Roseland, a giant among Chesterfield County rezoning requests, has moved forward.

This time with the Planning Commission's approval.

Planning commissioners last night recommended approval of Roseland by a 4-1 vote. If approved next month by the Board of Supervisors and developed as planned during the next two decades, it would become the county's largest community.

The supervisors will consider the rezoning at their April 23 meeting.

The mixed-use development is planned on 1,400 acres in northwest Chesterfield near state Route 288 and Old Hundred Road. The plan calls for up to 5,140 homes and 1.5 million square feet of commercial space.

Developers envision Roseland as a self-contained, walkable community with homes, shops, offices and parks. And while they have agreed to the county's full cash-proffer amount of $15,600 per home, they would rather work with the county to provide infrastructure.

In lieu of full cash proffers, Roseland developers have offered to build an elementary school in the community, provide land for a second school, and help provide a fire station, parks and utilities.

Matoaca District Commissioner F. Wayne Bass, in whose district most of the land lies, asked yesterday for a deferral to further review the case, but his motion was killed when it did not receive a second.

Bass, like some speakers, said the plan might need more work, especially in the areas of open space and environmental quality, and suggested that the 775-student elementary school the developers have offered to build should be larger.

He eventually conceded defeat, asking developers to address his concerns as the case moves forward.

"I know I'm fighting a stacked deck up here," he said.

Roseland developers said the plan was the result of 10 years of land acquisition and 44 months of planning, had little public opposition and deserved a chance to move on.

The rezoning request was submitted in late 2006 and made it to the Board of Supervisors late last year with a recommendation for denial by the Planning Commission. It was passed over by the outgoing board and sent back to the Planning Commission in January by the new board.

"We're just one step closer to making Roseland a reality, and we're excited," said developer George B. "Casey" Sowers III after the commission voted to recommend approval.

Planning Commission Chairman Russell J. Gulley said he voted with the commission against the case last year because it wasn't ready.

Now it is, he said.

"This is well-planned and it's smartly developed, and that's it in a nutshell," Gulley said.
Contact Wesley P. Hester at (804) 649-6976 or whester@timesdispatch.com.