The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission held a joint public hearing Monday on changes to the zoning ordinance’s rules for contractors’ yards. Both bodies passed the revisions unanimously after months of discussion on the topic.
The changes aim to create a distinction between small businesses and large contractor operations with more intense use. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the changes in November, and the Board of Supervisors (BOS) hosted two prior public hearings.
County Administrator Garrey Curry said “the bulk of the changes” add additional requirements for a contractor’s office/shop/materials storage yard, including acreage and setback requirements.
Several residents spoke during the hearing with concerns such as increased traffic on unpaved roads, dark skies compliance and requiring contractors to submit a site plan to the county.
“I understand the desire to move this forward, but it’s important, and we want to get it right,” Jackson resident Karen Hunt said. “Maybe this could benefit from additional work here before it’s ready for final consideration.”
Chris Parrish, who lives in the Stonewall-Hawthorne district, said he was concerned that because the county does not collect personal property taxes on equipment, large companies may end up storing equipment in the county if the ordinance is too lenient.
Piedmont Supervisor and Planning Commission Chair Christine Smith addressed the speakers’ concerns, and said the BOS and commission had “negotiated most of those points skillfully.”
“At this point, I’m well satisfied with the language that we crafted,” Smith said. “We started out with a lot of language and gradually whittled it down to be very concise … we want it to be user-friendly.”
