Hanover County, a quality residential area, is the community most directly and adversely impacted by the proposed rezoning of 42.7 acres of land to create a 168 unit residential subdivision, the Villages at Taylor Farm (Taylor Farm). The Taylor Farm developer has proposed 60 townhouses (24’ feet wide), 68 cluster single family homes (45’ x 115’ lots), and 40 single family homes (60’ x 115’ lots). The homeowners and residents of Hanover County listed below oppose the proposed Taylor Farm rezoning and request that it be rejected for the following reasons.

Density. The density of Taylor Farm – 4.0 units per acre – is the maximum allowed and twice the density of neighboring subdivisions. The 42.7 acres are bisected by a transmission line and a stream and wetlands. Taylor Farm also lacks the amenities of neighboring subdivisions (pool, club house, lake). The proposed maximum density Taylor Farm is fundamentally incompatible with existing subdivisions in the Atlee Station Road corridor and would set an extremely undesirable precedent for future development in Hanover County.

Traffic and Safety Concerns. Taylor Farm proposes two entrances along Honey Meadows Road, including one directly across from the Cool Springs Elementary School (CSES) entrance, but none on Atlee Station Road. An estimated 1,500 vehicles would enter and exit Taylor Farm daily, adding to existing traffic on both Honey Meadows Road and Atlee Station Road from Honey Meadows and CSES. With a total of seven existing and proposed entrances and exits on Honey Meadows Road, vehicle accidents can be expected; and the safety of elementary school students, parents, and teachers, as well as users of CSES’ track and field by youth teams, will be compromised and at increased risk.

Schools. Taylor Farm proposes limited parallel parking spaces along Honey Meadows Road. Use of these spaces will add to the potential for accidents and does not replace the loss of default parking along that road for major CSES events. Taylor Farm would also increase enrollment at Atlee High School, which is already above capacity, and at Chickahominy Middle School and CSES.

Site Plan. The four Taylor Farm parcels consist of wooded uplands, suitable for limited development, and the stream, wetlands, and transmission line portions which are not suitable for development. Because of the proposed high density development, the Taylor Farm site plan shows seven storm water management areas would be needed to handle runoff from the homes, roads, driveways, sidewalks, and other impervious surfaces. The Taylor Farm parcels are poorly suited for maximum density development.