FINCASTLE - The Botetourt County Planning Commission gave its approval to a planned community that will have a mixture of residential, retail, commercial and civic spaces on U.S. 220 in Daleville, on land that is now an apple orchard.

Planning commission members praised Roanoke developer Fralin and Waldron on its proposal for Daleville Town Center, Botetourt County's first "traditional neighborhood district," Monday. They will send their unanimous recommendation to grant rezoning for the project to the board of supervisors. Their only concern, they said, was the significant impact additional traffic will have in the area.

The community will be on U.S. 220 in Daleville, between Catawba and Glebe roads on land owned by Layman Orchard & Produce, a 119-acre farm. Catawba is a major thoroughfare and a new senior citizens residential facility is being built on Glebe.

Commissioner Chris Whitely said no one expected the orchard to remain forever. The property could have become a strip mall or jammed with houses, he added.

Whitely said he feels the neighborhood district is the best available use of the land. "It's the right development in the right place at the right time," Whitely added. "It will make Daleville a destination."

Some consider this type of neighborhood development as an alternative to urban sprawl because it clusters homes and commercial developments onto smaller spaces, rather than spreading them out on large lots.

Commissioner Steve Kidd told the developers who held two community meetings, "You have done your homework." The project, he said, complies with the county's comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance and "you demonstrated a willingness to work with the community and county," he said.

Traffic is a concern but it would be a problem with any development in the area, Kidd said.

Two of the five residents who signed up to speak during a public hearing withdrew their request. The others supported the project, but urged the commissioners to consider the impact on traffic, schools and other infrastructure.

Fralin and Waldron has a contract to buy the land owned by members of the Layman family. The project would feature up to 400,000 square feet of commercial space and 300 residential uses houses with 120 or fewer multifamily units. It also will include greenways that will connect various sections.