In the gallery at right, you'll find a PDF of Zoning Ordinance No. 11-2012—otherwise known as the District Council's approval of the Cafritz rezoning plan.

By a 7-2 margin, the developer's far-reaching proposal was approved by the council in substantial form on July 10 and formally enacted on July 12.

After 30-plus hours of hearings and debate, members ultimately decided to adopt all of the conditions recommended by the Prince George County Planning Board, which were in turn based on agreements worked out between the Cafritz team and surrounding municipalities. (Read a full rundown of those conditions here.)

Councilmembers Andrea Harrison (Dist. 5), Will Campos (Dist. 2), Ingrid M. Turner (Dist. 4), Derrick Leon David (Dist. 6), Karen R. Toles (Dist. 7), Obie Patterson (Dist. 8), and Mel Franklin (Dist. 9) voted in favor of the proposal both times, while councilmembers Eric Olson (Dist. 3) and Mary A. Lehman (Dist. 1) voted against.

The approval officially rezones the 37-acre parcel on the north end of Riverdale Park from single-family detached residential (R-55) to mixed-use town center (M-UTC), easing the way for the construction of more than 900 units of housing, a 35,000-square-foot Whole Foods, a 120-room hotel, and additional office and retail space.

Plenty of hurdles remain before the developer can begin construction, however, including a traffic study, a preliminary plan of subdivision, a detailed site plan, permits, subdivision plats, and multiple steps toward construction of a road bridge over the CSX tracks.

Supporters say the project will spur economic growth and bring a desirable mix of retail and residential development to the area. Critics have charged that the plan will impose extreme fiscal, environmental, and traffic pressure on the surrounding communities.

What's your take on the conditions in the District Council's approval? What would you have added or changed? Let us know in the comments.