The biggest housing proposal Elliston has seen in years will have to wait a little longer for an answer.
The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 13, to postpone its decision on Stateson Homes' plan for 349 homes on the historic Fotheringay property, Cardinal News reported. The vote is now expected at the board's next meeting on Monday, Oct. 26.
The delay came after a long public hearing. Thirty-three people spoke, most of them against the project, and the meeting ran until almost midnight.
There will not be another public hearing on Oct. 26, county Public Information Director Jennifer Harris told Cardinal News, but people can speak during the regular public comment portion of the meeting. Board meetings start at 7:15 p.m. at the County Government Center, 755 Roanoke St. in Christiansburg.
What Stateson Homes wants to build
Stateson Homes is proposing to turn more than 263 acres of the Fotheringay property into a mixed neighborhood with:
- 225 single-family homes
- 124 townhomes
- A recreation area, trails, sidewalks and public streets
According to a staff presentation by county Planning Director Brea Hopkins, the homes would be built in three phases over five to eight years.
Stateson Homes representatives told the board they expect average prices of about $285,000 for the townhomes and $385,000 for the single-family homes. They also estimated the homes would bring in about $1 million a year in tax revenue.
The board approved a comprehensive plan amendment last year that made a development like this possible on the property.
The whole property covers more than 600 acres. Cardinal News reported there would be a considerable buffer between the new homes and the Fotheringay house itself, a 1790s home on the National Register of Historic Places that is visible from U.S. 460.
A small village, a big change
Elliston had 855 residents in the most recent census count. The new development could bring more than 1,000 people to a quiet, rural part of eastern Montgomery County between Christiansburg and Salem.
That is what worries many neighbors. Longtime Shawsville residents Janice and Ed Hixon came to the meeting wearing "Preserve EastMont" stickers.
"People choose to live in a rural area because they don't want all the traffic. They don't want all the noise," Ed Hixon said.
"This is going to double the size of the Elliston village," Janice Hixon added. She said the couple is worried about traffic as they get older and still need to drive to doctor's appointments.
Supporters see it differently. "We cannot preserve a community simply by keeping it exactly as it is, we preserve it by making sure that there is future for continued growth," said Carie Kingery.
Supervisor Steve Fijalkowski said the board can't make everyone happy. "Whether we vote for it or against it, there's going to be a lot of unhappy people and I hate seeing that, but a decision has to be made one way or the other," he said.
Supervisor Mary Biggs said the delay is meant to give the board time "to consider everyone's comments that came forward tonight."
This isn't the first fight over the land. In 2023, a company dropped plans for a solar farm on the property after strong community opposition.
Why it matters for Contractors
If the board approves it, this would be a multi-year job in a rural corner of Montgomery County. A three-phase build over five to eight years means steady work for site contractors, utility crews, framers, roofers, concrete finishers and the rest of the residential trades.
Before any homes go up, the plan calls for new public streets, sidewalks, trails and a recreation area. That is a sizable package of site and civil work on its own.
The price points stand out, too. Stateson's estimated average prices of about $285,000 for townhomes and $385,000 for houses leave little room for cost overruns. Those are the builder's own estimates from its presentation, not final sale prices, and they will be tested by whatever material and labor costs look like when each phase starts.
The decision is still up in the air. Contractors who want to follow it can watch the Oct. 26 board meeting in Christiansburg. If supervisors approve the plan, Stateson Homes would then move into engineering and site plan review before construction starts.