Another grocer 'eager' to locate to Ladd property

WAYNESBORO — The proposal to develop the Ladd Elementary School property comes with a nearly complete deal with a grocery store that would occupy a major portion of the site.

Seth Roderick, representing NAI Michael Cos., told members of the Waynesboro planning commission Tuesday that the deal with the un-named grocer is contingent only on the city granting the rezoning and permit requests for the development.

"There's a very anxious grocer that wants to be there," Roderick said during a public hearing on the redevelopment plan. He's an engineer with Harrisonburg-based Valley Engineering, which has been planning the project with NAI Michael.

After the public hearing, the commission voted 3-1 to recommend the plan for approval. Waynesboro city councilors would have to provide final approval.

NAI Michael, of Lanham, Marland, proposes to use 7 acres for commercial development fronting Rosser Avenue, including a 33,000-square-foot building for the grocery store. The site design also includes 13,500 square feet for restaurants and 3,500 square feet for retail businesses.

Negotiations are "far along" with fast food companies that would use some of the dining spaces, Roderick said.

The townhomes would sit behind the commercial development with 62 units situated on 6 acres.

NAI Michael is asking the city to rezone the residential portion from single-family homes to planned unit development and for the commercial portion to be rezoned from single-family residential to highway business. The firm has also requested a conditional-use permit that better accommodates a townhome layout rather than one for houses.

The developer has agreed to connect the parcels within the development and to create homeowners associations to maintain common amenities and infrastructure. NAI Michael has also proffered to make road improvements to lessen off-site traffic impacts.

Augusta County closed Ladd two years ago to consolidate its school population. The site was part of the county when the school was built in 1965, but was annexed by Waynesboro two decades later then surrounded by residential and commercial development.

NAI Michael has an agreement with the county to buy the site pending Waynesboro's approval of the rezoning and permit requests.