Shenandoah Valley Golf Club’s partial rezoning request to age-restricted housing headed to March 8 Planning Department Public Hearing

A rezoning request to convert over half of the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club (SVGC) property to residential housing may be a hard sell to county officials despite efforts by club owner Richard Runyon to minimize impacts on the Rockland area with an age-restricted residential designation. Runyon’s rezoning submission to the Warren County Planning Department indicates the development of nearly 290 homes on 104 acres of the 195-acre property. County numbers indicate 475 existing homes in the Rockland area of northern Warren County. The rezoning request is scheduled to come before the Warren County Planning Commission on March 8 for its initial public hearing, after which a recommendation on approval or denial will be made to the elected Warren County Board of Supervisors prior to their public hearing and a final ruling on the application.

Graphic of proposed age-restricted to older adults residential development on 104 acres of the 195-acre Shenandoah Valley Golf Club property. The orange area at top center is commercial area at the existing SVGC entrance, which appears to be limited to commercial access, not access-egress to the proposed neighborhood. Neighborhood access roads to Bowling Green CC Rd. are pictured to upper-right and lower left-center.

Runyon’s submission comes in the wake of his recent purchase of the adjacent Bowling Green Golf Club. According to graphics submitted to the County with the rezoning request, the proposed older-adult residential rezoning area lies entirely on the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club property. According to staff at the club that is correct. They also indicated that two 18-hole courses will remain at Bowling Green, with the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club property pared down to two 9-hole courses. Royal Examiner was still attempting to reach Richard Runyon for additional detail at publication.

But Runyon may face an uphill battle based on the initial review of county planning department staff. Reacting to the rezoning submission, officials at the Warren County Planning Department noted conflicts with the County’s Comprehensive Plan for the area which contains nearby Agriculturally and Historically zoned properties.

Transportation concerns with the new development’s access roads were also noted. Graphics attached to the rezoning request indicate two new neighborhood access roads intersecting with Bowling Green Country Club Road. Submitted graphics indicated 27 existing homes along Bowling Green Country Club Road between or in the vicinity of the two proposed neighborhood access roads.

Another submitted graphic showing at top the existing entrance to the SVGC off Rockland Rd. that would be limited to commercial access to the club’s commercial operations.

Two other proposed neighborhood roads are shown intersecting with private roads through the current Shenandoah Valley Golf Club entrance and facilities area accessed from Rockland Road. However, those graphics indicate those public access neighborhood roads will end at cul de sacs where they meet the private, commercial-area roads, preventing new neighborhood access or exit to Rockland Road where there also is existing residential development.

Contacted about the proposal, Shenandoah District Supervisor Walt Mabe, in whose district Rockland lies, said that planning department concerns will be addressed as the review and public hearing processes proceed. Mabe called it “much too early” in that process for any definitive comment on the rezoning application.