At least 20 homes are required to be priced at 30 to 120 percent of the area median income. Based on county staff calculations, 12 homes would be priced between $99,876 and $174,256; 10 would be priced between $174, 257 and $243,462; and eight homes would be priced between $243,463 and $381,991.
About a quarter of the 100 residents who turned out at the March commission meeting spoke during a public hearing. Residents have been concerned with possible noise from the Anheuser-Busch brewery and Busch Gardens, as well as with effects on plant life and wetlands. Some residents said they use Carter’s Grove Country Road as a walking and biking path, and they want to continue to enjoy that access.
Xanterra has submitted proposed buffers with its latest plan to prevent any new development within 150 feet of Anheuser-Busch. Also, Xanterra has proposed 50-foot buffers along Southall and Kingsmill roads, with 75- to 125-foot buffers around the development planned near those roads. No new homes will be constructed within 15 feet of a Resource Protection Area, which is a county measure designed to protect wetlands and streams.
An 8-foot-wide multi-use trail will be maintained along Carter’s Grove Country Road, but will be rerouted as necessary to avoid trees and other plants. The trail would be given to Kingsmill Community Services Association and made available for public use after subdivision plans for the new developments are approved and building permits for 50 homes issued.
Prior to construction, Xanterra will conduct an archaeological study on the areas planned for development. The study is planned to be submitted for county approval.
In response to noise complaints, Xanterra commissioned a noise study from Navcon Engineering Network, a noise and vibration consulting company. Navcon analyzed the backup sound from brewery trucks and the train horn near Busch Gardens and found the proposed new homes would shield brewery noise for existing residents, and would have no effect on the train noise.
According to the study, noise from trucks at the brewery begins around 117 decibels at 3 feet away, but is in the 50- to 60-decibel range by the time it reaches Kingsmill homes. According to the American Hearing Research Foundation, normal human speech is around 60 decibels. Residents in the proposed new homes would likely hear the trucks at the 55- to 65-decibel range.
The train horn sounds at 90 decibels from about 100 feet away. Kingsmill residents hear the horn at 50 to 70 decibels, while the new homeowners would hear it at 50 to 60 decibels.
Despite the noise study findings, all new homeowners would be required to sign a theme park acknowledgement, which alerts new owners to “noise, smells, artificial lighting, laser beams, lights, and disturbances arising from or related to the existence of crowds, … rides, animal shows, concerts, events, games, fireworks, laser shows” and other events and activities at Busch Gardens. Similarly, new residents would be required to sign a brewery acknowledgement.
Roughly 100 comments about — with all against – Xanterra’s proposed development have been received by the county since summer 2013, but some comments come from residents who sent multiple letters to the county. Citizens who want to comment on the planned development will have another chance Wednesday, when the commission meets to review Xanterra’s proposal.
The commission is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Building F at 101 Mounts Bay Road. The full agenda and information about how to watch the meeting on TV or online is available on the county’s website.
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- JCC Commission Defers Decision on Xanterra’s Plans to Expand Kingsmill
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- Kingsmill United Moves Forward in Attempt to Become Voice for Residents
- Kingsmill Resort Hosts Info Session on Latest Plans for Xanterra Development
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