[A. Call to Order (6:00 pm)]
[00:00:04]
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO DECEMBER 2ND WORK SESSION.
THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. I'M PRETTY SURE YOU ALL COULD HEAR ME.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO DECEMBER 2ND WORK SESSION.
I CALL THE ROLL. MR. WEBB. HERE. MR. BROWN. HERE.
MR. COX. HERE. MR. PUGH. HERE. MRS. WOMACK. HERE.
ALL RIGHT. MISS WOMACK IS GOING TO DO THE INVOCATION.
[B. Business Meeting]
FLOYD IS GOING TO DO THE PLEDGE. MOST GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR OUR MANY BLESSINGS. WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING HERE TONIGHT TO WORK ON MATTERS THAT WERE ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COUNTY. AND DEAR LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE MANY DAYS OF WARM WEATHER THAT WE HAVE HAD, AND WE ASK THAT YOU NOT FORGET US AND GIVE US A LITTLE WARMTH IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT USED TO THIS, BUT WE WILL PERSEVERE. DEAR LORD, WE THANK YOU.IN YOUR HOLY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU ALL. RIGHT. NEXT. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA? SO MOVED, MR. CHAIRMAN.
SECOND. MISS. NOW CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE. MR. BROWN.
YES. MR. COX? YES. MR. PUGH. YES. MRS. WAYMACK.
YES. MR. WEBB? YES. ALL RIGHT. THE ONE AND ONLY THING WE HAVE IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
[C. Work Session]
AN UPDATE? MR. BOB WALDMAN, YOU'RE GOING TO PRESENT.OH, YOU'RE GOING TO SEND HIM UP. OKAY. WE'RE JUST WE'RE JUST KEEPING YOU GUESSING.
NO. OKAY. I WILL KEEP YOU ON YOUR TOES. YEAH.
OKAY. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE BERKELEY GROUP. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR.
GREAT. THANK YOU, TOM. AND THANK YOU, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE REDFERN. I KNOW WE'VE MET BEFORE, BUT IT'S BEEN SOME TIME.
I'M JOINED BY BENJAMIN TRIPP, WHO IS ALSO A PLANNER ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR THE COUNTY.
TONIGHT'S MEETING IS THE FIRST MEETING THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH YOU ALL SINCE LATE SPRING OF THIS YEAR.
WE'VE DONE A LOT SINCE THEN, BUT OF COURSE THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT IS YET TO BE DONE.
SO YOUR TIME AND INPUT INTO THIS PROCESS IS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME. SO THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT IS TO REVIEW THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UPDATE SCHEDULE AND PROGRESS WHERE WE ARE TO DATE.
I'LL THEN TURN IT OVER TO BENJAMIN, WHO WILL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD THROUGH THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE SAW THROUGH DATA ANALYSIS, WHICH HAD FORMED THE BACKBONE OF THE KEY PLANNING THEMES THAT WE'RE USING TO DIRECT THE PLANNING OR THE DRAFTING OF THE PLANNING DOCUMENT.
WE'LL THEN TURN IT BACK TO STAFF FOR COMMENTS.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'LL BE OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION ALONG THE WAY.
OKAY. SO WHERE ARE WE IN THE PROCESS? WE ARE HERE.
WE ARE IN THE SECOND PHASE OF THE UPDATE PROCESS, THE PLAN DRAFTING PHASE.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE KICKED OFF THE PROJECT WITH A JOINT KICKOFF WITH YOU AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, AND IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER FOLLOWING THAT, WE COMPLETED PHASE ONE, WHICH IS THE INPUT AND DATA GATHERING PHASE OF THE UPDATE PROCESS.
THAT PHASE INCLUDED BOTH DATA ANALYSIS. SO LOOKING AT DEMOGRAPHIC AND GROWTH PROJECTIONS FOR THE COUNTY, IT INCLUDED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DIAGNOSTIC OF YOUR CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AS WELL AS A DIAGNOSTIC OF YOUR CURRENT ZONING AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCES. THE BACKBONE OF THAT PHASE IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PORTION, WHICH YOU SEE LISTED ON THE SCREEN.
AND THAT WAS A ONLINE PUBLIC SURVEY, SIX PUBLIC WORKSHOPS AND A SERIES OF FOCUS GROUPS.
THE DATA COLLECTED AND THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME THROUGH THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT REALLY INFORM PLAN DRAFTING, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
[00:05:01]
SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING CHAPTERS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.CHAPTERS ARE DRAFTED FIRST BY THE BERKELEY GROUP.
AND OF COURSE, YOUR INPUT THROUGH TWO CHECK IN MEETINGS IS ALSO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO REVIEWING THE THEMES AND THE CONTENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND WE'RE DRAFTING THE BEST POSSIBLE DOCUMENT FOR THE COUNTY.
ONCE WE'VE COMPLETED DRAFTING, WE WILL COMPILE THE DOCUMENT AND PRESENT IT FOR REVIEW TO VDOT AND DEQ, AS WELL AS BRING IT BACK TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH A SERIES OF OPEN HOUSES WHERE THEY'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENT, MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTENT OF THE DOCUMENT IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT WE HEARD THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT LAST PHASE OF THE PROCESS, THE PROCESS IS THE LAND USE TOOLS DIAGNOSTIC, WHERE WE WILL LOOK AGAIN AT YOUR ZONING AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCES AND COMPARE THEM AGAINST THE STRATEGIES AND POLICIES INCLUDED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO SEE WHERE ELSE YOUR ORDINANCES MIGHT BE UPDATED TO BETTER REFLECT AND COORDINATE WITH THE PLAN ITSELF.
SO HOW IS THE PLAN ORGANIZED? WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN THAT WE'VE BEEN DRAFTING OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS? SO THE PLAN OUTLINE THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN.
IT INCLUDES NINE CHAPTERS. THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ARE REALLY INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS THAT DESCRIBE THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE PLAN WAS DEVELOPED, AND THEN OUTLINE THE VISION AND KEY PLANNING THEMES.
DIRECTING PLAN. CONTENT. THERE ARE SIX POLICY CHAPTERS INCLUDED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THESE ARE CONSIDERED THE COMMUNITY ASSETS, THE ASSETS FOR THE COUNTY.
YOUR ECONOMIC DRIVER CHAPTERS ADDRESS TOPICS LIKE TRANSPORTATION AND CONNECTIVITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN YOUR STRATEGIC GROWTH FRAMEWORK ADDRESSES TOPICS LIKE LAND USE, HOUSING, AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
CHAPTER NINE IS THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. AND THIS IS REALLY THE WORK PLAN.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B? SO WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THE STRATEGIES INCLUDED IN CHAPTERS THREE THROUGH EIGHT.
WE'LL PUT THEM TOGETHER IN A MATRIX. IT WILL INCLUDE TIME FRAME.
IT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE PARTY OR PARTIES AND THEN RESOURCES REALLY ACTING AS A WORK PLAN TO HELP YOU MAKE DECISIONS TO MARK PROGRESS TOWARDS THE VISION OF PRINCE GEORGE 2045. SO WHICH OF THOSE CHAPTERS HAVE WE DRAFTED AND WHAT DO WE STILL HAVE TO DO? WE HAVE DRAFTED THREE OF THE NINE CHAPTERS CHAPTERS ONE, THREE, AND FOUR.
THOSE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKSHOPPED WITH PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF IS IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING CHAPTERS FIVE AND SIX, WHICH WILL BE WORKSHOPPED WITH PLANNING COMMISSION IN JANUARY.
IN MARCH, WE WILL BE PRESENTING CHAPTER SEVEN AND A PORTION OF CHAPTER EIGHT.
CHAPTER SEVEN IS HOUSING. CHAPTER EIGHT IS THE LAND USE CHAPTER.
AND IN MARCH WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS PORTION OF THAT CHAPTER.
IN MAY, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE LAND USE FRAMEWORK OF THE LAND USE CHAPTER.
WE'LL THEN MEET AGAIN WITH YOU ALL TO REVIEW THE CHAPTERS TO DATE, AND THEN MEET ONCE MORE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND THE DRAFT IN ITS ENTIRETY BEFORE BRINGING THE PLAN BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
NO. OKAY. SO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. LET'S LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AT WHAT WE CONDUCTED THROUGH THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF THIS YEAR. AS YOU ALL KNOW, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS THE BACKBONE OF ANY GOOD PLANNING PROCESS.
THE FIRST IS TO EDUCATE AND INFORM. SO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT WHY THE COMP PLAN IS IMPORTANT, WHY THEY NEED TO BE INVOLVED AND HOW THEY CAN BE INVOLVED TO LISTEN AND CONSULT, TO HEAR THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND THEIR FEEDBACK.
AND THEN FINALLY TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK OR EDITS ON THE PLAN DOCUMENT ITSELF.
WE HAD ONE SURVEY, SIX WORKSHOPS AND FIVE FOCUS GROUPS, AND UNDER OVER 400 PARTICIPANTS FROM THE COMMUNITY, GIVING US THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THE PLANNING NEEDS AND THE VALUES FOR PRINCE GEORGE.
[00:10:01]
SO HOW DID WE GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THESE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES? A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS. WE PRODUCED PRINT FLIERS AND GUIDES THAT WERE PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, BOTH IN PERSON AND THEN ALSO VIRTUALLY THROUGH THE COUNTY WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA.THERE WERE NEWSPAPER ADS AND PRESS RELEASES THAT WERE DRAFTED AND SENT TO LOCAL AND REGIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS, AND THEN GOOD OLD WORD OF MOUTH. THE SURVEY. SO WE HAD 282 RESPONDENTS TO THE SURVEY. THE SURVEY WAS OPEN FROM APRIL THROUGH JUNE OF THIS YEAR, AND IT REALLY GAVE US A FOUNDATION FOR UNDERSTANDING PLANNING PRIORITIES FROM THE COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE. IT ASKED A VARIETY OF QUESTIONS ON SOME BROAD PLANNING TOPICS AND HELPED US PRIORITIZE NEEDS RELATED TO THINGS SUCH AS FIRE AND EMS SERVICE, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, AND TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.
PARKS AND RECREATION, JUST TO NAME A FEW. THE SURVEY WAS AVAILABLE TO ANY STAKEHOLDER WHO WISHED TO TAKE THE SURVEY, WHETHER THEY LIVE HERE, WHETHER THEY WORK HERE, WHETHER THEY'RE A NEIGHBOR OF THE COUNTY. BUT 92% OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS LIVE HERE IN THE COUNTY. SO IT'S A REALLY GREAT REPRESENTATION OF THE PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN PRINCE GEORGE.
OOPS. TOO FAR. SO THE FOCUS GROUPS, IF THE SURVEY GAVE US A BROAD UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, THE FOCUS GROUPS GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DIG INTO SOME TECHNICAL INFORMATION RELATED TO A VARIETY OF PLANNING TOPICS.
WE LIKE TO CONDUCT FOCUS GROUPS BECAUSE IT BRINGS PEOPLE AROUND A TABLE WHO ARE INDUSTRY EXPERTS OR REPRESENTATIVES, AND ALLOWS US TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE ON THESE TOPICS.
THE FIVE FOCUS GROUPS THAT WE HELD, YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, AND YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THAT THEY ROUGHLY PARALLEL THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ITSELF. BETWEEN THESE FIVE FOCUS GROUPS, WE SPOKE TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM OVER 25 ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 75 PLUS PARTICIPANTS.
