Joe Emerson, the county's planning director, said in an email he received no indication that HHHunt is backing away from the project. He said the developer has filed changes to "fine tune" the project, he said.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Montgomery declined to identify the person at HHHunt he spoke with but said he encouraged the company to air its concerns publicly. He added that any conceptions about Hermitage and Brookland as lesser schools are “misplaced.”

The School Board is considering three redistricting options intended, primarily, to relieve overcrowding at Hungary Creek Middle School. Two of the plans call for school zoning at River Mill to be kept as is, meaning children in the development would attend Hungary Creek and graduate into Glen Allen High School. The third would rezone those children to Brookland Middle School and Hermitage High School.

In recent weeks, some parents of current or future Hungary Creek students have circulated a petition objecting to any redistricting plan that would send River Mill children to Hungary Creek and Glen Allen.

They have cited the potential for continued overcrowding — under current conditions, Glen Allen High School is forecast to reach 105 percent capacity in 2024, whereas Hermitage’s would be 83 percent, according to school system estimates.