WINDSOR

Belterra Partners, a developer of commercial properties throughout the United States, is hoping to construct an O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Windsor. The proposed location is a vacant lot on East Windsor Boulevard (U.S. Route 460) near the Windsor Commons shopping center.

The matter went before the town’s Planning Commission on Aug. 28, owing to the company’s request to use a type of fiber cement paneling called Nichiha instead of brick for the purposes of complying with the town’s Commercial Corridor District overlay requirements.

According to a report included with the Planning Commission’s agenda, to comply with the Commercial Corridor District overlay, an applicant must either place a vegetation buffer between the store and Windsor Boulevard or construct a decorative wall made of brick or another material approved by the Planning Commission. An Aug. 21 letter from Scott Smith on behalf of Belterra Partners to the town’s planning and zoning administrator, Ben Sullivan, explains that the company’s purpose in requesting to use Nichiha instead of brick is, “to have an overall development/construction that does not exceed a projected sales volume ratio for this area, which is limited due to the size of the population.”

Additional information on Nichiha included in the agenda indicates that the fiber cement panels are designed create the appearance of a structure having been constructed from brick or another, more typical, building material. The commissioners voted to approve the company’s request.

In other business, the Planning Commission also discussed the town’s ongoing efforts to create a vision statement. According to Sullivan, the Vision Statement Management Team has created a survey to start getting information from the public, which will be offered to residents at the Isle of Wight County Fair this week and included in this month’s town water bill.