Some McGaheysville residents pleased after development proposal is withdrawn

MCGAHEYSVILLE, Va. (WHSV) - A proposed home development in McGaheysville will no longer be on the agenda at Wednesday’s Rockingham County Board of Supervisors meeting after the developer pulled the rezoning request.

The proposed development of 155 single family homes was slated for a property that is currently an empty field between Power Dam Road and Three Leagues Road. It garnered a lot of attention after residents of the Three Leagues Neighborhood banded together to oppose the plan.

Since the proposal was made back in July, some residents of the neighborhood and surrounding area have attended numerous board of supervisors and planning commission meetings to express their opposition to the project.

Community members signed petitions and held community meetings with Rockingham County supervisors in attendance to make their voices heard and months later, they got their wish.

“Everyone in McGaheysville was so supportive. We had over 260 signatures on our petitions and a lot of times that was just one person per house so we’re really grateful to our board of supervisors for listening to our concerns,” said Sarah Lamb, a Three Leagues’ resident who helped organize the meetings and petitions.

Some residents of the neighborhood are grateful that the development was taken off the table for the moment.

“We were just delighted,” said Leslie Harris, a resident of the neighborhood. “We are not in the way of progress. We understand that this area is building and that there’s going to be development and that’s just naturally part of it, but this particular development and the density of the homes just seemed against the McGaheysville vision and plan.”

Residents were happy to maintain the communities rural feel.

“I’m glad that this is staying like this because there’s not that much historic land left and all that so it’s best to reserve what little we have left so that way future generations like me and my little brother can still have it for our kids when we’re older,” said Conan Lamb, the 14-year-old son of Sarah Lamb.

The proposal was pulled after two members of the board of supervisors made it clear they would vote it down.

“A lot of people feel like there’s no point that their voice is not heard and we absolutely disagreed with that and we believed so firmly in our board of supervisors that they would do what they felt was best for our community whatever the outcome and we’re happy they agreed that as it stands it does not fit the McGaheysville area plan,” said Sarah Lamb.

“Fortunately, our leaders listened to everyone and have made choices accordingly and the fact that that can still happen, that people can still have a voice like that is really just inspirational,” said Harris.

There could still be development on the property in the future but it would take a different proposal that would have to start the rezoning process all over again.

WHSV reached out to Harman Realty which was working on the proposal but did not hear back.

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