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Home My WebLink About05-25 CommentsCOUNTY of FREDERICK Department of Planning and Development 540/ 665-5651 Fax: 540/ 665-6395 107 North Kent Street, Suite 202 • Winchester, Virginia 22601-5000 September 12, 2025 Chris Mohn, AICP (via email) Vice President/Director of Planning Greenway Engineering 151 Windy Hill Lane Winchester, VA 22602 Re: Review Comments for MDP #05-25 for Winchester East at Opequon Creek Property Identification Number (PIN): 65-A-195 & 65-A-194B Dear Chris: Thank you for providing the opportunity to review the above Master Development Plan (MDP) for Winchester East at Opequon Creek to develop up to 289 residential units on +/1 100.53-acres zoned RA (Rural Areas) using TDR. Review Comments: 1. Add the application reference number, 05-25. 2. On Sheet 2, under “TDR Note” provide the instrument number. Staff acknowledge this is on Sheet 4 but should be on Sheet 2. 3. The Comprehensive Plan designates portions of the property with a “residential” future land use designation; these areas are generally outside of and west of the future Route 37 right-of-way. This area is the only portion of the site that satisfies criteria for “receiving properties” for TDR credits (§165-302.02). The above conflicts with the general layout shown on Sheet 4, as areas within the County’s identified future Route 37 ROW are being laid out for SFD and SFA units. See graphic on the following page. Staff discussed the above concern with Mr. Campell and Mr. Lawson on Tuesday 9/9/2025 and identified a possible solution. 4. A single point of access to the site from Senseny Road should be relocated to the east and align with this ROW area, partially implementing the EFCTS recommendation. 5. All residential subdivisions of more than 10 lots in the RP, R4, R5, and MS (with residential uses) Zoning Districts shall have streets connecting to adjoining parcels (§165-202.04 & §144-17(B)(2)). An inter-parcel connection is required with The Retreat at Winding Creek to the north. 6. A category A type residential separation buffer is required between the northernmost section of townhome units and the Twin Lakes Overlook community (townhouse to SFD; §165-203.02(C)(1)). A category A type buffer must be a minimum of 25 feet in width with the elements of a full screen. Provide details on Sheet 7. Route 37 as shown on the County’s adopted Plan is an arterial roadway, requiring a road efficiency buffer a minimum of 80 feet in width (§165-203.02(E)). 7. On Sheet 7, the typical road section depicts a 4-foot-wide sidewalk; the Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum 5-foot-wide sidewalk (§165-202.03(D)). A 10-foot-wide multiuse trail is also required along the collector roadway as identified in the Plan. 8. Agency Approvals. Comment sheets (approvals) are required from the following agencies: the Frederick County (FC) Public Works, FC Building Inspections, FC Fire Marshal, FC GIS, FC Parks and Recreation, Frederick Water, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and Clark County (Planning & Zoning). Additional comments may be provided on subsequent submissions. After you have revised the MDP, please resubmit one copy (digital preferred) so that staff may verify the plan addresses the above comments along with all review agency comments (approvals). Once the revised MDP has been reviewed, staff will notify you to submit hard copies and a digital (PDF) copy for final approval and signature. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions regarding this letter. Sincerely, M. Tyler Klein, AICP Senior Planner MTK/pd cc: T VA Winchester II, LLC (zach@terrafoundrypartners.com) Wyatt Pearson, Planning Director John Bishop, Assistant Director DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STAUNTON DISTRICT – Edinburg Residency 14031 Old Valley Pike Edinburg, VA 22824 (540) 984-5601 Stephen C. Brich, P.E. COMMISSIONER October 29, 2025 Re: Winchester East at Opequon Creek - MDP Dear Mr. Klein, This office has completed its review of the Master Development Plan for Winchester East at Opequon Creek. All previous comments have been addressed. We have no further comments currently and look forward to the site plan review. We appreciate the opportunity to comment on this MDP review. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact this office. Sincerely, J. Ryan Spielman Plan Reviewer Virginia Department of Transportation (540) 955-5132 www.clarkecounty.gov Clarke County Department of Planning Berryville-Clarke County Government Center 101 Chalmers Court, Suite B Berryville, VA 22611 TO: Tyler Klein FROM: Brandon Stidham (Clarke County Planning Director) RE: Comments on Winchester East at Opequon Creek Master Development Plan (Revision 02 dated September 2, 2025) DATE: October 2, 2025 Clarke County Planning Department staff offers the following comments on the master development plan (MDP) for “Winchester East at Opequon Creek.” Many of the comments from our October 8, 2024 letter are repeated below. We also understand that this project is now an administrative application and no longer a conditional zoning application. As with the previous letter, our comments attempt to address two primary concerns:  Protecting our shared resource, Opequon Creek, from sedimentation and development impacts  Mitigating impacts on Clarke County infrastructure and resources Comments 1. Steep slopes. This property appears to have steep slope areas of 25% or greater. The MDP shows steep slopes but only 35% (assume 35% or greater). Steep slopes of 25% or greater should be shown on the MDP and should be excluded and protected from land development. 