Lowe’s store in plans

By JUSTIN HARMON/Staff

The “Largest Home Improvement Company in America” could be settling into a home off Interstate 81’s Exit 19 in the coming months.
County leaders at a recent board meeting OK’d a request to rezone two parcels from A-2 Agriculture to B-2 Business, paving the way for a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store, according to County Administrator Mark Reeter.
Steve Johnson of Johnson & Associates didn’t come out and say Lowe’s was coming, but did hint that the future tenant is “the largest home improvement company in America.”
In addition to the Lowe’s, Johnson hopes to have room for several restaurants, banks and other businesses on the 5.34 acres of the newly rezoned land. He didn’t drop any names, but said the business it would bring would serve the needs of a lot of people.
“The sky’s the limit,” he said.
Johnson said that the company is still waiting to get all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed, but much of what needs to be done has already been completed. One thing that stands between Johnson’s company and construction is a study of traffic at the site.
“We’re just waiting on that info,” he said.
According to Reeter, the motion to rezone the parcels wasn’t specifically to give Lowe’s a place to set up shop, but was a way to smooth things out. According to him, all of the surrounding parcels were already zoned B-2 Business and this brought the two parcels into conformity with their surrounding parcels.
“I’m not exactly sure how that happened,” said Reeter of the two parcels. “It’s a matter of house cleaning. We just made them consistent.”
While Johnson seemed happy about the motion, there are those who have their reservations about a Lowe’s coming to the county.
Abingdon Town Manager Greg Kelly said that while the town doesn’t have a say in any part of the process, it’ll still impact the town.
“It’ll obviously increase traffic right at the (entrance corridor to town),” he said.
While Kelly and the town are concerned about the development, he said they’re hoping things will work out.
“I just hope (the Virginia Department of Transportation) and the county hold the developer to get the proper entrance permits… we want to make sure it’s not creating more hazards as you come into the town limits,” he said.
Justin Harmon can be reached at 628-7101 or