Elliston · Shawsville · Fotheringay
STOP THE FOTHERINGAY
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
349 homes planned on the Fotheringay farmland.
Stateson Homes wants to pave it. The Board deferred the vote on the rezoning. They hear it again Tuesday, November 10. This land shapes who we are — and the meeting is where it's fought.
Who we are: Preserve Eastmont is a group of concerned citizens working to preserve the rural nature of our community. Questions or want to help? Email us at preserveeastmont@gmail.com.
Will you be there?
Do this today — it takes two minutes
EMAIL ALL SEVEN SUPERVISORS.
The Board hears this again Tuesday, November 10. They put the vote off to hear what residents think — so say it in writing, before the vote. The subject line and letter are already written for you.
Pick where you send email from
Then forward the same letter to a neighbor. One short email from a lot of people is what moves a vote.
Read up on the development
What Stateson Homes is proposing
Read up on the development
What Stateson Homes is proposing
The owners of Fotheringay want to sell a large portion of the property to Stateson Homes for a development beside the historic home and Eastern Montgomery Elementary School. The request would rezone about 263.5 acres of the roughly 660-acre historic property near 8339 Roanoke Road in Elliston from Agricultural (A-1) to Planned Unit Development-Residential (PUD-RES). We're asking the Board to say no.
349 homes
124 townhomes and 225 single-family homes, per the county staff presentation
About 263.5 acres
Rezoned out of the roughly 660-acre historic Fotheringay property near 8339 Roanoke Road in Elliston
Agricultural to PUD-Residential
The request rezones the land from Agricultural (A-1) to Planned Unit Development-Residential (PUD-RES)
5–8 years
The estimated construction timeline
The November 10 hearing
Rescheduled after the county fixed a legal-ad error - the Board votes on the rezoning, and we're asking them to say no
The county's Elliston–Lafayette Village Plan calls for a rural village where local history, farms, natural resources, small businesses, public services, parks, and community institutions support daily life.
Be in the seats, not just the comments
NOVEMBER 10
7:15 PM
Board of Supervisors meeting — On October 13 the Board heard hours of public comment and put off the vote. The county then found an error in the legal advertisement and rescheduled the public hearing for November 10 — the rezoning will NOT be on the October 26 agenda. Arrive early, the room fills. Every seat in the room shows the county how many of us oppose this.
Wear Eastern Montgomery maroon, black, and white to show support for our community.
Location & details
Montgomery County Government Center
755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg, VA
Can't make it? The meeting streams live at youtube.com/montgomeryva — but the seats are what count.
Missed October 13? Watch the recording →I'll be thereThe room is the message
You don't have to talk. Just show up.
The Board counts the room. Every seat filled on November 10 tells them Eastern Montgomery opposes this — no speech required. Pledge below and watch the wall fill.
Counting pledges…
Here's how you can fight back
THREE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED.
You don't need to be a speaker or an expert. Start with the email — it takes two minutes. Then pick a seat.
Know what to say
Six clear talking points you can use at the meeting, in an email, or with a neighbor.
Read the talking pointsEmail the Board
One short email to all seven Supervisors who vote on this — the subject line and letter are written for you.
Email all sevenFill a seat
Pledge to be in the room November 10. You don't have to talk — just show up.
Pledge a seatTalking points
Know what to say.
01 · Not the plan we were promised
The plan had to change to fit the project.
The county's plan describes Elliston as a rural village shaped by farms, history, and community. The plan had to be amended to make room for this subdivision, beside a historic estate dating to 1796. Growth should follow the plan, not rewrite it.
02 · Loss of farmland
We can't grow more farmland.
Montgomery County lost 16,555 acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022 — about 16% of its farmland. Once Fotheringay's fields are paved, they won't come back.
03 · Scale and services
One vote could double a village.
The handout estimates around 1,000 new residents — roughly doubling Elliston's population — and approximately 3,000 daily vehicle trips on our roads. Ask how roads, police, fire, and rescue services will handle that growth.
