The Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted 5-1 Monday night to approve the rezoning of approximately 485 acres of farmland to make way for a mixed-use development, paving the way for the largest-scale development to come to Moneta to date.

Approximately 50 residents filled the board room of the County Administration Building, where a public hearing was held to consider a request by Smith Mountain Lake Partners, the developers of Sunset Cay, which is located off Hendricks Store Road.

Supervisor Roger Cheek voted against the request, and Supervisor Dale Wheeler was absent.

"I still have major issues in my mind with traffic, water and sewer and what it is going to do to the schools," Supervisor Andy Dooley said.

The developers' preliminary master plan includes 1,581 homes, which will be a mixture of single-family homes, multifamily dwellings, town houses and live-work space. Other planned amenities include an 18-hole golf course and 190,000 square feet of commercial space.

The property was zoned low-density residential, medium-density residential and general commercial, which would allow the developers to build as many as 1,000 more homes under use-by-right, according to a presentation by county planner Mark Jordan.

"In terms of character, we think this development will complement the area," Bill Brush told the board on behalf of the Smith Mountain Lake Association.

A year ago, SML Partners gained the board's approval to build 132 single-family homes on an adjoining site. Those homes are under construction.

On the Net: sunset-cay.com