PUBLIC WORKSHOPS. WE HAD SIX WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AND THESE WORKSHOPS WERE IN-PERSON EVENTS WHERE WE INVITED ANYONE WHO WANTED TO ATTEND TO COME TO A WORKSHOP AND ROLL THEIR SLEEVES UP AND GET TO WORK.
WE HAD PEOPLE WORKING IN LARGE GROUPS AND SMALL GROUPS, ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN THE COUNTY IN GENERAL, AND THEN HAD THEM BREAK OUT INTO SMALL GROUPS AND TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO SPECIFIC TOPICS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY FACILITIES, SERVICES, AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT.
THE WORKSHOPS ARE GREAT BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE, PEOPLE GOT AROUND TABLES WITH MAPS THEY DREW ON THE MAPS, WHICH GAVE US THIS REALLY GREAT SPATIAL UNDERSTANDING OF FROM THE COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE, WHERE THE COUNTY NEEDS TO INVEST AND FOCUS THEIR PLANNING EFFORTS.
WE HAD OVER 70 PARTICIPANTS AT THESE WORKSHOPS.
WHICH BRINGS US TO KEY PLANNING THEMES. AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO BENJAMIN.
HE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY WE HEARD THROUGH ALL THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT WE SAW THROUGH DATA, AND HOW WE'RE USING THAT TO DRAFT CHAPTERS GOING FORWARD.
THANK YOU. CATHERINE. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING. IT'S NICE TO BE BACK WITH YOU ALL AGAIN.
AS CATHERINE SAID, MY NAME IS BENJAMIN TRIP. I'M WITH THE BERKELEY GROUP, OBVIOUSLY.
THOSE THEMES ARE, FIRST OF ALL, DATA RELATED IN THE FIRST FEW SLIDES AND THEN SOME, BASICALLY FROM FEEDBACK, WHAT WE HEARD FROM PEOPLE, AND THEN WE KIND OF TIE IT ALL TOGETHER THERE AT THE END.
BUT THE FIRST SLIDE, AND I'LL ALSO WALK YOU THROUGH THIS AND POINT OUT A FEW INTERESTING THINGS.
I'M A FACTOIDS PERSON, AS SOME FOLKS WILL TELL YOU.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OR THAT ONE AND IT IT HELPS YOU TELL A STORY.
AND THIS IS PART OF YOUR STORY. SO THE FIRST SLIDE WE HAVE HERE IS ABOUT POPULATION, BOTH HOW IT BREAKS DOWN AND HOW THE COUNTY IS GROWING. AND THERE'S SOME COMPARISONS THERE TO SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AS WELL.
ON THE LEFT YOU HAVE WHAT ESSENTIALLY AMOUNTS TO COUNTY POPULATION BY TYPE.
THAT BREAKS OUT FORT GREG ADAMS AS WELL AS THE JAIL POPULATIONS THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE FORT UP THERE AT 9874. AND THEN THE OTHER JAIL POPULATIONS, WHICH ARE BROKEN OUT THERE BELOW, AND THEN ABOUT 30,000 AND CHANGE. ARE OTHER COUNTY RESIDENTS FOR YOUR TOTAL POPULATION.
IF YOU MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE PROJECTIONS THERE AT THE TOP.
[00:15:02]
YOUR CURRENT TOTAL POPULATION IS 43,717. THAT'S EXPECTED TO GROW TO 49,574 BY 2030, 53,751 BY 2040 AND 58 733 BY 2050. AND THAT'S EXTRAPOLATING, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT PATTERNS THAT YOU'RE SEEING.THE REALLY INTERESTING THING HERE THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT TO YOU, THOUGH, IS THAT MAP, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, THE COUNTIES THAT ARE SORT OF THAT GREEN COLOR AND THE LOCALITIES, I'M SORRY THAT THAT GREEN COLOR ARE GROWING AND YOU CAN SEE THE UP CHEVRONS, RIGHT. AND YOU SEE UNDERNEATH IT SAYS CHANGE.
THAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF CHANGE THE POPULATION I BELIEVE THAT IS THE 20.
YEAH. THAT'S BETWEEN THE 2010 AND THE 2020 DECENNIAL CENSUS.
SO YOU CAN SEE CHESTERFIELD THERE 15.2 HOPEWELL PETERSBURG ALL GREW.
AND OF COURSE PRINCE GEORGE GREW SUBSTANTIALLY ABOUT 20%.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AROUND YOU AT SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTIES DINWIDDIE, SUSSEX, SURREY, CHARLES CITY, THOSE ALL LOST POPULATION. AND THAT'S A COMMON THEME AMONG RURAL COUNTIES IN VIRGINIA THESE DAYS IS DECLINING POPULATION.
THE FACT THAT PRINCE GEORGE IS EXPERIENCING A POPULATION INCREASE TELLS US THAT YOU ARE SEEING SOME OF THOSE SUBURBANIZATION EFFECTS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE CITIES AROUND YOU IN GROWTH FROM THE NORTH.
A LOT OF THAT PROBABLY HAS TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION.
SO THIS NEXT SLIDE IS POPULATION CHANGE BY CENSUS BLOCK.
SO HERE YOU HAVE THE WHOLE COUNTY BROKEN DOWN INTO THESE BLOCKS THAT ARE THESE AREAS THAT ARE DESIGNATED BY THE CENSUS AND THE ONES THAT ARE BLUE. AND THE R I'M SORRY. YES, ARE INCREASING AND THE ONES THAT ARE RED ARE DECREASING.
THE MORE BLUE, THE MORE IT'S GROWING, THE MORE RED, THE MORE THE POPULATION IS DECREASING.
AND YOU NOTICE UP THERE NEXT TO HOPEWELL, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT THAT'S VERY RED.
THAT CENSUS TRACT CHANGED. THEY MOVED THE BOUNDARIES OF IT THERE.
SO THAT DATA IS NOT MAYBE QUITE AS FIRM AS THE REST OF IT.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE FORT GREG ADAMS OUTLINED IN THAT TEAL COLOR THERE BETWEEN HOPEWELL AND PETERSBURG, JUST TO THE LEFT OF WHERE I WAS POINTING OUT.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL TAKEAWAY FROM THIS IS THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH IN THAT SORT OF NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE COUNTY, BUT YOU'RE ALSO SEEING GROWTH FURTHER OUT TO OUT PAST TEMPLETON DISPUTANTA, EVEN INTO SOME OF THE MORE FAR FLUNG AREAS.
A LOT OF THAT COINCIDES WITH THE TRANSPORTATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN SEE THE INTERSTATE, RIGHT.
AND IT'LL IT'LL MAKE A LITTLE MORE SENSE WHEN WE GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT THAT INFLUENCES THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS BECAUSE IT'S SOME OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY COMMUTING.
AND HERE ON THIS PAGE WE HAVE THE COMMUTING PATTERNS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE BIG ARROWS THAT ARE GRAY, THAT'S OUT COMMUTING PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTY AND GO TO WORK SOMEPLACE ELSE. THE RED ONES ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND COME INTO THE COUNTY FOR WORK.
AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF YOUR NEIGHBORS. HOW THAT COMMUTING PATTERN BREAKS DOWN.
SO YOU SEE THE ARROW THAT GOES UP TO THE CITY OF RICHMOND.
THERE'S 1130 RESIDENTS FROM THE COUNTY WHO GO TO WORK THERE.
THERE'S OTHERS THAT GO TO CHESTERFIELD, TO HENRICO AND SO ON.
THEY BOTH LIVE IN THE COUNTY AND WORK IN THE COUNTY.
WE'RE ABOUT 2000. THE NUMBER OF IN COMMUTERS, 8000 AND CHANGE COME INTO THE COUNTY EVERY DAY.
BUT MORE THAN THAT, LEAVE TO GO WORK SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO YOU HAVE A NET IN MY SORRY, A NET IN COMMUTER.
THAT'S NEGATIVE. SO THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE LEAVING THE COUNTY TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TO WORK.
[00:20:06]
THE ONES IN THE UPPER RIGHT SUMMARIZE INTO THE THEME, BUILD ON COMMUNITY ASSETS AND THE ONES BELOW THAT.ON LEVERAGING THE COUNTY'S ECONOMIC DRIVERS. SO ONES THAT PROMOTE STRATEGIC GROWTH.
THESE ARE THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HEARD SUMMARIZED, PRESERVE THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THE COUNTY WHILE PROVIDING FOR GROWTH IN APPROPRIATE AREAS. AND WE HEARD THAT THEME TIME AND TIME AGAIN IMPROVE WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC INVESTMENT AND SUPPORT STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT, USING THOSE UTILITIES AS A WAY TO STRATEGICALLY PLAN AND ALLOW FOR GROWTH.
THAT WOULD HELP CREATE AN IDENTITY. COMMUNITY COHESION, OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM AND ALSO PROVIDE WALKABLE IS PROVIDE HOUSING AND OTHER SERVICES IN A KIND OF WALKABLE SETTING. YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU CAN WALK TO A COFFEE SHOP, YOU CAN WALK TO A RESTAURANT, YOU CAN LIVE NEARBY, THAT SORT OF THING. AND THEN ADDITIONAL HOUSING BEING NEEDED OF ALL TYPES AND THE WHOLE VARIETY, FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO FORMS OF MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS THAT WE HEARD DURING ENGAGEMENT IN TERMS OF BUILDING ON COMMUNITY ASSETS, INVESTMENTS NEEDED IN SCHOOLS, FIRE AND EMS TO MEET THE CURRENT AND THE PROJECTED DEMANDS.
NATURAL AREAS ALONG THE JAMES AND THE APPOMATTOX NEED TO BE PROTECTED, AND IN PARTICULAR, WE HEARD THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO THOSE BEYOND WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
AND THEN PEOPLE TOLD US ABOUT CREATING NEW AND EXPANDED TRAILS, ADDITIONAL RECREATION NETWORKS, BOTH FOR TOURISM AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THE COUNTY TO SHOWCASE YOUR ASSETS, OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY, BUT ALSO FOR RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE IN TERMS OF LEVERAGING ECONOMIC DRIVERS, USE THE COUNTY'S LOCATION, ACCESS TO MAJOR TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS AS A KEY ASSET, AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE COUNTY. THOSE ARE MAJOR ASSETS TO INVEST IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION, HELPING PEOPLE GET THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED, HELPING EMPLOYERS FIND THAT LABOR FORCE HERE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
ATTRACTING AND SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES TO BRING ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
WE HEARD ABOUT GROCERY STORES, RESTAURANTS, MEDICAL SERVICES.
THOSE ARE ALL DESIRED. AND THEN ADDRESSING SOME TRAFFIC VEHICULAR FLOW SAFETY CONCERNS AT A FEW KEY INTERSECTIONS, PARTICULARLY ALONG 460. SO THIS MAP AND I'LL I'LL PAUSE AFTER I KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH IT TO LET YOU CHEW ON IT FOR A MOMENT.
THIS MAP SORT OF TIES A LOT OF THAT TOGETHER.