04 · Flooding and runoff
More pavement. More runoff.
This location has a history of flooding. More roofs, driveways, and parking lots mean more stormwater rushing toward creeks and neighboring homes — and years of construction traffic on the way there won't help.
05 · Fiscal impact
Who pays for the added services?
New homes also mean demand for classrooms, buses, roads, and emergency services. Ask the Board to show how the costs of serving 349 homes compare with the tax revenue the development would bring in.
06 · Not against growth
We're not opposed to growth.
Many of us support thoughtful growth. We oppose this scale and volume in this place: 349 homes on this farmland is too much for a rural village.
Found the point you agree with? Put it in an email — the letter is already written for you.
Email the BoardFrom the October 13 hearing
WHAT THEY SAID. WHAT WE SAY.
The developer and county staff made these points at the hearing. Here's how to answer them in your email or at the November 10 meeting.
They said
"It's low density - 1.32 homes per acre."
We say
That average spreads 349 homes across open space. The developer's own plan packs the densest homes, including 124 townhomes, into a central core. As one resident put it: when you live rural, this is not low density.
They said
"It didn't need a traffic study."
We say
VDOT estimates 2,790 trips a day, onto Route 11/460 and Eastern Montgomery Lane past the elementary school. Falling under a threshold doesn't mean no impact. Ask the Board to require a full traffic study before any vote.
They said
"Stormwater rules will handle flooding."
We say
Residents brought recent flood photos, including from Helene, not just the 1980s. The stormwater ponds would be kept up by a future homeowners association. Ask who's responsible when they fail downstream.
They said
"It brings in about $965,000 a year in taxes."
We say
Revenue isn't profit. A study cited at the meeting found Virginia homes cost counties about $1.20 in services for every $1 of property tax, while farmland costs about 42 cents. Ask the Board for the net cost, not just the revenue.
They said
"More housing will make homes affordable."
We say
Local families are struggling to afford what's already for sale. New homes at these prices won't fix that, and they could raise assessments and tax bills for longtime residents on fixed incomes.
The Fotheringay public hearing begins in the Public Hearings portion, around 35:53.
Contact the officials
Make them hear us.
These are the seven members of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors who hear this again Tuesday, November 10. Email them today — include your name and address, which the Board asks for — then forward the same letter to a neighbor.
Gunin Kiran
District A
Derek W. Kitts
District B
Steve R. Fijalkowski
District C · Vice Chair
Michael Todd King
District D
Anthony M. Grafsky
District E
Mary W. Biggs
District F
April DeMotts
District G · Chair
Email all seven at once
Pick where you send email from. A ready-to-send message to all seven supervisors opens with the subject and sample letter filled in — just add your name and address and hit send.
Nothing opens? Tap "Copy all emails," then use the Copy button on the sample letter below and paste both into any email.
Email script
Subject: No rezoning for Fotheringay
Dear Supervisor [Name],
I'm a resident of Montgomery County, in the Elliston/Shawsville area. I'm asking you to vote no on the rezoning of the Fotheringay farmland from Agricultural to Planned Unit Development-Residential for the 349-home Stateson Homes development.
You deferred this vote on October 13 to consider what residents said. The public hearing is now November 10. Please weigh it carefully: 349 homes is too much for a rural village. I plan to be at the November 10 meeting, and I ask you to represent the people who live here.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address - the Board asks that emails include it]
Phone script
Hello, my name is [name], and I live in [town], here in Montgomery County. I'm calling to ask Supervisor [Name] to vote no on the rezoning of the Fotheringay farmland for the Stateson Homes development. That farmland should stay undeveloped. Thank you for your time.
Be brief, be polite, and always give your name and town.
Pledge to show up
Put your name on a seat
Take the seat
Pledge to be at the November 10 meeting and we'll fill your chair on the wall above. You don't have to speak. Your presence sends the message.
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