OUR VIEW: Formative days for the retail future of U.S. 29

» Three area projects highlight how the local economy may be recovering, and how far it has fallen in recent years.

The recession has cooled development in general, but two commercial projects along the U.S. 29 corridor are heating up again while another has fallen victim to the times.

CLORE PROPERTY: Tomorrow night, a special joint meeting of the Culpeper Town Council and the Planning Commission meets to discuss a commercial complex proposed for the town’s south end.

The Clore Family LLC’s development plan on Zeuswyn Drive proposes 153,000 square feet of com-
mercial space, a single access point (which is a bad idea), an option to build up to 50 apartments and ample buffering for existing homes.

The southern end of town has plenty of hotels, apartments and condos, but it is severely lacking restaurants, stores and gas stations. A small- to mid-size retail development — if done right — would be a positive for the area, especially when it comes to padding local government coffers with revenue generated by highway travelers.

But the devil is in the details, and it’s important the town approve a plan that addresses neighbors’ concerns, minimizes traffic congestion and does not completely spoil the bucolic countryside.

BRAGGS CORNER STATION: On a smaller scale is Braggs Corner Station, to be located on a 25-acre tract across U.S. 29 from Eastern View High School. Developers are hoping to break ground this winter on the 10,500-square-foot center.

Its location makes it an attractive spot for travelers, students and families attending youth sports games at the nearby complex. Our prediction is that it will be a popular destination and the first of similar retail developments at Culpeper’s five major intersections with U.S. 29.

WILLOW RUN: Instead of becoming a Central Park-style mall, as called for in August 2006, Willow Run’s 442 acres in Elkwood will now be protected by a conservation easement with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. To that, we breathe a sigh of relief.

We congratulate owners Chuck and Pete Gyory for preserving the scenic farmland and thereby preserving a large part of the Brandy Station battlefield.