THIS MAP IS A SUMMARY OF THE MAPS THAT RESIDENTS MAY OR PARTICIPANTS ANYWAY MADE DURING THE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS. AND IF YOU REMEMBER BACK A FEW SLIDES AGO, WHEN YOU SAW THAT, YOU SAW EVERYONE LEANING AROUND MAPS, DRAWING, WRITING, COLORING, THAT SORT OF THING.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THAT INFORMATION. SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE COUNTY.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE IN THE LEGEND THERE THERE'S A SERIES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT, DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, STREAMS, RIVERS, THAT SORT OF THING. IF YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT OF THE LEGEND, YOU SEE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACE. AND THESE ARE THE WAY THE PARTICIPANTS DESIGNATED THOSE AREAS.
SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT GREEN AREA THERE IN THAT BIG SWATH, KIND OF ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE COUNTY.
RESIDENTS FELT LIKE MOST OF THAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED FOR OPEN SPACE, RECREATION OR AGRICULTURE.
THE RED STRIPES ARE SORT OF OBLONG CIRCLES. YOU CAN SEE DOWN 95 TO TEMPLETON.
YOU CAN SEE IT ALONG 460 THROUGH DISPUTANTA. YOU CAN SEE IT NEAR US.
AND THEN UP THERE GOING TOWARDS JORDAN POINT.
A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM, PARTICULARLY ON FOR 60 AND WITH TEMPLETON, WITH THE EXIT THERE FOR THE INTERSTATE. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE AREAS THAT THEY ALSO FELT LIKE WOULD BE GOOD FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THOSE TENDED TO CONCENTRATE IN THAT NORTHWEST SECTOR OF THE COUNTY.
SO ONE OF THE KEY THEMES HERE IS DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA AND PRESERVATION OF LAND AS YOU MOVE OUT
[00:25:07]
AWAY FROM IT TO THE EAST AND TO THE SOUTH, YOU CAN SEE A DASHED LINE THERE AND THAT DASHED LINE. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED THEM WAS TO DRAW THE PLANNING AREA VERSUS THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA.AND THEN AS YOU FOLLOW IT UP TOWARDS 460, THEY PULLED IT BACK.
SO IT GETS A LITTLE CLOSER, YOU KNOW, TO THE, TO THE, TO THE WEST IN THOSE AREAS.
AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF IN BETWEEN THERE TOO.
RIGHT. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TRANSITION. SO YOU CAN ALSO SEE OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT.
WELL, BEFORE I GET TO THAT, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IN THE COMMERCIAL AREAS THAT THEY TALKED A LOT ABOUT SMALLER SIZED COMMERCIAL THINGS THAT WERE APPROPRIATE FOR THE COUNTY. IT WAS SORT OF APPROPRIATE FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT AND THE KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT YOU WANTED TO HAVE.
NOT ALWAYS BIG BOX TYPE THINGS OVER ON THE RIGHT.
WE HAVE A LIST OF RESPONSES THAT WE PULLED FROM THE SURVEY ITSELF.
THESE ARE ACTUAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS. JUST TO KIND OF HELP YOU SEE WHERE SOME OF THIS CAME FROM, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE, SORRY, WALKABLE SERVICES AREAS, INCLUDING PARKS, RESTAURANTS AND BOUTIQUES, THAT SORT OF GOES BACK TO THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DOWNTOWN ISH SORT OF AREA.
REMAIN AS RURAL AS POSSIBLE WITH A WEALTH OF HEALTHY NATURAL RESOURCES.
RESPONDENTS. REALLY VALUE THAT ABOUT THE COUNTY.
IT IS REALLY PART OF YOUR IDENTITY. AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS MAP HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, THE AREAS THAT THEY FELT SHOULD STAY THAT WAY IN THE GENERAL IDEA THAT THEY SUGGESTED OF PULLING BACK THE PLANNING AREA, BOUNDARY INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER SEWER NEEDS TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR BUSINESS GROWTH.
THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL GROWTH.
BUT WITHOUT WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE, IT CAN'T HAPPEN.
SO WATER AND SEWER AND WHERE YOU PUT IT CAN BE USED VERY STRATEGICALLY TO HELP EITHER CREATE OR CONTROL GROWTH AND THEN MAINTAIN THE CURRENT RURAL COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS.
AGAIN, THEME WE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
SO I'LL PAUSE HERE AND JUST SEE IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OR OR IF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR, OR JUST COMMENTS ABOUT THIS MAP OR ANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR.
ANYBODY GOT ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST I SEE THAT YOU KIND OF CHOSE OFFSETTING BULLETS THERE WITH PRIORITIZE WALKABLE, WALKABLE SERVICE AREAS, INCLUDING PARKS, RESTAURANTS, BOUTIQUES AND REMAIN AS RURAL AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE WANT INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER AND SEWER TO MEET DEMANDS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH.
BUT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR RURAL COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS. THAT'S CORRECT. YES.
YES. AND THAT AND THERE IS SOME OF THAT RIGHT THERE.
THERE IS THIS STAY RULE, BUT ALSO DEVELOP WISELY.
AND I THINK THAT THE KEY BEHIND THAT RECONCILES THOSE TWO THINGS IS WHERE AND HOW, YOU KNOW, AND WE HEARD BOTH OF THEM. AND I THINK THAT YOU PROBABLY CAN DO BOTH IF YOU DO IT RIGHT.
RIGHT. YEAH. THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU. ANYTHING? NO, SIR. NOT AT THIS TIME. NO, SIR. WE'RE GOOD.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, AT THIS POINT, I WILL HAND THE PRESENTATION BACK OVER TO STAFF.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU SIR.
THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.
EVENING. I AM HERE TO PRESENT. ASHLEY. I'M REALLY HERE.
MORE TO TRY TO ENGAGE THE BOARD IN SOME SOME DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS.
AS YOU HEARD FROM CATHERINE AND FROM BENJAMIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD A LOT FROM THE PUBLIC.
[00:30:06]
SUPERVISORS AND THAT ULTIMATELY, ONCE THE PLAN IS ADOPTED, WILL BECOME THE FRAMEWORK WHERE THE ZONING AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCES AND AND OTHER COUNTY ORDINANCES MAY BE AMENDED AS IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS FOR THE PLAN.SO YOU'RE KIND OF GETTING TO THAT POINT. AND WHERE WE ARE NOW WITH THE WITH THE SCHEDULE IS CATHERINE WAS DESCRIBING REALLY REACHING A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO START GIVING THE BERKELEY GROUP SOME GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT NEEDS TO GO INTO SOME OF THESE FUTURE LAND USE PLANNING SESSIONS AS WE GET TO THOSE.
SO I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THESE FROM SOME STAFF COMMENTS.
SAME THING FROM WHAT WE HEARD DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS, FROM WHAT WE'VE READ DURING THE INFORMATION FROM THE BERKELEY GROUP AND OBVIOUSLY FROM OUR REGULAR DAILY EXPERIENCES WITH WHAT WE SEE GOING ON IN THE COUNTY.
SO WE'LL. START OFF HERE. AND REALLY, THIS IS, I THINK, THE THEME THAT WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC AND THE PLANNING TO PRESERVE RURAL CHARACTER SEEMS TO BE THE, THE GOAL HERE TRYING TO CREATE A BALANCE IN THE COUNTY THAT, THAT ACTUALLY MANAGES TO PRESERVE THAT RURAL CHARACTER.
AND SO THE QUESTION THAT WE'LL JUST POSE TO THE BOARD AND WE'LL GET INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IS, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THE BOARD DIRECT GROWTH WHERE IT'S DESIRED WHILE PRESERVING RURAL CHARACTER? SO WHAT? WHAT SHOULD BE THE POLICIES AND WHAT SHOULD BE THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK USED TO MAKE THAT KIND OF THING HAPPEN? AND IT'S NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER. WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME SUGGESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG HERE. SOME THOUGHTS WE HAD.
SEEING THIS MAP BEFORE, I THINK THIS KIND OF TELLS A LOT ABOUT OUR CURRENT SITUATION.
THIS IS FIVE YEARS WORTH OF RESIDENTIAL GROWTH IN THE COUNTY, PRETTY MUCH 5050 BETWEEN THE RURAL AREA AND THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA. AND I WOULD SAY IF YOU'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE RURAL ME, MY PERSONAL OPINION OF TRYING TO PRESERVE RURAL AREAS, THIS IS NOT AN IDEAL SITUATION WHERE YOUR DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS SO EASILY, SO EVENLY SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT THAT THAT'S THE TREND YOU'VE CLEARLY HAD AT LEAST 30 YEARS WHERE THE COUNTY'S BEEN IN A HIGH GROWTH MODE.
AND THE BALANCE THAT THE COUNTY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT.
SO HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CURRENT PLAN.
THE HIGH COST. AND SO YOU GET IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS CAN'T AFFORD OR DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO TO EXTEND THE UTILITIES TO WHATEVER IS EVEN WITHIN THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAD A DIFFERENT SITUATION THERE. WE HAVE PEOPLE DEVELOPING AN INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW SEPTIC TANK AND. WELL, AND SO A LOT OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE REQUIREMENT AND SOME OF THE COSTS THAT GO ALONG WITH YOU KNOW, PUBLIC UTILITIES IS, IS NOT THERE. SO IT, IT LESSENS THEIR COSTS.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY BE SEEING HERE IS WHAT I REFER TO AS INCENTIVIZING GROWTH IN THE RURAL AREAS BY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE COST TO DEVELOP IN THE RURAL AREAS IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT IS IN THE PLANNING AREA, AND THAT TENDS TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO GO TO WHERE THE COSTS ARE LOWER.
AT LEAST THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD TAKE. YOU ALSO HAVE A SITUATION WITH LOT SIZES, OBVIOUSLY.
INSIDE THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA, YOU HAVE QUITE A VARIETY, INCLUDING SOME SMALLER LOTS WHERE YOU GET TO THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA OR YOU'RE BASICALLY LOOKING FOR THE MOST PART AT FIVE ACRE LOTS AND ABOVE. SO MUCH LARGER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE IN THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA, YOU'VE GOT A REQUIREMENT TO BE ON A, A PUBLICLY MAINTAINED OR VDOT MAINTAINED ROAD WITH, WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
AND THE WE SEE OVER IN THE RA AND A1 ZONING, WE END UP WITH PRIVATE ROAD ALLOWANCES.
SO BACK WHEN YOU'RE GENERALLY IN THE RURAL AREAS, YOU START TO MOVE TO PRIVATE ROAD STANDARDS.
THE ALLOWANCE FOR A PRIVATE ROAD IS, IS THREE LOTS THAT COME OFF THAT PRIVATE PRIVATE ROAD.
[00:35:01]
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME, SOME REGULATIONS ON SHARED ENTRANCES.AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT WE THINK IS WHAT YOU HAVE IS YOUR RESULTING DEVELOPMENT PATTERN.
YOU'RE SEEING QUITE A LOT OF FIVE ACRE LOTS IN THE RURAL AREA BEING SUBDIVIDED AND BUILT ON, OBVIOUSLY. AND I THINK WHEN YOU GET TO THE WHERE REQUIRING CONNECTION TO PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER, THE EXTENSION LENGTH IS MUCH SHORTER. YOU KNOW WHAT THE DEVELOPERS ARE MORE WILLING TO DO MORE LIKE 1000 1000FT OR THEREABOUTS, SO THAT YOU END UP WITH A LOT OF THE AREA THAT'S BEYOND WHAT THE DEVELOPERS ARE REALLY LOOKING.
