The former White's Nursery and Garden Center site in Chesapeake's Deep Creek area could soon become a residential community of up to 296 homes, as a rezoning request from Kotarides Developers heads to the city's Planning Commission. The proposal, known as Stockton Meadows, calls for a mix of detached single-family condominiums, attached townhouse-style condominiums, and four-plex units on land along Old Mill Road and Weiss Lane.
According to WTKR, the plan now includes 100 detached single-family condominiums, 140 attached townhouse-style condominiums, and 56 units in four-plex buildings, working out to a proposed density of 3.9 units per acre. That total has shifted considerably over time. An earlier preliminary general development plan showed 259 units on the property, the station reported in a separate account, before Kotarides Developers initially submitted a formal proposal for 359 units. City staff then asked the developer to pare the count down to better align with Chesapeake's comprehensive plan, landing at the current figure of up to 296 homes.
Neighbors Worry About Crowded Schools and Roads
The scale-back hasn't eased every concern in Deep Creek. Residents have raised worries about traffic, school capacity, and infrastructure strain tied to the project, the station reports. Jamie Pizzaglia, who lives off Mill Creek Parkway in Deep Creek, said the schools, roads, and surrounding area would become too crowded and lack adequate infrastructure to support the new rooftops. Pizzaglia is particularly concerned about travel time to school and work, as well as her daughter starting kindergarten in the coming years.
Those worries have numbers behind them. A Chesapeake planning department staff report found that Deep Creek Central Elementary is currently operating at 137.2% of capacity, well above the city's school level-of-service standard of no more than 120% capacity. The same report notes the school is expected to fall below that 120% threshold once the new Culpepper Landing Elementary School opens, with the Stockton Meadows property itself expected to be zoned into that new school's attendance area. Per PACE Collaborative, the Culpepper Landing school is being built for 960 students and is anticipated to open for the 2027-2028 school year.
Traffic Tied to a Bridge Project Still Underway
Road capacity is also central to the staff review. City analysis found that the intersection of George Washington Highway and Moses Grandy Trail currently operates at level of service F during both morning and afternoon peak periods, the station's report notes. That same analysis anticipates the intersection will improve to level of service C once the Deep Creek Bridge replacement project is complete, even accounting for added Stockton Meadows traffic. A traffic impact analysis estimates the development would generate approximately 2,428 vehicle trips per day.
To address the timing mismatch between new rooftops and existing capacity, Kotarides Developers has proposed a permit condition: no building permit would be requested or issued until Culpepper Landing Elementary opens and the Deep Creek Bridge project is complete, or January 1, 2029, whichever comes first. The bridge replacement and expansion project is ongoing; a February 2024 city presentation scheduled construction of the north bridge from fall 2025 to fall 2026, with roadway tie-ins to follow from fall 2026 to winter 2027, according to a document from the City of Chesapeake. The same presentation said the bridge replacement would widen the span from two lanes to five.
Parkland, Trails and a Straighter Road Curve
Beyond the housing itself, the Stockton Meadows plans include land that could help the city straighten the curve along Old Mill Road, as well as additional property set aside for future road widening and improvements near Old Mill Road and Weiss Lane. Kotarides Developers has also proposed dedicating approximately six acres to Chesapeake for a future public park and constructing a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail along Old Mill Road and Weiss Lane, in addition to sidewalks, trails, and private amenities within the development itself. The developer has agreed to architectural standards covering building materials, porches, windows, landscaping, and variety in home design.
The property carries deep roots in Deep Creek. The White family has owned the land for nearly a century, growing its last nursery crop in spring 2024 before the business wound down. A family member said the family was sad it could no longer farm and sell flowers because of economic challenges, but believed the community needed more housing.
Staff Called the Project Untimely, Then Recommended Approval
Chesapeake planning staff concluded that Stockton Meadows was untimely at present given existing traffic and school capacity conditions in the area, then found that the proposed timing restrictions and other commitments sufficiently addressed those concerns to recommend approval of the rezoning with proffers. The Chesapeake Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the rezoning application on Thursday, November 12, and will issue a recommendation before the matter moves on to the Chesapeake City Council.
Chesapeake has weighed similar rezoning requests elsewhere in the city. In a much smaller case, planning staff recommended approval with proffers for rezoning roughly 5.5 acres at 960 Bells Mill Road to allow just two residential lots, with those proffers limiting development to two detached single-family homes and requiring the rear 4.367 acres to remain in a natural state in perpetuity, according to records from the City of Chesapeake. It's a far smaller footprint than Stockton Meadows, but it reflects the same pattern of city staff attaching conditions to new development before signing off.
