Council Approves Complex Conditional Use Permit

By Crystal Vandegrift, Staff Writer

FARMVILLE – After months of citizens addressing the Farmville Town Council, criticizing them, and getting petitions signed in opposition of a new apartment complex, the council voted 5 -2 last week to approve a conditional use permit allowing developer Russell Harper to move forward with construction. Councilmembers Tommy Pairet and Dan Dwyer cast the only no votes against the permit.

In a previous meeting, Harper had pointed out council members Tommy Pairet and Dan Dwyer for giving out incorrect information concerning the proposed apartment project.

The new apartment complex is planned to be located between Walmart and the Greens South Subdivision and this has caused concern for several citizens who feel the entrance to the complex would create more traffic issues for the town.

In May, the planning commission voted to recommend a conditional use permit to allow for the apartments. With that recommendation, the commission also suggested moving the project’s entrance. The original plan called for the complex entrance to be located closer to the Milnwood Road intersection.

At the June 22 Council meeting, Harper presented a new conceptual design for the proposed apartment project that has the pool and clubhouse area on the Cabell’s Ridge Subdivision side of the property and the apartment units located towards the front and side of the property.

At the suggestion of Ward A representative, Greg Cole, a community meeting with the residents of the Greens South subdivision was held on June 24, at the end of Cabell’s Court, to discuss the community’s concerns about noise, lighting, and buffers. Before last week’s council vote, Mayor Whitus took the opportunity to point out that he was disappointed in the way citizens acted at the June 24th meeting.

“Out of this entire process that we have been through, I have never been more disappointed in my life,” said Mayor Whitus. “Council has been very diligent over the weeks and months, some of it positive, some of it not so positive.”

Before last week’s vote, citizens both for and against the apartment complex addressed the council. Of those who spoke, they addressed everything from if the meeting was being recorded, requested a moment of silence because public opinion was “dead in Farmville” to “it’s time for a change in council” and how some people would rather rent apartments than purchase homes.

Mayor Whitus reminded those present that last Tuesday’s vote was not whether or not to allow the apartments to be built but rather to vote on the conditions set out in the permit. “This is not a rezoning permit,” he said. “These apartments are allowed by law…this is about the conditions.”

Some of those conditions for the construction of the apartment complex include reducing the original plan for 120 units down to 100 units, providing an eight foot privacy fence between the apartments and residents of the Greens South subdivision, addressing noise and lighting issues, right turn only entrance or moving it 75 feet to the south on the town’s property with no restrictions.