SO WHAT THAT LEAVES YOU WITH SOMEWHAT OF A, OF A ZONE WITHIN YOUR PLANNING AREA IN WHICH THE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT REALLY OCCURRING SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE COST OF GETTING UTILITIES THERE.
SO AGAIN, WE GO BACK TO THIS, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THERE SO MUCH RESIDENTIAL GROWTH IN RURAL CONSERVATION AREA? AND AGAIN, AS I SAID, I THINK THE CURRENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK INCENTIVIZES IT, QUITE FRANKLY.
THE RULES FOR UTILITIES, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S AGAIN, LESS EXPENSIVE IN THE RURAL AREA.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE IN THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA ABOUT AVAILABILITY AND DEVELOPERS FEELING CONFIDENT THAT THE WATER IS GOING TO BE THERE IF THEY WANT TO DEVELOP THEIR PROJECT WHEN THEY GET THERE, THAT'S A CONVERSATION, WHETHER IT'S REAL OR IMAGINED, THAT'S A FACTOR OUT THERE. AND QUITE SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASIER AND IT'S CHEAPER IN MOST CASES TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, FIVE ACRE LOTS AND DO A FEW FIVE ACRE LOTS AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PLACE THAN IT IS TO DO, YOU KNOW, A LARGER SUBDIVISION, ESPECIALLY IN CASES WHICH WE'VE SEEN WHERE THERE'S, SAY, A REZONING INVOLVED OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO AND THEN THE LAST THING AGAIN, WHICH COUNTY ATTORNEY SO WISELY POINTED OUT THERE, THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF THE PRIVATE ROADS, AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THE BOARD FOR A LONG TIME. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO REALLY NEED TO GET SOME POLICY GUIDANCE ON WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD WANTS TO MAKE A CHANGE TO WHAT YOU HAVE NOW IN THAT RURAL AREA.
OR PERHAPS YOU MIGHT WANT TO MAKE A MORE BOLD CHANGE ON THAT WHICH WE'LL TALK TO IN A IN A MOMENT.
SO AS WE LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES TO HAVING THIS MUCH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE RURAL AREA? I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE QUESTION. IS THERE A DOWNSIDE TO IT? AND BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE RURAL AREA, WE'RE SEEING RIGHT OFF THE BAT, YOU'VE GOT A LOSS OF OPEN SPACE, OBVIOUSLY LOSING IT IN FIVE ACRE LOTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
YOU ALSO IN THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU DO HAVE, SAY, FARM OPERATIONS, YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT BETWEEN RESIDENTS MOVING OUT WHERE THERE'S FARM OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY NEW RESIDENTS MOVING INTO PLACES WHERE THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXPECTING IT.
I THINK YOU GET LESS DEVELOPMENT THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT GET IN THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA BECAUSE, AGAIN, THE DEVELOPERS ARE MOVING TO WHERE THERE'S LESS RESTRICTION IN THAT RURAL AREA.
IT'S EASIER TO DEVELOP OVER THERE. QUESTION YOU GET INTO IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE CONSIDER WHAT'S GOING ON? AND WE SHOWED YOU THAT DEVELOPMENT PATTERN WITH MORE OF THESE STRUCTURES AND MORE DEVELOPMENT ON THIS LAND THAT'S INTENDED TO BE RURAL? IS THAT IN KEEPING WITH THE GOAL OF PRESERVING RURAL CHARACTER? AND I'M NOT DEFINING WHAT THAT IS.
I'M JUST POINTING OUT THAT THAT'S THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN THAT'S GOING ON. AND AND FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT'S THE THAT'S RURAL, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED RURAL TO HAVE THE FIVE ACRE LOTS. BUT I MENTIONED THERE JUST A CONCERN WHEN YOU'RE GETTING SUCH A LARGE VOLUME OF THOSE FIVE ACRE LOTS.
OBVIOUSLY THE MORE LOTS YOU GET, YOU ALSO GET MORE TRAFFIC ON THOSE RURAL ROADS.
AND THEN IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, HIGHER COST AND LESS EFFICIENT.
I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE THE MORE SPRAWLED OUT YOU GET, MORE SPREAD OUT YOU GET, THE LESS EFFICIENT IT IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES.
AND SO THE BOTTOM LINE ON THAT IS DO YOU BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU CONCUR? AND I'M NOT EVEN ASKING YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTION NECESSARILY TONIGHT, BUT IS THIS, IN FACT A LOSS OF RURAL CHARACTER WHEN THESE THINGS ARE GOING ON? DO YOU CONSIDER THIS PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE LOSING RURAL CHARACTER BY HAVING THIS DEVELOPMENT PATTERN OR NOT? BECAUSE THAT'S WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO ADDRESS. AND IF YOU DON'T THINK IT IS, THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN KIND OF STAY THE COURSE.
[00:40:07]
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY COMMENTS ON THAT. I GUESS MY, MY.BUT I ALSO THINK ABOUT I'M THINKING BACK IN THE DAY WHEN MY DAD WAS HERE, A LOT OF PEOPLE BACK IN THE DAY BOUGHT LAND, AND THEY HUNG ON TO IT FOR THE FUTURE OF THEIR FAMILY, TRYING TO KEEP THE FAMILY IN A LITTLE AREA.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT TIES INTO THE PRIVATE ROADS.
THAT TIES INTO THE ADDITIONAL BUILDING IN, IN THE RURAL AREAS.
SO, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND TRYING TO KEEP THE RURAL AREA RURAL, BUT JUST BY THE NATURE OF SOME THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST WHERE PEOPLE PURCHASE PROPERTY AND IF IT'S A FAMILY TRACK, IT CAN BE LESS THAN FIVE ACRES.
SO IT'S A LOT OF A LOT TO KEEP IN THE IN THE THOUGHT PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S THE RIGHT WAY.
AND I THINK IT IT COMES BACK TO YOUR STATEMENT AND YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO DEFINE IT TONIGHT.
BUT WHAT IS THE DEFINITION FOR RULE. I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOING TO DRIVE.
HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO PRESERVE IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT WHAT THE DEFINITION IS.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE KIND OF THE CRITICAL POINT HERE IS DEFINING WHAT IS THAT RURAL CHARACTER.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL OR ONE THING. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S WAYS TO DO A LAND USE PLAN, FUTURE LAND USE PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL ONE THING.
IS SUPER HELPFUL AND WILL BE NECESSARY TO CRAFT, I THINK, A, YOU KNOW, A FUTURE LAND USE PLAN THAT YOU CAN, CAN USE FOR MAKING DECISIONS, AS YOU DO EVERY MONTH ON PLANNING APPLICATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR, YOU KNOW I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE ON PROFFERS BETWEEN THE PLANNING DISTRICT AND THE RURAL DISTRICT, OR IS IT JUST WHAT THE BUILDER OFFERS? YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, THE WAY PROFFERS WORK, YOU KNOW, PROFFERS ARE ONLY ONLY SHOW UP ON A REZONING APPLICATION.
SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET PROFFERS AT ALL. OKAY.
IF YOU'RE IN THE PROVINCIAL PLANNING AREA AND SOMEBODY WANTS TO REZONE TO A HIGHER DENSITY, SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. THEN THE PROFFERS CAN BECOME APPLIED.
THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE. OKAY. SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE DID AWAY WITH, SAY, THE FIVE ACRE RULE, WOULD THEY HAVE TO COME TO US IF THEY WANTED TO BREAK THAT LAND UP INTO ANYTHING LOWER OR MORE OR WHAT HAVE YOU? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT. SO WHAT WHAT ULTIMATELY WOULD BE THE, THE FOR THE LONG RANGE CONSIDERATION WOULD BE FOR THE BOARD TO INITIATE REZONING ITSELF.
OKAY. TO INCREASE THE OR MODIFY THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE OTHER WAY TO DO THAT, JUST TO TAKE THOSE ZONING DISTRICTS.
YOU'LL SEE, WE'VE SUGGESTED A PRETTY LARGE ONE IN HERE, JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION PURPOSES OF LIKE, WHAT'S PRESERVING RURAL? WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO DO TO SLOW DOWN THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT YOU'RE SEEING OUT THERE? AND SO WE'RE PUTTING A KIND OF A BIG NUMBER OUT THERE AND SAYING, IS THAT THE RIGHT NUMBER TOO? SO WE'LL GET TO THAT.
BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO. SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE RURAL CHARACTER WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE. WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT DO YOU WANT TO SEE OUT THERE? AND BACK TO YOUR POINT AGAIN, THAT IS AN ISSUE.
I'LL TELL YOU FROM THE PLANNING PROFESSION THAT GETS RAISED, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY EVERY YEAR ABOUT THE UNFAIRNESS, SO TO SPEAK, OF OF PROFFERS ONLY BEING BORN DURING A REZONING APPLICATION.
SO IT IS AN ISSUE. IT'S A VIRGINIA ISSUE. THE OTHER THE OTHER COMMENT SLASH QUESTION I HAVE RIGHT NOW, WE GOT FIVE ACRES. SO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPER GOES IN, BUYS 100 ACRES, THEY BUST IT UP IN FIVE ACRE LOTS.
THE THING I'D LIKE TO SEE, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE BOARD.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO GO. OKAY.
[00:45:04]
AND THEN THE REST HAS TO GO INTO A CONSERVATION EASEMENT OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND CAN BE SOLD AS ONE PARCEL OR WHATEVER.BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK AT HOW MUCH ACREAGE IS IN THE RURAL DISTRICT AND BREAK IT UP TO, OKAY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DEVELOP THIS, YOU CAN ONLY DEVELOP, LET'S SAY, 25 OR 30% OF IT.
AGAIN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL LOT AT FIVE ACRES.
YOU ALSO HAVE CLUSTER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU OUT THERE THAT THAT YOU COULD YOU COULD APPLY THAT WOULD THAT WOULD ALLOW, YOU KNOW, LOTS CLOSER TOGETHER AND THEN THE REST OF IT TO BE PUT INTO A OPEN SPACE, KIND OF A PRESERVATION STATUS BY ALLOWING THE CLUSTERING.
SO THERE ARE TOOLS OUT THERE IN ADDITION TO HAVING MORE ZONING DISTRICTS AS WELL.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING. YOU COULD HAVE DIFFERENT ZONING DISTRICTS OUT THERE INSTEAD OF 1 OR 2.
AND THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, TRYING TO GET THE THE POLICY STRAIGHT SO THAT THE REGULATIONS CAN CAN BE MODIFIED IN THE FUTURE TO MATCH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE HAPPEN.
SO, YEAH. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT FIVE ACRE LOT STANDARD DOES NOT HAVE TO JUST BE, YOU KNOW, APPLIED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE BOARD HAS THE ABILITY TO TO MODIFY THAT.
SO I THINK WHAT I HEAR BOB SAYING IS THAT WE'RE PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THE CONCERNS THAT MOST OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE AND THAT THE BOARD HAS AND BOB KNOWS TOOLS THAT WE CAN USE TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. I THINK WHAT STAFF NEEDS IS, WHERE DO YOU WANT IT AND WHERE DO YOU NOT WANT IT? I MEAN, YOU SAW THAT GRAPHIC WITH THE GROWTH.
IT LOOKED LIKE A GUNSHOT SCENE. IT'S JUST EVERYWHERE.
AND A FIVE ACRE MINIMUM WILL GIVE YOU SPRAWL LIKE THAT.
