James City County’s Fort Magruder Hotel at 6945 Pocahontas Trail may be converted into 126 apartments, with 40 percent designated as affordable housing, under a proposal by New Jersey-based Conserve Holdings. The plan also includes 32,000 square feet of commercial space in the existing conference center. The county planning commission recommended approval on April 2, and the Board of Supervisors will consider the rezoning application on May 13. The developer aims to revitalize the underutilized property and provide needed housing, particularly affordable units for local workers, although the county’s Housing Administrator expressed concern that some affordable units are tiered for incomes up to 120% of the area median income, potentially not reaching the lowest-wage workers. A historical feature, Redoubt 3 from the Civil War Battle of Williamsburg, located in the hotel courtyard, is planned to be preserved.
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