BY JEFF BRANSCOME
Lake Anna is one step closer to having 10 new lakefront homes, despite opposition from nearby homeowners.
The Spotsylvania County Planning Commission recommended approval last week of an application to rezone 54 acres off Days Bridge Road for the new neighborhood. Commissioner Cristine Lynch cast the sole dissenting vote.
Current zoning on the property near the Southwind Shores subdivision allows for just one home.
The Board of Supervisors on July 10 is scheduled to make the final decision on the rezoning of the proposed community, called the Estates at Terry's Run.
Seventeen people spoke about the proposal at a Planning Commission public hearing Wednesday, and all but one of them opposed it.
Reasons for the opposition included damage to the environment and the development's impact to historic areas, including a nearby home that qualifies to be on the National Register of Historic Places.
Several opponents said they didn't think it was fair that a single developer was capable of changing the setting despite opposition.
"It saddens me that one person can come in and possibly impact this area in such a negative way," said John Conway, who said his nearby property has been placed in a conservation easement.
William Hayden, who lives across the lake from the proposed neighborhood, said he thought his view was protected when he purchased his home.
"Now someone wants to come along and destroy that view," he said. "Please think of us and not just the developer."
Planning Commission Chairman Robert Stuber noted that the county's comprehensive plan designates the area for residential use.
Fairfax County attorney John McBride, who represented the applicant at the hearing, stressed his client's right to develop the land in a reasonable manner. The developer, David Hunter, was not at the meeting.
"Property rights mean you cannot exclude me from buying property next to you just because you got here first," McBride said.
The applicant has agreed to pay $299,565 in cash proffers. The homes will be built at least 100 feet from the lake's edge and will have lot sizes ranging from 1 acre to 6 acres.
Lynch, who voted against the rezoning, said she was concerned about its impact on nearby historic properties. For instance, she didn't like the planned overhead power lines and asked if the developer could bury them instead.
McBride said he couldn't commit to underground power lines, but said the applicant would look into the possibility.
Lynch had hoped to delay a vote on the rezoning until the Historic Preservation Commission had an opportunity to weigh in.
Spotsylvania resident Al King told commissioners that he didn't find the opponents' arguments persuasive. "What it really boils down to is that the existing residents are unhappy about a change," he said.
Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com