AND I, IN MY EXPERIENCE, HANOVER COUNTY HAD A SIMILAR APPROACH MANY YEARS AGO, AND THEY ENDED UP WITH THE SAME THING. SO I'VE SEEN IT BEFORE. YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER WHAT AREA OF THE COUNTY MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR CONCENTRATED GROWTH OR GREATER DENSITY? AND THEN WHAT AREA STILL HAS A RURAL CHARACTER THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP AS RURAL CHARACTER? AND WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH ZONING. WE CAN LOOK AT OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS PREFERRED AND WHERE IT MIGHT BE PREFERRED.
OKAY. GO AHEAD, MR. CHAIRMAN. I'M SORRY. NO, YOU GO AHEAD.
OH GO AHEAD, SIR. JUST STARTED. I GUESS THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW YOU DEFINE RURAL.
DEPENDS ON THE PERSON OR PERSONS LOOKING THROUGH THEIR LENS.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY RURAL TO ME AND LISTEN TO MOST PEOPLE, IT'S LIKE LIVING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH FARMS AND ALL, EACH SIDE AND ALL, AND YOU'RE NOT COMING OUT YOUR BACK DOOR AND YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO SEE YOUR NEIGHBOR, WHICH YOU CAN DO ON A FIVE ACRE LOT. THE FLIP SIDE TO IT IS GROWTH IS GOING TO COME WHETHER THEY WANT IT OR NOT. SO WE EITHER GOT TO TRY TO CORRAL THIS THING AND PLAN FOR IT.
THE YOUNGER PEOPLE TODAY THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH, THEY DON'T WANT FIVE ACRES.
IT'S GREAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. IT'S GREAT WHEN YOU'VE GOT IT.
YOU COULD BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT, ARE YOU GOING TO PAY SOMEBODY TO DO IT FOR YOU? THEN YOU GOT THE SAFETY ASPECT, THE MILES EVERYBODY RUNS, THE SCHOOL BUSSES, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S CONSTANTLY CHANGING BECAUSE THE KID COUNT IS CHANGING ALL THE TIME.
WE'VE GOT A LARGE GROWING POPULATION. THE SENIOR ON THE SENIOR CITIZEN SIDE AND I ONLY THE ONLY ONES I'VE TALKED TO, MOST OF THEM, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT DOWNSIZING, AND THEY MAY HAVE BOUGHT A NICE HOME ON FIVE ACRES OR WHATEVER 25 YEARS AGO.
THEY DON'T WANT THAT MUCH TO KEEP UP WITH ANYMORE.
WHICH COULD EITHER BE A CONDO OR TOWNHOME APARTMENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT. I DON'T KNOW, DEFINE AND RULE TO ME IS GOING TO BE THE HARD I AGREE I JUST MENTIONED.
[00:50:04]
THAT WHAT YOU DESCRIBED THERE IS PART OF THE COMMENTARY BENJAMIN WAS MENTIONING FROM THE PUBLIC WERE OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT MORE HOUSING OF MORE TYPES, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING OTHER THAN YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THERE NOW, WHATEVER.THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND I THINK YOU ARE CORRECT.
THE MARKET, THE COST OF BUILDING IS DICTATING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF NATIONALLY ON A SMALLER, SMALLER SCALE AND CERTAINLY A LOT OF YOUNGER BUYERS.
AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN PRETTY WELL DOCUMENTED.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING IT'S AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC IN TERMS OF LONG TERM PLANNING.
REMEMBER CONFERENCE OF PLANS A 20 YEAR PLAN. LIKE WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU WANT TO PLAN FOR AS WE GET INTO THIS SORT OF OUTER YEARS? WHAT KIND OF OTHER DEVELOPMENT DO YOU WANT TO BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, BEYOND KIND OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST 20 OR 30 YEARS? WELL, 15, 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, IF YOU RUN OUT OF LAND, THE ONLY OTHER OPTION YOU GOT IS TO GO UP ON TAXES.
AND YOU'RE PROBABLY MOST LIKELY STILL GOING TO LOSE YOUR RURAL CHARACTER.
BY DEFAULT. THIS RURAL CHARACTER QUESTION IS A REAL, REAL INTERESTING ONE.
THEY THERE ARE. I HAD A GOOD EXAMPLE PRESENTED TO ME.
A LADY POSTED A PICTURE, A PHOTO OF HER VIEW FROM HER WINDOW, AND IT WAS A VIEW OF A BEAUTIFUL FIELD THAT WAS GREEN. AND IN THE BACKGROUND WHERE ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL TREES.
AND HER COMMENT WAS, I LOVE LIVING HERE, WHERE I CAN SEE THIS EVERY DAY.
SO BEAUTY AND ISOLATION MEANS A LOT TO MANY PEOPLE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO BACK SOME YEARS AGO, PEOPLE STARTED TALKING, YOU KNOW, RURAL PRESERVATION WAS WAS FARMLAND. IT WAS PROTECTING FARM FROM FARMS, FROM ENCROACHMENT, FROM HAVING RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. YOU START TO GET PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. BUT AS TIME HAS GONE ON, YOU SEE THERE'S A LOT MORE OF A DYNAMIC TO WHAT PEOPLE CONSIDER, WHICH IS OPEN SPACE.
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE ITEMS WE MENTIONED THERE. SO YOU CAN LOOK OUT AND NOT HAVE A HOUSE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, OR SOMETHING ELSE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU MAY NOT WANT THAT SORT OF OPEN, OPEN VIEW, TREE PRESERVATION, OPEN FIELDS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, WHICH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT THAN WHAT I WAS DESCRIBING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, HAVING SOMETHING THAT WOULD AFFECT THE FARM OPERATION.
IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT SMELL OR NOISE OR YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO MOVE INTO RURAL AREAS AND THINK THAT FARMING WHERE THERE IS FARMING IS, IS LIKE THEY SEE IT ON TELEVISION, THEY DON'T REALIZE IT'S A BUSINESS AND IT HAS ITS DOWNSIDES TO LIVING NEXT TO IT ON OCCASION.
WELL, I'LL END MY COMMENTS WITH THIS. I HAD A COUPLE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
WE GOT INTO THIS WHOLE THING AND IT'S A SORE SUBJECT IN THE COUNTY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T BUILD A HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TEN ACRES. IT'S MORE ON THE FRONT SIDE. AND IT CAME UP AND IT HAD TO DO WITH SOLAR FARM, BUT IT WASN'T GOING TO BE THERE, BUT IT WAS ZONED BY RIGHT TO WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
A DEVELOPER COULD HAVE GONE IN THERE AND BOUGHT THAT 400 ACRES AND PUT X NUMBER OF HOMES IN THERE AND SAID, WELL, I DON'T WANT THAT EITHER. I SAID, WELL, THE WAY IT'S SET UP RIGHT NOW, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A CHOICE. I SAID, SO YOU KNOW THAT THAT IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT.
IT KIND OF DESCRIBES IT WHEN YOU START RULE IT RULE THAT SOMEBODY IS.
I DON'T CONSIDER WHERE I LIVE IN RURAL AND I LIVE ON FIVE ACRES.
I MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE FOURTH OR FIFTH HOUSE ON THAT ROAD WHEN I BUILT 22 YEARS AGO, BUT NOW THERE'S TWO SUBDIVISIONS ON EACH SIDE OF ME, AND THERE'S HOUSES ALL UP AND DOWN THAT ROAD. WHICH IS WHICH IS FINE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT IS WHAT IT IS, BUT IT DOES INCREASE TRAFFIC.
AND AS WE NOTED, WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO THIS, YOU KNOW, FRONTAGE ON AN EXISTING PUBLIC ROAD IS A RIGHT TO SUBDIVIDE IS WHAT YOU YOU'RE BASICALLY GOING TO HAVE. YOU DON'T NEED A PRIVATE ROAD FOR THAT. YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A RIGHT A PUBLIC ROAD IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TO 100% DECIDE TONIGHT, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FLIPPING THAT 50 OVER 50 SPLIT AND YOU WANT TO SLOW DOWN THE GROWTH IN THE RURAL AREA, WELL, TO ME, TO SLOW IT DOWN.
[00:55:04]
STILL BUILD A HOUSE ON IT. SO I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHERE.BUT THEN FROM PLANNING, YOU GUYS TAKE THOSE POLICIES LIKE THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND SAY SINCE THIS NOW IS WHAT WE BECOMES THE NEW BIBLE, HERE'S THE ADJUSTMENTS WE NEED TO MAKE TO THE ZONING AND OTHER THINGS TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AM I CORRECT WITH THAT STATEMENT EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, RIGHT.
ONCE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHATEVER VERSION IT IS, GETS ADOPTED.
GO BACK AND LOOK AT YOUR ZONING ORDINANCE AND SAY, DOES THAT ZONING ORDINANCE BRING US WHAT'S IN THAT PLAN? RIGHT. AND IF THE ANSWER IS NO, YOU WANT TO AMEND YOUR ZONING ORDINANCE TO IT IS PROPERLY STRUCTURED TO IMPLEMENT WHAT YOUR WHAT YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GOALS.
AND IF WE'RE TALKING RURAL PRESERVATION, HOWEVER YOU DEFINE IT WHERE YOU WANT THAT TO BE PRESERVED AND WHAT ARE THE TOOLS YOU HAVE TO TO TRY TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN? SOME OF IT IS DISINCENTIVES, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE JUST PUTTING SOME IDEAS OUT THERE TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA HOW. OH YEAH, I'M JUST TALKING OUT LOUD HOW COMPLEX THE ISSUE IS, TRYING TO GET TO THIS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A PLAN THAT REFLECTS WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS SAID THEY ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN WHAT THE BOARD IS DESCRIBING.
IS THAT HOW THEY THINK THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTY SHOULD BE PROCEEDING? AND I AGREE WITH YOU IN THE PLANNING AREA. I REALLY THINK WHAT'S, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, WHAT'S HURTING US, CONNECTION FEES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE SO EXPENSIVE THAT THAT'S WHY YOU SEE PEOPLE CHOOSING THE RURAL AREA TO BUILD THINGS, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S A CHEAPER INVESTMENT.
THERE'S DEFINITELY AN ECONOMIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. YES, SIR. DURING THE CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT DID ANYBODY DEFINE WHAT RULE WAS TO THEM WITH THE BERKELEY GROUP? I THINK JUST LIKE THE BOARD IS DOING TONIGHT, WE HEARD PEOPLE JUST DESCRIBING WHAT THEY LIKED ABOUT THE COUNTY, BUT I DON'T RECALL. AND MAYBE, MAYBE BENJAMIN OR CATHERINE MIGHT.
I DON'T RECALL ANYBODY GETTING UP SAYING, THIS IS MY DEFINITION OF WHAT I THINK, RURAL PRESERVATION.
I THINK HE WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING, IF YOU DON'T MIND. THEY MAY HAVE MORE OF THAT.
SO IT GIVES US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MAKING A DECISION.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. WE DID. CATHERINE, YOUR PHONE THERE IS WE DID ASK DURING THE WORKSHOP.
WE ASKED FOLKS TO DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS. THESE QUESTIONS I'M GOING TO TELL YOU BELOW AS A GROUP, ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS IS WHAT IS RURAL CHARACTER? AND THEN WE WENT ON TO ASK THEM WHICH AREAS THEY CONSIDERED TO BE RURAL OF THE COUNTY, AND WERE THEY CHANGING.
