The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

July 30, 2010

Planning commission OKs subdivision expansion

By Tina Alvey Register-Herald Reporter

— LEWISBURG — The Greenbrier County Planning Commission elected new officers Wednesday evening and approved without dissension a developer’s request to allow a project to proceed without a formal subdivision.

Jeff Bray was elected president, replacing Brit Ludwig, whose term on the commission expired at the end of June. Also elected were Charles Green, vice president, and Lisa Stansell, secretary-treasurer.

Ream Interests Inc. asked the planners to allow completion of the Westridge Town Homes project, which was initiated in 2002, four years before the county adopted a subdivision ordinance.

Corporate officer Jason Ream said although Phase I of the project — 10 buildings containing 37 dwelling units — is already finished, he discovered he could not obtain county building permits for the 32 units anticipated in Phases II and III because the plat was not recorded before the subdivision ordinance went into effect.

He asked the planners to “grandfather” the balance of the housing development without requiring approval of Westridge as a subdivision.

The property is located just beyond the western city limits of Lewisburg along U.S. 60.

From the planners’ discussion, it appeared the only barrier to approval of a subdivision would be the lack of a designated park area. But Ream said, “We have a lot of green space.”

Plans for the project in its entirety were completed a few months before the county adopted a subdivision ordinance, designed to protect home buyers from unscrupulous developers who sell property without following through on promises to provide needed infrastructure like water and sidewalks. The ordinance requires developers to post a bond to ensure they fulfill their obligations.

Ream said Westridge comprises rental units, not intended for individual sale, at least at the present time.

“We’re going to be finished with this project before it’s ever sold,” he said, pointing out the development is an investment for the corporation. “We haven’t cut any corners.”

Planner Margaret Hambrick agreed with Ream, saying the company followed all of the regulations as they existed at the time plans for the project were finalized.

“If they’d recorded the plat, we would not be here today,” she said.

Asked if he would record the plat were the planners to grant the requested grandfathering, Ream replied, “It’ll be recorded tomorrow when the courthouse opens.”

— E-mail: talvey@register-herald.com

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