Commission forwards zoning amendments

The Culpeper County Planning Commission in a 6-2 vote agreed Wednesday night to forward a series of zoning ordinance amendments to the board of supervisors for consideration that would allow cluster divisions in agricultural and rural zoning districts.

Several county residents attended the public hearing and spoke in opposition to the proposal. Planning director, John Egertson, gave a presentation of the ordinance changes and stressed that the cluster divisions were only an option.

“If this were to be adopted tomorrow, you can do the same thing tomorrow that you could today,” said Egertson. Under the current system, Egertson explained that only two lots can be divided from any parcel once every five years.

“As people subdivide, they can eat up lots of land in a hurry,” he said. Agricultural (A-1) lots require a five-acre minimum with 250 feet of state road frontage and rural (RA) lots require a three-acre minimum and 200 feet of road frontage. Behind those, 10-acre lots can be created.

With cluster option, the parcel will be analyzed to determine how many minor division lots could be realized in an 11-year period, which is three cycles with a maximum of 27 lots. “This proposal has no negative impact on land right,” said Egertson.

Under the cluster option, for A-1 land, 70 percent of the parcel must be set aside for one building and the remaining portion can be divided into as small as 1.5-acre lots. For RA land, 65 percent of the parcel must be set aside and rest can be divided into 1.25-acre lots. He said that the large lots would not be allowed to further subdivide.

“I think this is just an option that I think a lot of people will like in the long run,” said Egertson.

Most that spoke during the public hearing opposed the proposal.

“I find the planning commission’s work to be increasingly complex for the average citizen,” said Kurt Christensen, of Richardsville. “In effect, the planning commission is creating a very large minimum lot size.”

Brian Higgins, of the Piedmont Environmental Council, pointed out that if 20 open lots are created on a 100-acre parcel, they could be sold to a developer. “I really think that the county needs to go back and look at it a little bit more closely,” said Higgins. “This becomes a tax burden on Culpeper County.”

Brandy Station farmer, Terry Ingrim, said, “What you’ve got here is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He urged the commission not to be pressured into a decision.

Mulford Realty broker, Gardiner Mulford, said, “The concept of clustering is not a bad concept,” however, if applied to agricultural land, they “might as well do away with agricultural zoning.” He said it opens farmland up to widespread development. “It’s a threat to our rural community. It’s a threat to farming.”

Douglas Darling, a Rixeyville landowner, was one of the few in attendance to voice support for the proposal.

“It’s in my view, very well thought through,” he said. He said it would allow him and his wife to sell portions of their land and help pay for their retirement.

After the public hearing, the commission members spoke.

“If a farmer doesn’t want it to happen, you don’t want to develop, then it’s not going to happen,” said chairman, Sanford Reaves. “This is just an option.”

Laura Rogers agreed. “It is in the end, up to the landowner,” she said. “We are trying to maintain the agricultural value of Culpeper County.”

One of the two members opposed to the proposal, F. Dewayne Payne, said, “Maybe we should just allow this process to continue just a little bit longer.”

In moving to forward the proposal, vice chairman David Lowery said, “I feel that we have done all that we can do.”