AND YOU KNOW, IF SO, BASICALLY WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT? THIS IS IN THE ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY, WHICH I BELIEVE YOU HAVE IS ON PAGE 15, I THINK.
BUT WHEN ASKED WHAT IS RURAL CHARACTER GROUPS LISTED MANY TYPICAL ASPECTS OF THE RURAL LANDSCAPE, SUCH AS FIELDS OF AGRICULTURE, OPEN SPACE, FARMS, ABUNDANT WILDLIFE AND STREAMS. I MEAN, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD THINK OF, BUT THOSE ARE THE WORDS THEY USE AND THE TERMS THEY USE TO DESCRIBE IT.
THEY ALSO LISTED ASPECTS WHICH THEY THOUGHT WERE ANTITHETICAL TO THE RURAL CHARACTER.
THEY ALSO CONSIDERED MOST OF THE SOUTHERN EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY AS RURAL AND EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AND SOLAR FARMS CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF THOSE AREAS. MOST FELT THE COUNTY WAS CHANGING, AND THAT THIS CHANGE NEEDED TO BE MANAGED IN A WAY THAT WAS REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY'S VALUES. I APOLOGIZE FOR READING FROM THE PHONE.
OKAY. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. BUT I ALSO KNOW WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME TO US WITH RURAL OR USING THAT BECAUSE IT'S IT'S A WIDELY USED TERM YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S PEOPLE THAT MAYBE HAVE COME HERE 30 YEARS AGO, AND THEY WANTED IT TO BE THE SAME TODAY AS IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO. AND THAT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
[01:00:03]
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT'S HURTING US WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE.WE'RE SO FAR BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT WE CAN TO PICK IT UP.
WELL, I THINK THE WAY WE CONTROL IT IS INCREASED.
INCREASED LOT SIZES I HATE TO SAY IT. YEAH. YOU KNOW WE INCREASE LOT SIZES.
WELL WE WILL TALK ABOUT WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.
I WOULD YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT FINDING FAULT. BUT THE REASON EVERY LOCALITY IS WHERE THEY'RE AT IS WHAT'S HAPPENED PRIOR TO A LOT OF THINGS WE GOT GOING ON AND PLAYING CATCH UP RIGHT NOW, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO FIND FAULT, BUT IT'S BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE GROWTH DOWN.
THEY WERE TRYING TO MINIMIZE STUFF. SO WE DIDN'T PUT LARGER LINES IN WHEN WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN MORE COST EFFECTIVE, AND WE DIDN'T PLAN TO DO SOME THINGS, EXCUSE ME.
AND EVENTUALLY, BECAUSE OF THAT BURST IN GROWTH, THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES WE'VE HAD, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF PANDEMIC, IT'S REALLY REARED ITS HEAD. AND THE TWO KEY ITEMS THAT IS INVOLVED IN ANY OF THIS, UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO BE COMPLETELY ON FIVE ACRES AND HAVE YOUR OWN WELL AND YOUR OWN SEPTIC, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A MOUND SYSTEM, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS A COST TO MAINTAIN, IT'S NOT CHEAP AS A SEPTIC SYSTEM. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE WATER AND SEWER, SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALLOTMENT.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF GROUND.
BUT I'M GOING TO SAY MY ESTIMATE WOULD BE AND JEFF CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE JUST IN TIME IN A COUPLE OF AREAS BASED ON ALL THE INVESTMENTS WE'VE MADE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BUT WE'VE PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GET THERE.
AND I THINK I SHARE WITH YOU IN THE ELEVATOR ONE NIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND TWO YEARS AGO, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR A SHORT TERM GAIN, BUT NO LONG TERM BENEFITS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT OVER THE HUMP YET.
BUT ANYWAY, WELL, I'LL BE QUIET WITH THAT. I'LL JUST SAY NO.
AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO MAKE DECISIONS TRYING TO PLAN 5 OR 10 YEARS OUT.
THAT'S WHY I WAS TRYING TO GET TO THAT. SO IT'S NO EASY ANSWER.
AND IT'S NO GUARANTEE BECAUSE EVERYTHING CHANGES.
THIS BOARD CHANGES. PEOPLE'S OPINIONS CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE YOU COME IN.
AND THEN YOUR YOUR CHARGE IS TO DECIDE WHAT YOU CAN DO MOVING FORWARD.
BUT YOU COULD LOOK AT IT EVERY FIVE MONTHS, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT WHATEVER, YOU KNOW.
THE BOARD CHOSE TO THINK SOMETHING HAD CHANGED.
AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME. I THINK WE'VE ALL SEEN LAND USES THAT WEREN'T THERE, THAT BECAME ISSUES THAT THAT WEREN'T IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR COMP PLAN SCHEDULE.
LIKE, I REMEMBER WHEN I GO BACK IN MY CAREER WHEN COMMUNICATION TOWERS CAME OUT, NOBODY WANTED ONE, YOU KNOW, BUT EVERYBODY WANTED A PHONE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU SEE THESE THINGS OVER TIME, WHETHER IT BE THAT'S FUNNY, ALL THESE KIND OF THINGS.
RIGHT? YEAH. SO WE USED TO HAVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SHOW UP AGAINST THESE WITH THEIR PHONE NETWORK OF PEOPLE THAT WERE CALLING TO TELL THEM TO COME OBJECT TO THE TOWERS. SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS ARE OUT THERE AND THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES.
LAND USES CHANGE YOUR YOUR DIRECTION ON INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.
AND THESE ARE PERPETUAL CHALLENGES FOR EVERY BOARD.
WHAT'S THE GROWTH BOUNDARY LINE. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO DO.
SO YOU GET A PLAN ADOPTED AND WORK TOWARDS THAT, KNOWING THAT IT'S ALWAYS SUBJECT TO BEING MODIFIED.
THAT'S THE SORT OF THE BEAUTY OF WHERE THE THE BEAST OF IT ALL, I GUESS.
BUT ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS TO HAVE A GOOD, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY COME TO THE COUNTY THAT THAT THERE IS A LONG RANGE PLAN AND THEY KNOW WHERE THEY CAN INVEST THEIR MONEY.
NO, I AGREE. SAME THING FOR BUSINESSES OR ANYBODY ELSE THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO KNOW.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT GETS IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A UTILITIES PLAN AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, LAND USE PLAN AROUND IT? I THINK WHERE WE ARE IS TRYING TO GET THE LAND USE PLAN IN FRONT AND BUILD THE UTILITIES PLAN THAT WILL MATCH THAT.
SO YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO SO THAT YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, SO YOU CAN DETERMINE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. AND THEN BUILD YOUR UTILITIES PLAN. THAT'LL THAT'LL GET YOU TO THAT DIRECTION AS OPPOSED TO BEING REACTIVE TO A, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES PLAN AND JUST, YOU KNOW, USING THE PRIVATE ROADS AS A METAPHOR.
IF THERE WAS THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR THAT, WE WOULD TELL YOU.
YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THESE DECISIONS, THERE'S PROS AND THERE'S CONS.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN TO CITIZENS BECAUSE I FIND THAT CITIZENS.
[01:05:19]
AND DOWNSIDES TO EVERYTHING. THIS IS THE PATH THAT WE THINK WILL LEAD TO THE BEST RESULTS.BUT WE NEED A MINIMUM FOR FIRE AND EMS VEHICLES FOR RESPONSE STUFF.
WE'VE GOT ROADS IN THIS COUNTY THAT FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES CAN GET THERE.
HEY YOU'RE GOING TO PUT YOUR ROAD TO VDOT STANDARD WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD HERE, YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE YOU. AND WHY IS THAT? WHY SHOULD THAT BE ON OUR BACKS AS CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY? IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO DO A DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PUT IN.
HEY, YOU PUT A LANE IN, IT'S GOING TO BE THE VDOT STANDARDS.
WELL, IS THAT AN ORDINANCE WE CAN WRITE? OH, I THINK WE'VE GOT ONE SIMILAR TO THAT.
MR. WHAT I WAS MAKING REFERENCE TO IS A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL BUYS TEN ACRES.
OKAY. THEY NEED TO HAVE FOR THEIR SAFETY. THEY MAY NOT AGREE WITH IT.
OKAY. AND THEY ARE SUBJECT TO THE BOARD INCREASING THE STANDARD, LOWERING THE STANDARD, WHATEVER.
THE BOARD SHOULD. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE KIND OF THE MINIMUM STANDARD.
OKAY. WHICH DOES NOT REQUIRE PAVING OR IT ALLOWS FOR THE GRAVEL TYPE THING.
SO BUT THAT'S THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE. AND THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AS WHAT MR. WEBB WAS SAYING, LIKE TO A PRIVATE PERSON, IF I'M ON FIVE ACRES AND MY HOUSE IS WAY OFF THE ROAD AND THERE'S TREES AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING WE DON'T THAT SAYS THEIR DRIVEWAY NEEDS TO BE XYZ DRIVEWAY, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO GET, I THINK TO THAT TO THAT STANDARD.
RIGHT. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. RIGHT. AND ALL THAT WHEN YOU DO THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE UPDATE.
RIGHT. THAT AND ONE THING ABOUT THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE THAT'S A MANDATE ON THE ON ON DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S NOT REALLY A SUBJECTIVE REQUIREMENT. ONCE THAT REQUIREMENT GETS PUT IN PLACE, WHATEVER THE ULTIMATE REGULATORY REQUIREMENT IS, IS WHAT'S REQUIRED OF PEOPLE. SO. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION FOR THE BOARD.
I SAID YOU'VE GOT A RESTRICTION ON IT AT THREE.
YOU CAN DECIDE THAT'S OKAY. OR YOU COULD WANT MORE OR LESS.
SO, SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF MOVE ON HERE. BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE BEEN COVERING A LOT OF THIS, SHOULD THE DYNAMIC BE CHANGED. SO THERE'S LESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA.
MOVING FORWARD. SO THIS GO BACK HERE TRYING TO RECONSIDER AS WE GO RECONSIDERING THE ORIGINAL QUESTION, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN THE BOARD DIRECT GROWTH WHERE IT'S DESIRED? IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PUT SOME TOOLS IN PLACE TO TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN.
SO HOW DO YOU MAKE IT EASIER AND LESS EXPENSIVE TO DEVELOP IN THE PLANNING AREA? ESPECIALLY IN AREAS CLOSEST TO THE EXISTING PUBLIC WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. HOW CAN YOU ALLOW, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PLANNING AREA, EVEN IF A PARCEL IS A LONG DISTANCE AWAY? SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'LL REFER TO AS A TRANSITION AREA. BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE A NO MAN'S LAND IN YOUR, IN YOUR PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA WHERE IT'S JUST TOO FAR AWAY TO GET UTILITIES, WHETHER THERE'S A UTILITIES REQUIREMENT.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS PEOPLE ARE JUMPING OVER THAT AND GOING INTO THE RURAL AREA WHERE THEY HAVE A WELL AND SEPTIC OPTION AS OPPOSED TO A VERY LONG RUN. OF PUBLIC UTILITIES, EVEN FOR A COUPLE OF LOTS TYPE OF THING.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THIS CONCEPTUAL MAP HERE.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO THINK OUR WAY THROUGH WHAT MIGHT MIGHT HAVE CHANGE LOOK LIKE.
