With the demand for new homes at a fever pitch in Arlington, more are on the way.
On Monday, Feb. 7, the town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 6-1 in favor of the master development plan for the Maybury planned development. Alderman Larry Harmon cast the dissenting vote, expressing concerns about smaller lot sizes, retention of water runoff and parking issues.
Maybury will include 62 lots with sizes measuring from 7,800 square feet to more than 14,000 square feet.
The currently undeveloped 25.6-acre parcel sits on Hayes Road east of Airline Road. Adjacent neighborhoods include The Preserve, Chapel Ridge and Snyder Ridge.
The Arlington Planning Commission recommended the project for approval in December.
The project’s name is not to be confused with the Mayberry immortalized in The Andy Griffith Show.
“The name was derived from a small village inn just southwest of London, England, that I enjoy visiting — which is similar to many of our neighborhood names,” Doug Swink, president and CEO of Renaissance Development, said.
Several residents living in adjacent neighborhoods spoke to the board about drainage and erosion concerns.
“We have complete confidence in our administration and our staff and the people who’re going to be looking at this plan,” said Ron Williams, president of the HOA for The Preserve. “Everyone knows this is a difficult piece of land.”
The development will include installing storm drainage throughout, taking the water to a detention basin/pond on the west side of the project at Hayes Road. Crews will install a separate smaller detention basin at the southeast corner of the development.
“When Chapel Ridge was done, there were some conversations about how some of the stuff that we knew that was going to continue to be a problem was because we couldn’t get on this property to develop, couldn’t get on to grade properly to make this other stuff work,” Alderman Russell Wiseman said. “There’s a very good high probability that by developing this and redirecting water, it will actually alleviate a lot of the problems.”
Swink assured everyone that his company would over-retain water runoff where they can.
“Every time I look at a planned development, one of the things I try to ask myself is, ‘What’s this development going to look like in 30 years and is this something Arlington can be proud of?’” Alderman Jeremy Biggs, who voted for the project, said.
Biggs lives near the proposed Maybury and likes how the developer considered the surrounding properties, while trying to preserve some existing tree canopy.
He did have an issue with what he believed were too many lots in one of cove. Swink agreed to reconfigure those to move one lot elsewhere.
Biggs and other board members wanted a couple of strategic lots removed to create more open space and parking, but Swink pushed back saying his company needed those lots to make the project work financially.
“Sixty-two is our magic number,” he said. “Without 62, then we have start cutting other aspects out of it to balance it to where it’s actually a feasible project.”
The board debated whether to increase the minimum square footage of the homes from 2,400 square feet to 2,800 square feet before deciding to leave it as is.
“I think it’s going to be a good-looking project,” Alderman Oscar Brooks said, adding that the 2,400 square feet “to me, is plenty big enough.”
Alderman Jeff McKee agreed.
“If we’ve heard a couple of things from people over the last few months, actually, it’s that most of our requirements are pushing square footages up, and it’s pushing people out of situations with smaller lots,” McKee said.
Phase 1 construction will include 32 homes and all project infrastructure. Swink hopes to be able to start construction by the summer, and he has not decided on builders yet.
The next steps for Renaissance will be to get construction plan and final plat approval from the Arlington Planning Commission and common open space approval from the Design Review Committee.
Monday’s meeting featured two “Mayors for a Day” from Arlington Elementary, Ava and Lucy Powers , who helped Mayor Mike Wissman with the reading of agenda items and calling for motions and votes.