Topgolf Plan Amendment Vote Delayed Until After Community Meeting

Editor's note: This post has been updated to reflect physical attendance at the Aug. 31 meeting is open to Kingstowne association members by RSVP. We will update this post with any changes.

KINGSTOWNE, VA — After the Planning Commission deferred a vote on the proposed plan amendment for the former Kingstowne Topgolf and Ruby Tuesday site, a meeting will be hosted by the county supervisor and Kingstowne homeowners association.

At the July 28 Planning Commission meeting, Lee District representative Daniel Lagana introduced a motion to defer the vote until Sept. 22. He stated that he and Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk could have time to "more fully engage" residents on the plan amendment proposal. That includes an Aug. 31 town hall at 7 p.m. at the Snyder Center hosted by Lusk and the Kingstowne Residential Owners Corporation. Physical attendance will be open to Kingstowne Residential Owners Corporation members by RSVP.

In recent years, there have been various development concepts presented for the Topgolf site on South Van Dorn Street across from Kingstowne Towne Center. The latest concept proposed in April 2021 seeks a residential use but no longer requests retail uses. The plan calls for 164 townhomes and 44 stacked townhomes with a density around 12 dwelling units per acre with affordable housing bonuses. This is triple the current planned density in the comprehensive plan, 3 to 4 dwelling units per acre. The plan would fully consolidate the two land parcels that hosted Topgolf and Ruby Tuesday.

Lagana said there has been significant feedback from the Kingstowne and greater Franconia community, largely in opposition or with concerns. One of the concerns has been trespassing and vandalism at the vacant Topgolf and Ruby Tuesday site.

At the Planning Commission meeting, Lagana provided an update from the applicant's attorney about the site conditions. The attorney noted that the existing buildings were boarding up again, while cleaning crews removed two truckloads of debris the previous week and were scheduled to return again.

Mowers were also scheduled to return. On Friday afternoon, Patch observed the Topgolf building boarded up and a worker with a trimmer addressing the overgrown weeds.

As for security, the applicant's attorney told Lagana complete fencing would raise the concern of impeding police, fire and EMS access. Additional tall fencing could require permits.

Lusk's office and the applicant are coordinating on security. Patch reached out to Supervisor Lusk's office for comment on the status of security.

"I heard the community, and fully agree, that this process should not proceed further until both the condition and security of the site have been improved and additional community input has been received," Lusk stated in a Facebook post. "I am actively working with the owner of the site on improving the condition."

Other concerns mentioned by Lagana included traffic impacts, school impacts, the need for public open space, connections to existing trails, upgrades of crosswalks, stormwater management and impacts to Kingstowne Lake across the street, and housing density.

On the topic of density, Lagana said the currently approved 3 to 4 dwelling units per acre from 1991 may not reflect current needs.

"We are facing an affordability crisis which compels us to take action now the county has limited tools and resources and offering developers a bonus of additional density to construct affordable units is one such method," said Lagana, speaking broadly about the county's bonus density policy.

Lagana noted a petition against the redevelopment proposal had around 900 signatures, reflecting the "profound care and concern residents have for their homes and communities." However, he said the development image used in the petition does not reflect the latest proposal.

Lusk noted that a plan amendment approval does not mean a project is approved for the site. A rezoning process with "extensive community engagement" would be required, as well as all public meeting and approval requirements with the regular land use process, Lusk said.

The plan amendment will next be on the Planning Commission agenda on Sept. 22. Public comment will remain open until that time. If the proposal advances, it heads to the Board of Supervisors.