SO WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS A 3000 FOOT DISTANCE FROM EXISTING WATER AND SEWER LINES.
THAT'S THAT SORT OF INSIDE LINE INSIDE THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA.
[01:10:07]
SO YOU'VE GOT WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS WITHIN 3000FT, SORT OF MAINTAIN THE EXISTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CONNECTING TO A WATER AND SEWER.BUT WE HIT THAT TRANSITION AREA TRYING TO CREATE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AND THEY'RE RECOGNIZING THAT AS MAYBE THE NEXT PHASE OF EXTENSION OF GROWTH, BUT PERHAPS ALLOWING SOME LIMITED AMOUNT OF OF COMMUNITY, WELL, TYPE SYSTEMS OR OTHER TYPES OF SEWER SYSTEMS IN THEIR PLANNING AHEAD FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. SO TRYING TO CREATE THAT, THAT AGAIN, THAT'S JUST A ONE ALTERNATIVE.
THERE CAN BE OBVIOUSLY THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF TRYING TO SHRINK THAT PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA DOWN WHERE THE WHERE THE WATER AND SEWER MANDATE IS WITHIN 3000FT. AND THEN AGAIN TRYING TO WORK WITHIN THAT.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE DESCRIBING IS, IS ALLOWING SOME DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THAT TRANSITION AREA THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER, AND WOULD INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO BE UP TOWARDS THE PLANNING AREA INSTEAD OF THE RURAL AREA.
SO KIND OF BACK TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS WE WERE HAVING.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE STANDARD THEY'RE FACING TODAY.
THIS IS JUST WHEN YOU GET ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT 3000FT, THAT'S THE TRANSITION AREA.
YOU HAVE SOME SOME YOU STILL GOING TO HAVE SOME POCKETS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT OUT IN THERE.
BUT HAVING THE ABILITY FOR FUTURE EXPANSION, EXPANSION OF PUBLIC WATER AND WASTEWATER HAVE THE MARKET KIND OF DETERMINING WHAT'S GOING ON. AND FROM WORKING WITH THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN BUILD IN SOME UTILITY SYSTEMS THAT WOULD BE CONNECTED TO THE COUNTY SYSTEM WHEN WHEN THE COUNTY LINES GET TO THEM.
SO YOU WOULD ULTIMATELY BE MOVING PEOPLE OFF OF THERE.
WELL, SYSTEM FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU, IF YOU KIND OF WENT DOWN THAT PATH AND THESE ARE JUST IDEAS, THIS IS NOT A, YOU KNOW, A RECOMMENDATION. IT'S RECOMMENDATIONS. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THERE'S SOMETHING YOU COULD DO IN THAT TRANSITION ZONE TRYING TO CREATE SOME OPPORTUNITIES WHERE RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NONE OR VERY, VERY MINIMAL.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, GOING OVER TO THAT RURAL CONSERVATION AREA, TRYING TO PRESERVE THAT, THAT DEFINED OPEN SPACE WITH MINIMAL DEVELOPMENT, WITH AGRICULTURE AND CONSERVATION OVER THERE.
SO THAT RURAL CONSERVATION AREA IS TRULY MORE RURAL CONSERVATION THAN THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? SO IF YOU LOOK OVER IN THAT RURAL CONSERVATION AREA, BACK TO THAT QUESTION OF SHOULD YOU MAKE THE LOTS LARGER? THERE'S A PROPOSAL FOR A 20 ACRE LOT SIZE OVER THERE. IF YOU WERE TO SAY YOU CAN BE ON PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL WELLS OVER THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 20 ACRE LOTS. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE FIVE, AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.
BACK TO THE QUESTION OF OF ROADS PUTTING EVERYONE ON A PUBLIC ROAD, NO PRIVATE ROADS THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE SUBDIVIDING AND I'D SAY WE'D HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT IN THE SENSE THAT THERE ARE SOME VDOT STANDARDS FOR WHEN THEY'LL TAKE SOMETHING INTO THE SYSTEM THAT WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT TO MATCH THAT UP. BUT THE CONCEPT BEING TO MOVE MORE AWAY FROM AND IF YOU WERE GOING TO STICK WITH PRIVATE PRIVATE ROADS, MAYBE ADJUSTING THE CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS SO THAT YOU MIGHT GET LESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT OVER TIME AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO TO GET TO THOSE PROPERTIES OUT THERE THAN WHAT THE CURRENT STANDARD IS.
CURRENT STANDARD WORKS PRETTY GOOD IF YOU'RE TRYING TO LIMIT PEOPLE TO THREE LOTS. IT DOES A GOOD JOB OF THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S YOU KNOW, THREE LOTS OFF OF ONE PRIVATE ROAD. YOU'RE NOT HAVING, YOU KNOW, AS THE COUNTY'S HAD IN THE PAST, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME LARGER DEVELOPMENTS OFF PRIVATE ROADS. SO THIS DOES HAVE A LIMITING FACTOR THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY STRUCTURED.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE PUBLIC ROADS. YOU CAN SUBDIVIDE OFF AN EXISTING PUBLIC ROAD.
OR IF YOU SUBDIVIDE, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE.
A PUBLIC A PUBLIC STREET IN THERE. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.
LOOK AT THE SPECIFICS OF WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THOSE ISSUES DEAL WITH VDOT.
WE HAVE NOT WORKED THROUGH SOME OF THESE ISSUES WITH VA. THESE ARE JUST IDEAS FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER, WAYS TO DISINCENTIVIZE GROWTH IN THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA, AND TRY TO MOVE SOME OF THAT DEVELOPMENT BACK INTO THE PRINCE GEORGE PLANNING AREA, INTO THAT OR INTO THAT TRANSITION ZONE. AGAIN, I'VE BEEN KIND OF PITCHING THAT OUT THERE AS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER WAYS TO TO LOOK AT TRYING TO SHIFT DEVELOPMENT FROM ONE AREA OF THE COUNTY TO THE OTHER AND NOT NOT COMPLETELY ELIMINATING IT IN THE RURAL AREA, BUT TO PRETTY EXTENSIVELY LIMIT IT.
[01:15:02]
AND AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF GIVING YOU KIND OF AN OUTSIDE NUMBER SAYING, LET'S GET LET'S GET OVER THERE AND SEE WHERE THE BOARD FEELS ABOUT SOME IDEA LIKE THAT.WHEN YOU GET INTO LOOKING AT THE AT THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA, IF A LARGER LOT IS IN FACT WHAT THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE IN MIND TO SLOW DOWN, IF THAT WAS, AND I WOULD GO BACK TO WHERE I STARTED. AND QUITE FRANKLY, IN THIS DISCUSSION, WHETHER YOU WANTED TO CHANGE ANYTHING TO BEGIN WITH, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY ASSUMPTIONS THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION WE'RE CURRENTLY IN. WE'RE JUST KIND OF PROPOSING TO YOU IF YOU WANTED TO.
WHAT WOULD THAT WHAT COULD THAT LOOK LIKE, OR WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE? OR WHAT'S AN IDEA THAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE? I KNOW IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION AND CHALLENGING FOR US AS WELL.
I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY HOW COME YOU DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? AN ANSWER? I DON'T THINK IT'S DIFFICULT. I THINK YOU RAISE THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE TO AT LEAST A HALF AN ACRE, AND THEN YOU RAISE YOUR RURAL LOT SIZE TO, YOU KNOW, 20 ACRES OR WHATEVER.
YOU KNOW, Y'ALL RECOMMEND ON THAT? I MEAN, I'M HAPPY WITH THAT, BUT.
AND YOUR TRANSITION AREA, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM OF TWO ACRES AND YOUR SHARED SYSTEMS. I'D HAVE TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH INTO THAT TO SEE WHAT THAT ENTAILS.
BUT MY MY GRIPE IS IF WE DON'T HAVE THE SERVICES FOR THEM, WE CAN'T HOLD THEM UP.
YOU LET THEM PUT A WELL IN A SEPTIC IN. AND THEN WHEN IT DIES, ONCE THE SERVICES ARE THERE, THEY GOT TO HOOK ON TO IT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY THOUGHTS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU. I HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF THOUGHT TONIGHT.
IT'S A LOT. IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN. AND. AND AS THERE'S NO THERE'S NO EASY BUTTON.
YEAH. NO, WE AGREE WE'RE WE'RE AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS, WE KNOW THERE'S NO SIMPLE ANSWER.
WE'RE WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HAVE ENOUGH CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD TO KIND OF GET A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHICH DIRECTION WE SHOULD BE SPENDING MORE OF OUR TIME. I MEAN, SOMETHING YOU REALLY DON'T LIKE, JUST LIKE, HEY, THAT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA. LET'S NOT GO THERE. I MEAN, I DON'T LIKE THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS THAT WE GET. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DON'T LIKE THAT. THAT'S FIXABLE.
YEAH. I JUST THINK IT JUST IT PUTS US IN A VERY AWKWARD PLACE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE GROWTH IN THIS COUNTY.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, I HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE FARMERS, AND, I MEAN, I HAVE FARMERS IN MY FAMILY, BUT A LOT OF THE FARMERS ARE SELLING THEIR LAND TO PEOPLE WHERE THEY END UP BUILDING THESE FIVE ACRE LOTS AND STUFF.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU CAN'T TELL THEM, THEY CAN'T SELL IT.
THAT'S JUST ME BECAUSE IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE BEAUTY OF THAT AREA.
THAT'S JUST WHAT I THINK ABOUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT RURAL.
NOW, AS FAR AS LOOKING OUT MY BACK DOOR, WELL, I LIVE ACROSS THE ROAD FROM WHERE I GREW UP, AND WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, ALL ACROSS THE ROAD WAS ALL WOODED AREA WE USED TO RIDE OUR BIKES THROUGH.
ALL THAT PROPERTY. NOW THERE'S HOMES ALL UP AND DOWN THE ROAD.
I UNDERSTAND THAT JUST COMES WITH THE TIME CHANGING.
SO, I MEAN, AGAIN, I THINK IT REALLY GOES BACK TO ME FOR ME.
I'VE GOT TO GET A BETTER FEEL IN MY HEAD. WHAT DOES RULE MEAN? AND I THINK ONCE I KIND OF LAND SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THAT, THEN I KNOW WHAT TO TRY TO PRESERVE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT THAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL, AS YOU SAID.
SO THAT'S WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW. I JUST MENTIONED I WORKED DOWN IN SUFFOLK BACK DURING THE 90S WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH THE VERY SIMILAR. YES, SIR. KIND OF A OF COURSE THEY HAD AN INTERSTATE GOT DROPPED THROUGH ON THEM.
SO THIS DOESN'T GO AWAY AS DEVELOPMENT MOVES, KEEPS MOVING.
YOU KNOW, THESE THESE DEBATES. BUT ONE THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS YOU HAVE TO SORT OF PUT A MARKER DOWN, YOU KNOW, FOR AT LEAST FOR NOW, LIKE, WHAT'S THE LINE GOING TO BE? BECAUSE THE PRESSURE, THE GROWTH PRESSURE FOR THE COUNTY, JUST BASED ON HISTORIC TRENDS AND WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PROJECTIONS, IT'S NOT AS IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO NOT WANT TO COME TO THE COUNTY.
THERE'S DEFINITELY A DEMAND FOR PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE TO THE TO THE TO THE COUNTY.
