Council defers vote linked to business park

ROSLYN RYAN Richmond Suburban News

After more than two dozen Hanover County residents expressed opposition to a proposed comprehensive plan amendment that would pave the way for a new development project near the intersection of East Patrick Henry Road and Woodside Lane, the Ashland Town Council voted unanimously on March 22 to postpone a decision on the matter until the council’s April meeting.

According to Ashland director of planning and community development Nora Amos, the Ironhorse Business Park project proposed by Ashland Land LLC would bring a mix of majority commercial and industrial development to the area. This differs from the 800 residential units and 800,000 square feet of commercial uses included in the East Ashland project, the as-yet unrealized development at the center of a 2010 rezoning of property.

The comprehensive plan amendment requested by the applicant would change the future land use classification of the roughly 100-acre tract to allow for interstate commercial, office/ industrial and open space uses. But while a representative for the applicant insisted that the change would help developers take advantage of current market conditions and the property’s proximity to I-95, residents living nearby insisted to council members that the project is a poor fit for the area.