The following article appears in the Roanoke Times on Tuesday, December 7, 2010

When Walmart announced its plans for a Supercenter in Roanoke County's Clearbrook neighborhood in 2006, supporters and detractors predicted that it would draw more commercial development to the area.

On Monday, the county planning commission recommended opening up more land near the store -- still weeks from opening -- for additional business growth.

If the county board of supervisors agrees, just over 9 acres adjacent to the Walmart property will be rezoned from agricultural/residential to commercial/Clearbrook Village Overlay District.

Developers Steve Strauss and Andy Douthat have said they envision restaurants and retail space -- perhaps a grocery store -- on the property at the end of Clearbrook Village Lane that they are calling Timberbrook Commercial Center.

As anticipated, this time the commissioners faced nothing like the fiery crowd that came out to comment on the Walmart plan.

No one spoke at Monday's public hearing on the latest rezoning and the commissioners unanimously recommended that the board of supervisors approve it.

In creating the overlay district more than a decade ago, the county sought to permit commercial construction along the U.S. 220 corridor, but with restrictions "to promote future development that is consistent with the current character of Clearbrook," according to the ordinance.

An element of that attempt to keep a "village" feel was a provision limiting any single retail development to no more than 50,000 square feet -- unless the supervisors approved a special-use permit for a larger structure.

Critics of the Walmart plan insisted that the 200,000-square-foot Supercenter constituted a gross violation of the spirit of the overlay district, even if it was permissible. The retail giant had to comply with other restrictions in the district -- including special landscaping, lighting and storm water regulations.

Strauss added some additional proffers or conditions on his development to try and assuage nearby residents' concerns about the view and the traffic impact of the development. That included larger-than-required buffers and a traffic plan that took into account a "worst-case scenario" that would place two fast-food restaurants on the property.

In an earlier interview, Strauss insisted that the two "concept plans" he submitted for the site were just that -- concepts that are subject to significant revision, depending on whom he finds interested in building there.

And his attorney, Maryellen Goodlatte, reminded the commissioners Monday that any fast-food restaurant would be subject to a special-use permit, which would have to be approved in the future by the commissioners and the supervisors.

No tenants or buyers have yet been lined up, but Strauss said he was optimistic they'll be found once final approval of the commercial rezoning is completed.

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