MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – A new housing development planned in Montgomery County will provide homes for hundreds of families hoping to move to the New River Valley, while filling a critical shortage for housing in the area.
Monday night, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors approved the rezoning of the Kipps Farm land off of Prices Fork Road.
The land is just around 100 acres and will be the site of the new Westhill Subdivision, which will feature townhomes, villas and single-family homes. The plan is to build the homes in the next five to eight years.
“There’s room for growth," said Darrell Sheppard, a supervisor in Montgomery County.
He said more housing has been a need the county’s had for years. The Kipps Farm land was even designated in the county’s comprehensive plan as an ideal area for growth.
“With growth comes people,” Sheppard said.
The county’s been growing leaps and bounds over recent years. Virginia Tech’s campus, medical, manufacturing and tech industries have all expanded. Realtor Amy Hudson, who owns the RE/MAX 8 in Blacksburg, said people want to live and work in the New River Valley, but there’s just not anywhere for them to live. She said that can be a turnoff for potential businesses and people looking to relocate to Montgomery County.
“If you spend two days with them and you drive them around and they don’t see a place that they want to live when they’re in town interviewing for the job, they won’t accept the job,” Hudson said.
After the 2008 recession, Hudson said there wasn’t enough money or need to build new housing developments, until now, which has contributed to the lack of housing.
Hudson said this development is ideal for young professionals, families and retirees.
There are some resident concerns over the development, including increased traffic and stormwater runoff. Developers plan to add retention ponds and VDOT will build a roundabout on Prices Fork Road.
Nearby schools also have the capacity to house new students who move into the subdivision.
“The board is also trying to, wanting to grow the county, you know, the economics, and keep everything going," Sheppard said. "I think this housing development was needed.”