Work on revisions to transient lodging draft
The Rappahannock County Planning Commission recommended approval of two tourist homes and an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at its meeting last Thursday, but recommended denial of a third tourist home application.
Tourist home: 105 Viewtown Road, Viewtown
The commission voted 3-2 to recommend denial of an application for a tourist home at 105 Viewtown Road, where applicants are seeking approval to run it out of an historic store. Commissioners Stephanie Ridder and Al Henry were absent from the meeting.
Owners John and Margaret Wiese said they have lived on the property since 1992. The family lives in a three-bedroom home next to the store — built in the 1890s — which now has a two-bedroom apartment built on the second level.
The family ran the store until 1998, and after that were granted a special exception permit to run church service and ministry on the first level of the store. John Wiese said youth ministry and RESTORE Rappahannock drug and addiction ministry used to take place in the store, but nothing has been held there in six months.
“History is very important to us … and to that end, the income from having the tourist home would assist us in preserving the store,” John Wiese said.
The biggest issue with the application — that the commissioners discussed — was the size of the 4.8-acre lot. According to the ordinance, tourist homes in agriculturally-zoned land may not be on plots under 10 acres. Piedmont Commissioner Thomas Sisk voiced concern that approval of the application would set a precedent for future applications for tourist homes on smaller lots.
Jackson Commissioner Tommy Atkins said he had concerns about “too much intensive use” on the lot, and agreed that the decision could be “precedent-setting” when it comes to the lot size.
Stonewall-Hawthorne Commissioner and Vice Chair Gary D. Light said the property is unique, and the “intensity of use” would be lower with a tourist home than it has been in previous years. He compared the layout to that of the Laurel Mills Store and neighboring home, and suggested making the approval conditional, and rescinding a special use permit the couple received previously that has allowed them to use the store for ministry gatherings.
Both Light and Wakefield Commissioner Brian Scheulen voted against denying the application.
Tourist home: 416 Rolling Road, Sperryville
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of an application for a tourist home at 416 Rolling Road, Sperryville.
Owner Janice Moody wrote in the application that her husband recently passed away, and the family does not use the property as often as it did. She wrote that they would like to rent the property to supplement costs of upkeep.
Zoning Administrator Michelle Somers told the commission that the recommended occupancy is no more than four guests, which the owners agreed to.
There was no discussion during the public hearing, and none of the commissioners had issues with the application.
“I really think it’s a very good fit,” Atkins said. “It’s a beautiful location.”
Accessory Dwelling Unit: 50 Spyder Mountain Lane, Sperryville
After a short discussion, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of an application for construction of a 1,200-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 50 Spyder Mountain Lane, Sperryville.
Donald Mullan and Patricia Brennan submitted an application requesting to construct a small, independent structure on their 33.7-acre property for the couple to move into, which would allow their son, Sean Mullan, and his family to move into the existing home.
The ADU will be one story, and allow the couple to “age comfortably with family nearby,” the staff report says.
“I like the idea very much of the elderly people being able to stay within the county, and y’all have been here a long time as well,” Atkins said. “As we all get older, we do need help, and it’s so great to see that you’ve got family that’s willing to stay there.”
“I certainly think it met the standard. And it’s a good location, and should be a good use of the property for years to come,” Piedmont Supervisor and Chair Christine Smith said.
Tourist home: 202 Yancey Road, Woodville
Dara Alderman and Boyd Cloern submitted an application to rent their two-bedroom house at 202 Yancey Road, Woodville as a tourist home, which the commission unanimously recommended approval.
In the application, Alderman wrote that the family plans to only temporarily rent the property as a tourist home, and anticipates returning to solely personal use in the future. Somers said four-guest occupancy is recommended for the house, which Alderman and Cloern requested in the application.
Piedmont District Commissioner Sisk, who is also a neighbor of the property, said that he has “never had any issues at all” with the applicants and “doesn’t anticipate any.” He said he fully supports the application.
Alderman and Cloern completely renovated the property, and have been using it as a secondary residence since they purchased it in 2013. Alderman said the house has a lot of history, she has family heirlooms inside, and they “plan to be very discriminating” when renting the property.
“You’re definitely the sort of applicant we want, because you’ll be a good steward and make sure it’s an appropriate use,” Smith said. “It’s such a darling farmhouse.”
Jackson District resident Karen Hunt was the only person to speak during the public hearing on transient lodging amendments.(Photo/Luke Christopher)
Transient lodging
The Planning Commission held a sparsely-attended public hearing — with one speaker — on draft amendments to the county’s transient lodging requirements. The matter was tabled until the commission’s next meeting on March 19 to amend the draft to address:
- Requirements for road conditions for “more intense uses” such as country inns or travel trailer parks, ensuring that there is room for two vehicles to pass each other, and that the roads are state maintained.
- Adding language back into the ordinance about “effective screening” around swimming pools, loading areas, parking lots and other property features. Light said, “Even if we can’t define it well,” having the language there will remind the commission to consider screening in certain uses on a given property. “Having it specifically as a category of conditions would be helpful to me,” he said.
- Reviewing language surrounding the length of time someone can reside in a travel trailer to prevent them from being used as permanent residences, and prevent travel trailer parks from “becoming neighborhoods.” Somers said most localities prohibit use over 30 days.
Another public hearing will be held for comments on the new draft when it is completed.
Comprehensive Plan review
The Planning Commission is gearing up for its review of the county Comprehensive Plan, which is required by Virginia law to be reviewed every five years. Smith said she does not anticipate the process being “nearly as arduous” as the last time the plan was reviewed in 2020, when “thorough” and “exhaustive” revisions were made.
Smith said between April and August, public meetings will be held at fire halls across the county to gather public feedback and address concerns. Smith also suggested having presentations at each meeting on topics like county finances, broadband and emergency services.
Somers said she will draft a schedule for review, and the topic will be discussed further by the commission at its March 19 meeting.
