7,000 unbuilt homes in James City -- where are they?

It's July 21. We break out where all those unfinished homes are located. New traffic light scheduled to start today at Jolly Pond Rd. No-wake committee to make recommendations to York supervisors.

County build-out map, 2026

The largest chunk of the 7,000 homes approved but yet built in James City County are in the northern portion of the county, which is already dealing with an overcrowded elementary school and stormwater sewage overflows.

But there are unbuilt homes scattered throughout the county, including in decades-old developments like Kingsmill and Ford’s Colony.

Critics of growth in the county argue that any new development must be viewed in terms of the cumulative impact it will have, along with other approved developments, on county roads, schools and water supply.

Since the county is hearing requests for more than 1,700 additional homes in two new developments, we thought we’d look at the other developments that have been approved and could be built at any time. The map above shows the range of potential unbuilt houses, expressed as a percentage of homes approved.

James City County’s board of supervisors is slated to consider two new developments – Cardinal Ridge, on surplus Eastern State Hospital property (1,006 homes), and The Bluffs at Kiskiack, near Croaker at the northern end of the county (704 homes) in September and October.

Once the county has approved a rezoning or new development, those rights remain with the land even if it is sold to someone else, county officials say.

At least 1,600 homes have been approved but not yet built in Stonehouse and Stonehouse Preserve, according to the annual survey by the James City County planning commission completed in January.

Stonehouse and Colonial Heritage – which is largely built out but still has at least 20 approved homes unbuilt – were among the northern parts of the county that saw a good portion of the stormwater spills that have generated half a dozen warning letters from the state Department of Environmental Quality over two years.

James City is also operating under a consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency to deal with the overflows.

Stonehouse Elementary School is operating at more than 100% of its student capacity, using modular classrooms.

Based on this year’s map, here are some examples of homes approved but not yet built in some of the county subdivisions:

• Stonehouse: 1,588 – 2,382

• Summerplace: up to 164

• Liberty Ridge: 70 – 102

• The Settlement at Powhatan Creek: 100 - 200