2. Floodplain areas. Floodplain areas should be delineated and shown as such on the MDP. It is possible that the floodplain areas are marked on page 4 but not labeled as they appear to be similar to the floodplain areas that were identified on the previous Generalized Development Plan (GDP). The floodplain areas that were identified on the GDP as “preserved open space” are now just listed as “open space.” The developer should consider re-designating these areas as “preserved open space” and strongly consider placing it, the adjacent areas marked “open space,” and any other critical environmental areas in permanent conservation easement with a qualified easement holder. 3. Wooded/vegetated areas. Existing wooded areas should be quantified and shown on the MDP. Wooded/vegetated areas within the steep slopes and floodplains should, at a minimum, be excluded and protected from development. 4. Stormwater management. A. Route 37 corridor stormwater. The MDP shows one area east of the Route 37 corridor marked as “SWM area.” If this area is intended to accommodate the proposed development’s stormwater, it should also be determined whether there is enough area east of the Route 37 corridor to handle the future road’s stormwater runoff as well. Critical environmental areas and areas that would not be usable for stormwater management features east of the Route 37 corridor should also be identified. B. Drainage to “Ephemeral Stream B.” The MDP appears to show development over the delineated pond that drains into “Ephemeral Stream B.” There also appears to be a drainage easement in Senseny Glen Subdivision that drains into this pond and drainageway. Care should be taken to ensure that there are no adverse stormwater impacts to the Opequon Creek as a result of the elimination of the pond and additional runoff directed to this drainageway. 6. Transportation. We previously commented that the traffic impact analysis (TIA) that was submitted with the GDP did not study any impacts to the rural road network and intersections in Clarke County. No additional information was provided for our review so our comments remain the same. Until such time as Route 37 is built and opened for use, the majority of eastbound traffic is likely to use Senseny Road through Clarke County. At a minimum, impacts to the intersections of Salem Church Road and Triple J Road in Clarke County should be studied and included in the TIA. Clarke County staff would appreciate the opportunity to comment on future iterations of this proposal as it navigates the development review process. Please let me know if you have any questions. Planning and Construction Department Wayne Lee, Coordinator of Planning and Construction leew@fcpsk12.net 1415 Amherst Street https://www.frederickcountyschoolsva.net/ 540-662-3889 ext. 88249 P.O. Box 3508 Winchester, Virginia 22604-2546 September 23, 2025 Mr. Chris Mohn Greenway Engineering 151 Windy Hill Lane Winchester, VA 22602 Re: Winchester East at Opequon Creek Master Development Plan Application Dear Chris: Frederick County Public Schools has reviewed the Winchester East at Opequon Creek Master Development Plan Application. We offer the following comment: 1. This plan includes private streets. As our buses don’t travel down private streets, students who live there will need to walk to a public street to meet the bus at a location to be designated by our Transportation Department. Please feel free to contact me at leew@fcpsk12.net or 540-662-3888 x88249 if you have any questions or comments. Sincerely, K. Wayne Lee, Jr., ALEP Coordinator of Planning and Construction Cc: Dr. George Hummer, Superintendent of Schools Mr. Benjamin Thompson, Assistant Superintendent for Administration Mr. Logan Sheppard, Director of Planning and Construction Mr. Kevin Kenney, Assistant Director of Planning and Construction Mr. Glenn “JR” Hollen, Director of Transportation Mr. Calvin Davis, Assistant Director of Transportation Mr. Tyler Klein, Senior Planner, Frederick County Planning 107 North Kent Street, Second Floor, Suite 200 • Winchester, Virginia 22601-5000 September 18, 2025 Mr. Kevin A. Seward, PE Greenway Engineering 151 Windy Hill Lane Winchester, Virginia 22602 RE: Master Development Plan Comments – Winchester East at Opequon Creek Frederick County, Virginia Dear Mr. Seward: Upon review of the master development plan dated July 2, 2025, we recommend approval of the subject plan. **Effective July 1, 2025, all plans submitted for review will need to comply with the DEQ VRRM 4.1 and the new stormwater handbook. I have included the link below to access the new stormwater handbook. The plans and all details must be updated to comply with the new stormwater handbook requirements.** https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/deq-va/index.aspx Sincerely, Joe C. Wilder Director of Public Works JCW/kco cc: Planning and Development file