It was Alane Callander’s night.
Callander, a community activist, came to Wednesday night’s Stafford County Planning Commission meeting to speak in favor of the Attain at Stafford mixed-use development that would include up to 300 apartments and about 57,600 square feet of office and/or commercial space.
As a slow-growth advocate, endorsing land development isn’t necessarily something Callender does all the time.
That’s why Attain at Stafford attorney Charlie Payne joked that his work really was done when he received Callander’s backing.
“I just got to say, I really don’t need a vote from anyone tonight because Alane supports my project,” Payne told the commission.
Nonetheless, the lawyer and his client did get the vote they wanted, as commissioners agreed, 5-2, to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a rezoning of 24.3 acres from agricultural to urban development mixed-use village center for the project.
Commission Chairman Steven Apicella noted that government projections say Stafford should have more than 3,000 apartments near the county courthouse, and that the development would help with that goal.
Attain at Stafford also seems like it will be a high-quality complex with lots of amenities for its residents, Apicella said.
“And I’m also going to add that since Ms. Alane Callander is in support, it’s all the more reason for me to support this project,” he said.
Commissioner Kristen Barnes of the Rock Hill District voted against recommending approval — along with George Washington District Commissioner Kelsey Caudill — but she, too, mentioned Callander’s praise.
“I got to tell you, that’s one for history right there,” Barnes said.
Attain at Stafford would be between U.S. 1 and Old Potomac Church Road, near Stafford Hospital.
It would include two four-story residential buildings with about 365,240 square feet of floor area and feature a mix of one- and two-bedroom units.
An 8,000-square-foot “clubhouse” is also proposed along with a fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool, a dog park, two pickleball courts, and two eight-unit garages.
Commercial buildings would be along U.S. 1, and Payne noted that the urban development zoning allows for a mix of commercial uses.
“Given that Stafford is looking at the courthouse area as the sort of new center, if you will, of Stafford County, having that mix is going to be really important to, I think, the future of what the sort of Stafford downtown looks like, and we want that to happen here for sure,” he said.
The project also would be similar to the Attain at Towne Centre development near Spotsylvania Towne Centre. Attain at Towne Centre is where the old Sears used to be at the mall, Payne said.
Commissioner Laura Sellers of the Garrisonville District said Attain at Stafford would be built in a welcome location.
“I’m happy to see the courthouse area finally starting to take off,” she said, “so it’s a good project.”
And, as she was mentioned so much, what did Callander have to say about Attain at Stafford?
She said residents have waited a long time for a “downtown Stafford” to be developed.
“So I’m always glad to have these kinds of projects come up,” she said. “I think this is well thought out from what I’ve been able to determine. I think apartments at that location are appropriate. It can service hospital workers, teachers, government workers, our local government workers. So I like the idea.”