AND EVERYBODY'S GOT A DIFFERENT OPINION ON WHAT THAT IS.
BUT THAT'S REALLY THE GAME. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO PUT THE TAIL IN FRONT OF THE DOG, BECAUSE WE CAN DO ALL WE WANT TO TO INCREASE THE LIMITS ON THE ACREAGE, ON THE RURAL AREAS AND STUFF.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE WATER AND SEWER IN THAT PLANNING AREA, YOU'RE STILL FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE, BECAUSE HONESTLY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET GROCERY STORES IN OTHER PLACES IN HERE.
[01:20:03]
YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THEM HAVE STANDARDS LESS THAN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ROOFTOPS.THEY'RE NOT COMING IN. RIGHT? SO IT'S THAT IT'S THAT CATCH 22 FINDING THE BALANCE.
WE KNOW THE COMMERCIAL DOES NOT GO IN FRONT OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
RIGHT. WELL, I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY MORE PRIVATE ROADS IN THE COUNTY, THAT WHEN A ROAD IS PUT IN, IT SHOULD BE THE VDOT STANDARD.
BUT IT WAS BECAUSE THE COUNTY ALLOWED THE LOTS TO BE BUILT ON.
AND I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING. I DON'T KNOW WHO.
THE SURVEYOR WAS FROM TENNESSEE, BUT HE WAS A DRUNKEN SAILOR WHEN HE WAS DRAWING LINES.
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T, HE WENT AROUND EVERYTHING.
I'VE GOT MORE ZIGZAGS ON ONE SIDE OF MY PROPERTY THAN A TEAR IN YOUR PANTS HAS GOT.
SO TO ME, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD START. IS THAT WE SAY ANY MORE GROWTH THAT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRES DEVELOPMENT OF A ROAD, IT'S GOING TO BE A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. IT'S GOING TO BE MAINTAINED WITH VDOT STANDARDS.
NOW THEY CAN ARGUE WITH VDOT IF THEY WANT TO PAVE IT OR IF THEY WANT TO GRAVEL IT, I DON'T CARE.
YEAH. WELL THAT'S THAT'S ACTUALLY A COUNTY STANDARD IF YOU WANT IT PAVED.
SO RIGHT NOW WE DO A IT'S AT A VDOT STANDARD WHAT'S CURRENTLY REQUIRED.
BUT IT ALLOWS GRAVEL. WELL I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE GOING FORWARD ON ALL OF OUR LAND.
BECAUSE I KNOW TO DIGRESS FOR A MINUTE, THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE IN THE PAST WITH THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
WHEN I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE ACTUALLY STOPPED BUSSES FROM GOING DOWN PRIVATE ROAD.
BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS HAD THE ONE NEIGHBOR THAT COMPLAINED ABOUT THE RUTS IN THE ROAD AND TRIED TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS CAUSED IT, RIGHT. AND THEN THEY WANT THE SCHOOL TO REPAIR THE ROAD FOR THEM. OR IF IT'S A PUBLIC MAINTAIN VDOT STANDARD ROAD, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, RIGHT. SO.
I THINK I PRETTY MUCH REACHED THE KIND OF THE END OF, OF THE, OF THE SLIDES WE HAD FOR YOU.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE DISCUSSION AND OBVIOUSLY NEED TO CONTINUE SO WE CAN KEEP WORKING.
AS WE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND WE'RE GLAD TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD AT ANY TIME, IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FUTURE WORK SESSION OR DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS GET TOO FAR AHEAD AND FIND OUT WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY.
THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN. WE JUST DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S YOU OR THE BERKELEY GROUP CAN ANSWER IT.
HOW MUCH CHATTER DID I HEAR ABOUT SOLAR? ABOUT SOLAR? I THINK THAT EVERY GROUP THERE WAS THE SAME OPPOSITION TO SOLAR.
BUT I THINK I THINK IT'S BEEN PRETTY CLEAR, I THINK THIS IS ACROSS THE STATE, QUITE FRANKLY, AT LEAST IN MOST PLACES, I'VE SEEN RURAL AREAS THAT ARE NOT LOOKING LIKE THEY WANT SOLAR.
THEY CONSIDER AN INDUSTRIAL USE. I DO HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOISE IN SOME OF THESE AS WELL.
AND WE DO KNOW THE ONES THAT ARE COMING TO THE COUNTY ARE PRETTY LARGE SCALE, LARGE SIZE.
BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY CONSTANT DISCUSSION OUT THERE.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY GOING TO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SOLAR POLICY IN THE CURRENT PLAN WAS ADOPTED.
WE'LL BASICALLY WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DOES IN THIS SESSION.
WE'LL STILL BE DRAFTING THE PLAN AND THEN HAVE A NEW POLICY FOR THE BOARD TO PUT INTO THE PLAN.
IF THEY HAVE A MANDATE IN THERE, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, BUT I SEE THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON IT.
THIS THIS SESSION. DID ANYBODY EVER BRING UP FARM DISTRICTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'VE LOOKED INTO? YOU KNOW, I LIKE I LIKE THAT AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS.
YES. THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP. OKAY. AND YEAH, WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA LOOK AT IT.
[01:25:03]
WHICH IS KIND OF THE WAY TO DO THAT, THAT'S THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE.THERE'S ALL SORTS OF INTERESTING DYNAMICS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE FOR FARMERS, I BELIEVE IT'S A REQUIREMENT ON YOUR, ON YOUR PANEL. SO THERE'S SOME REQUIREMENTS TO DO THAT.
BUT THAT DEFINITELY WAS BROUGHT UP. OKAY. YEAH.
BECAUSE I MEAN IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, KEEP SOME OF THESE LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS FROM HAVING TO SELL OFF BECAUSE TAXES AND AFFORDABILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND GIVE AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM LIKE, HEY, I WON'T PUT SOLAR OR I WON'T DEVELOPER THIS, YOU KNOW, AND POSSIBLY GIVE THEM A BREAK SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD WHERE WE CAN KEEP THAT RURAL RULE CHARACTER WOULD I THINK WOULD BE WORTHLESS.
I THINK THAT I DO THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, THAT THAT I HAVEN'T DELVED TOO DEEPLY INTO THAT QUESTION ABOUT ONCE YOU PUT YOURSELF INTO THAT MODE. OKAY. CAN THE STATE PREEMPT YOU IN TERMS OF LIKE SAYING, WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO ADD RURAL SOLAR TO YOUR RURAL LAND USE? YOU KNOW, I GOTCHA. WELL, I DON'T THINK THEY DO THAT.
I THINK YOU CAN PRESERVE YOUR AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY OPERATIONS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. ALL RIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN. GO AHEAD, MR. BROWN. I GUESS I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL.
HAVE WE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH TONIGHT TO GO ON? I MEAN, BECAUSE IN MY MIND, I'M NOT SURE.
I DON'T FEEL WE HAVE. I KNOW, I DON'T FEEL I HAVE.
WELL, WE'LL GO BACK AND UNPACK. OKAY. DESCRIBE THAT.
WE'LL GO BACK AND UNPACK THE COMMENTS. OKAY. AND SEE IF WE'VE GOT SOME COMMONALITY.
I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME GOOD IDEAS OF THINGS. WE'LL COME BACK. WE'LL TRY TO. I THINK NOW WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, WE'D BE A LITTLE MORE FOCUSED. NEXT CONVERSATION, SAY, OKAY, NOW WE'VE HEARD KIND OF THESE THINGS. LET'S MAYBE HAVE A FEW OF THOSE.
WE CAN GET SOME CLEAR? AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.
WE'RE JUST SORT OF GIVING YOU LIKE SOME SOME THOUGHTS ON THAT.
AND SO I DO THINK THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH CONVERSATION.
I THINK I'M SENSING THERE'S ENOUGH FOR US TO.
IT'S NOT AS CLEAR AS YOU'RE ALL SAYING, HEY, WE'RE ALL RIGHT.
I GOT THIS THING FIGURED OUT FOR YOU. JUST PUT IT IN THE PLAN.
BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT. SO WOULD THAT BE, LIKE, ANOTHER DISCUSSION WITH US BEFORE THE NEXT CHECK IN? OFFICIAL CHECK IN? YEAH, I THINK WE'LL WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE'LL GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT INTERNALLY.
WE'LL TALK TO THE BERKELEY GROUP, OKAY. ON THEIR SCHEDULE, AND WE'LL GET WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR THERE AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET ON ANOTHER BOARD, ANOTHER WORKSHOP. I'D LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP. I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD FIND THAT IT'S UP TO THE BOARD. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A NEW CONVERSATION.
I'D LIKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I GOT CONCERNS WITH JUMPING TOO BIG ON LOT SIZE.
MY GRANDFATHER TOLD ME WHEN I WAS A KID, SON, BUY LAND.
THEY'RE NOT MAKING ANY MORE OF IT. YEAH, AND WE WEREN'T LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.
WE JUST WANTED TO POSE SOME QUESTIONS, HAVE SOME DISCUSSION, GET YOU THINKING ABOUT MAYBE YOU HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THESE OPTIONS AND AND ALTERNATIVES AND DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT THINGS. AND YOU MAY NOT LIKE THEM, YOU MAY LIKE THEM, YOU MAY LIKE SOME WE DON'T KNOW. THE IDEA WAS TO BRING THEM BEFORE YOU, TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, SOMETHING TO DIGEST OVER TIME. AND WE CAN COME BACK AND TRY TO NARROW THAT FOCUS DOWN.
WELL, I AGREE THIS NEEDS TO BE UP FRONT, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHERE THE UTILITIES ARE IN REFERENCE TO WHERE WE'RE HEADED FOR THE TIMING. I KNOW IT CAN'T BE EXACT, BUT IF THAT'S AN AREA WHERE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE OUT IN THE RURAL AREA WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO DO WELL IN SEPTIC, WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA AND A HANDLE ON WHAT'S GOING TO BE WHERE AND WHEN. RIGHT.
AND WHAT THE WHAT THE ALLOTMENT IS GOING TO BE.
WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE MORE OF THAT UTILITY COMPONENT FOR THE NEXT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
WE'RE DEFINITELY WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH UTILITIES ON THAT DISCUSSION.
SO I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY A SOMETHING WE COULD DO PRETTY, PRETTY REASONABLY GET THAT BACK, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS WELL. WE'RE TRYING TO LIKE I SAID, WE WENT THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT CHICKEN AND THE EGG. I HATE TO USE THAT CHICKEN AND THE EGG THING, BUT WE'LL GET CHICKEN IN THE EGG AND WHAT GOES FIRST TRYING TO GET THE LAND USE PIECE IN THE FRONT, AND THEN LET THE UTILITIES PIECE FEED INTO WHAT THE LAND USE PLAN IS GOING TO BE, AND LET THE LAND USE PLAN DICTATE WHERE THE UTILITIES GO.
OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, SIR. GENTLEMAN.
NO, SIR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT ON A COLD NIGHT. WATCH THE DEER WHEN YOU LEAVE.
ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I BELIEVE IT'S TIME FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. SECOND. WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN DECEMBER 10TH, 6 P.M..
RIGHT HERE. CALL THE ROLL, MISS. NOT MR. COX.
YES, MR. P YES. MRS.. WAYMACK. YES, MR. WEBB.
YES. MR. BROWN. YES. YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.