CUMBERLAND – The developers of the Patriot Ridge Shopping Center were issued a conditional use permit last month by the County's Board of Supervisors.

This was just another step in what has been a long process to becoming a reality in the rural county.

Along with the conditional use permit approval was a rezoning request for the shopping center to rezone approximately 1.417 acres of the property currently zoned residential to business to realign the back portion of the property and to better suit it “for a potential retail tenant,” according to Planning Director Bret Schardein during the public hearing process.

The developers, Patriots Enterprises LLC, submitted both of the requests concurrently.

The property is located on the north side of Anderson Highway adjacent to the intersection of Criss Road and is within the Courthouse Growth Area.

It is proposed to encompass approximately 20 acres.

Both of the requests were recommended to the Board after the Planning Commission held its own public hearings on June 20, according to Schardein.

“Staff believes the requested action is consistent with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance,” offered Schardein.

Once the County's water extension project is complete, the property will also be served by the public water system, it was noted.

The conditional use permit request is needed to allow for the “shopping center” use, according to Schardein, in this area of the County.

The Board of Supervisors held its own public hearing on July 12 during its regular meeting and there were no speakers signed up to address the Board.

The proposed design of the shopping center outlines a large grocery retail business in the center with several smaller buildings along the outlining area of the property for retail space.

The Supervisors voted unanimously to approve both requests submitted by the applicants for Patriot Ridge.