The Goochland Planning Commission gave a thumbs up to the conceptual master plan filed by the Bristol Development Group for an up to 373 unit apartment/town house complex in West Creek. “The Bristol at West Creek” is located on 22.471 acres near RT. 288; the Strikers soccer complex; and the new Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. The project density is approximately 16.6 units per acre.
As West Creek Associates received approval in 2012 to develop up to 60 acres of its business park in multifamily residential use, no rezoning or other action requiring public input was needed. The ordinance permitting this multifamily use applies only to West Creek.
According to Principal Planner Tom Coleman, this will leave a bit less than 18 acres available for additional multifamily units in West Creek. Apartments in The Notch portion of West Creek, opposite the Wawa on Broad Street Road, are in the final phase of construction. Those apartments have added very few children to the school system and placed no undue burden on other county services.
The Bristol seems targeted at Millennials, especially those who work in the nearby West Creek Campus of Capital One. The project includes relatively small apartments and some modest town house units with high end finishes. There will be no three bedroom units. Onsite amenities include an internet café; fitness studio; pool; fire pits; shade structures; and pet wash and recreation areas. The main buildings have elevators and garages will be available.
As Goochland’s population is aging, an influx of younger residents will be a good thing. Perhaps it will help to retain younger teachers. A strategic plan for economic development adopted by the County in October, 2011 suggested siting multifamily housing in this area.
The Bristol will be connected to county water and sewer, but it is not a part of the Tuckahoe Creek Service District. Utility capacity is what is left of arrangements made for the Motorola plant that never materialized.
West Creek's stringent design standards governing building materials; setbacks; road access; and landscaping will apply. While residential use was not part of the original vision for West Creek when it was created almost 30 years ago, the world has changed. Now, small pods of high density, upscale housing is appropriate and desirable to complement other activities in the planned business park and attract new businesses.
The rest of Goochland will probably not even know it’s there.
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