Town Crier Articles

Cardinal Ridge is being developed by DR Horton, a national builder of move-in ready homes who focuses on spec homes, already outfitted and sited, versus pick your lot and home style and all of your options. Comprising about 365.6 acres of Eastern State Hospital land, the development will be accessible via Longhill Rd. and DePue Dr. via Ashbury Lane, Galt Drive, and Schmidt Rd.

 

The proposal now includes fewer homes than originally offered, 770 v 1003. DR Horton reduced the plan’s apartments from 450 to 246 to only feature affordable dwelling units based on income. More park greenspace has been included between the apartments and the multifamily townhome units. The style of townhomes has also been adjusted, but the overall space/footprint for the entire development remains the same. According to DR Horton’s attorney, the 100,000 sq ft of commercial space for the "Marketplace District" will now be developed by DR Horton itself rather than conveyed to the County, which allowed DR Horton the financial leeway to reduce the project’s overall residential density. (The concept of a Community Development Authority to fund road improvements and infrastructure - see February 2026 Town Crier - has been dropped from their plan.) DR Horton has also explicitly proffered for the cleanup and removal of all abandoned infrastructure in the site.

 

Even with the latest density reduction, imagine on average, per household, 2 cars, and/or future visits from guests, service vehicles like HVAC companies and the like. That’s a lot of traffic added to the area between two Route 199 exits, including the new government center and County library. And the Cardinal Ridge commercial proposal envisions adding a grocery store and other retail at the intersection of Longhill Rd and DePue Dr. where a new traffic circle will move traffic into and around the area.

 

Meanwhile New Town’s Main Street Shopping area has many vacancies like the former Joann Fabrics and other smaller stores. New Town’s Main Street is owned by an out of state company in Connecticut which keeps rents high and allows the shopping district to look sadder every year with empty store fronts, dead and dying trees, and no maintenance. A tax write-off? So maybe we do need more retail?

 

This Cardinal Ridge project still needs County rezoning approval. DR Horton scheduled two community meetings with one planned this Thursday, September 3 at King of Glory Lutheran Church (4897 Longhill Rd) from 4:30 to 6:00PM to show county residents how they have scaled back the project to meet concerns. Jamestown Supervisor Jim Icenhour attended the first community meeting and, according to news reports, wasn’t convinced the modifications will change his opposition when the JCC Board of Supervisors vote on the rezoning request on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Stay tuned! 

 

[NOTE: Information for the Cardinal Ridge public hearing can be found on the JCC website. The Supervisors meeting will start at 5PM at the County Government Center Board Room, 101 Mount Bays Road, Williamsburg and will be livestreamed.]