A public hearing for property owner Carriage Road, LLC, who has made a special use permit (SUP) request to rezone a 1.571-acre parcel of land in the Riner area from agricultural use to traditional neighborhood development infill, was held during the April 14 Board of Supervisors meeting in Montgomery County.
The SUP request is for a property located adjacent to Riner Road/Route 8 as a short lane that connects to Five Points Road and Union Valley Road. The property is further designated as mixed-use in the Riner Village Expansion as part of the 2025 Montgomery County Comprehensive Plan
“It was originally developed as a church but ultimately ended up without a religious organization to occupy the space,” GIS Director of Planning Brea Hopkins said during her presentation to the Board of Supervisors. “In May of 2022, you approved a special use permit for a contractor storage yard. The contractor was there for a while, but they have vacated the property and now the lot’s currently unoccupied.”
According to Hopkins’ presentation, a proposed mixed-use concept could be implemented for the property creating a “community center, coffee shop, residential use for soccer coaches/staff, and soccer practice facility.”
The 20×15 yard outdoor soccer training area would be for light recreational use and be a location for clinics, camps, and leagues, but not for regular soccer games. A second floor would provide space for coach use. The coffee shop would be open to the public and is planned to be staffed by soccer club members as a means to raise funds for leagues, Brea said.
Some short term or rental property would also be a part of the complex. A parking area that would allow for approximately 55 parking spaces, including ADA spaces, is also part of the design.
“VDOT took no exception to the approval of the rezoning,” Hopkins said. “The site is currently served by public water and sewer and is not within a FEMA flood zone.”
The Planning Commission voted 9-0 in support of the development with no proffered conditions for the site rezoning.
Supervisor Todd King asked for clarification from Hopkins on the use of additional lighting for the soccer field. At this time, no additional lights are a part of the plan process, but the property owners would have to make a request to the county for that installation.
There were no citizens who addressed this rezoning request during the public hearing portion of the meeting.
