SMITHFIELD, Va. — Tuesday night, there were mixed feelings on a mixed-use development proposed for the Town of Smithfield as town council members discussed “The Grange at 10 Main” project.
The proposed development has caused tension about whether to bring in more homes and businesses to town.
At Tuesday night’s council meeting, town council members voted to approve a motion to send the project back to the town’s planning commission to study it more.
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More homes, retail, new restaurant, hotel & more possibly coming to Smithfield
The development would include more than 50 single-family dwellings, more than 200 apartments, 34 attached residential dwellings and five cottages.
It would also have a market, restaurant, hotel, and office spaces.
Ashley White, a Surry County resident who often visits Smithfield, is all for the project. She believes that it would bring more housing options and dollars to benefit the town.
“You need some of that new perspective to steamroll new innovative and creative ideas to keep people here and make people want to move here to bring in new stuff, and to improve the old, but not necessarily do away with it completely,” White told News 3. “It would be nice to have homes there, and of course, to shop and not have to waste gas and go here and there. Everything would be within walking distance.”
Meanwhile, the vast majority of people at Tuesday night’s meeting, spoke out against the project.
Many, including Smithfield native Audrey Kraemer, brought up concerns over traffic and said they believed that Smithfield could lose its small-town charm that bring people in from around Hampton Roads.
“Our farmer’s market on Saturday is very popular. I have friends that come from other towns that come into the market on Saturday,” Kraemer said. “Shops on Main Street, they’re just now up and running. What shops are you going to put underneath there that’s going to compete with the Main Street people? These are people who live in town. These are people’s businesses.”
Tuesday wasn’t the first-time council members brought up the project to be discussed.
The project’s application was also brought up in August’s council meeting, but it was tabled so council members could get questions answered by applicants.
Council members also held a work session on the project on Aug. 31.
