UPCOMING: - Thursday, January 17th - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY - 3:00pm The Nelson Center (NOTE: This is a change from the regular meeting date.) - Wednesday, January 23rd - PLANNING COMMISSION - 7:30pm Courthouse - Thursday, January 24th - BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - 7:30pm Courthouse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Saturday, January 26th - Rural Nelson's First Community Dance Party - "From Aretha to Ziggy" with Guest DJ's - at The Hamner Theater at the Rockfish Valley Community Center. Doors open at 8:00pm with a $5 - $10 suggested donation to benefit Rural Nelson. Cash Bar to benefit The Hamner Theater. 21 and over please. http://www.ruralnelson.org/RNDanceParty0801.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Tuesday, January 8, 2008 Present: Mr. Tommy Harvey, Mr. Allen Hale, Mr. Tommy Bruguiere and Ms. Connie Brennan (NOTE: No representative from the South District serving at this time.) ANNUAL ELECTION/REPRESENTATIVES - Supervisors voted on the following: CHAIR - Mr. Tommy Harvey VICE-CHAIR - Mr. Allen Hale REGULAR MEETING - Second Tuesday of each month at 2:00pm and 7:30pm plus a regular 7:30pm meeting on the Fourth Thursday of each month. PLANNING COMMISSION LIAISON - Mr. Tommy Bruguiere DEPUTY EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR - Ms. Jaime Miller ZONING ADMINISTRATOR - Mr. Stephen A. Carter VDOT REPORT - Mr. Kevin Wright presented information on fatalities in Nelson, noting the large increase from 3 in 2006 to 8 in 2007. He reported that fatalities are up statewide (1,012 in 2007), the highest rate of traffic deaths since 1981. Mr. Wright said that the Virginia State Police have joined with VDOT and DMV to create the Highway Safety Challenge (www.safeVAhighways.org) and will work for improvements through enforcement, education and engineering efforts. PUBLIC COMMENT - None REGION 2000 WATER SUPPLY PLANNING PROJECT - Mr. Mike Lawless with Draper Aden Associates reviewed the project, developed to meet the state's planning requirement and designed to create a comprehensive water supply planning process for local, regional and state water supplies. He noted that collection of existing data in one location has been the focus of the project with demand projections and alternative analysis work to being in the coming months. Mr. Lawless announced a Stakeholder Workshop on Wednesday, February 20th from 4pm - 7pm at the Lynchburg Public Library to provide information and obtain input from elected officials, staff, economic development personnel and interested public. Ms. Brennan asked whether the project would include a build-out analysis for each locality. Mr. Lawless said that coordinators are working with planning staff from each locality to determine both the worst-case-scenario build-out and a realistic build-out picture. Ms. Brennan asked whether the project would look at groundwater. Mr. Lawless said that the study would include both individual wells and municipal water sources. He said that the project is using Health Department well log information and that, while this project would not do individual well monitoring, it would identify areas where future monitoring might be needed. Mr. Bruguiere commented that the study could be used to limit growth in areas where there is limited water. Mr. Lawless agreed, noting that heavier growth could then be directed to areas of the county where water supplies could handle the demand. COURTHOUSE PROJECT - Mr. Randy Vaughan with Wiley & Wilson presented final schematic drawings for the project, which retains the Jefferson Building (current Sheriff's Office) as new office space; the old jail as bulk evidence storage; the Health Department Building and provides for security for the entire complex. The designs provide for one entrance for the public with a security checkpoint, a sallyport entrance for the Sheriff's Office for secure movement of prisoners, a new courts building and additional parking for the complex. The plans include replacement for roofs on the Health Department building, Jefferson Building and the 1960/1970 courthouse addition. Mr. Vaughan reviewed the traffic flow for the complex and for the buildings and noted security features to limit the public's access to court-related areas. He then reviewed the cost estimate components, noting a total project budget cost of $10,375,000 with completion of the project projected for 2010. Supervisors expressed their approval of the schematics with Mr. Hale noting that the plans achieve what must be accomplished within a budget that the county can afford. Mr. Carter noted that there is $7.5 million authorized in Rural Development funding for the project with the county to determine a funding source for the $2.5 million remaining. Supervisors voted 4-0 to authorize staff to proceed with the contract for the final design. REGIONAL SOLID WASTE PLAN - Supervisors voted 4-0 to adopt a resolution setting a public hearing date of February 12th at 7:30pm on the county's participation in the regional plan. (Note: A copy of the plan can be viewed at the County Administrator's office or online at www.nelsoncounty.com) COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT - Mr. Carter reported on the following: - 2008 General Re-Assessment - Real estate assessment notices will be mailed to all property owners by January 11th. Assessor's hearings will be conducted on January 14th-21st and January 21st-24th. Hearings before the Board of Equalization will follow the assessor's hearings. - Collection Centers Project - Completion of site construction for both facilities anticipated no later than January 31st. - Heritage Center - Roof replacement (classroom section only) is in process and may be completed by January 31st. A structural evaluation on the gymnasium building has been completed by NolenFrisa. The visual inspection of the facility has been completed with the report confirming concerns with the structural condition of that portion of the building and justifying limiting access to maintenance personnel only. The report noted severe cracking in the load-bearing walls, coupled with fairly significant horizontal and vertical movement of the walls and main floor level. The report also notes that the type of construction present in the gym has no backup structure that would enable it to distribute loads to other building elements in the case of partial failure. In the case of a partial failure of the exterior load bearing wall, it is likely that the failure would spread to the adjacent wall structure resulting in a significant collapse of the roof structure. NolenFrisa estimated repair costs at $250,000 to $400,000 but notes that once work exposes things that cannot be seen from outside, there is generally more repair to be done than originally anticipated. Supervisors directed staff to forward the report to The Heritage Center for their comments. APPOINTMENTS - Supervisors voted unanimously on the following appointments: - Board of Equalization - Mr. Donald Gray, North District - Ag & Forestal District Advisory Committee - Ms. Bo Holland (Faber) and Ms. Barbara Barton (Shipman) - Keep Nelson Beautiful - Ms. Paulette Albright, Ms. Susan McSwain, Ms. Anne Buteau, Ms. Lynn Grosz, Ms. Gail Roussos (all reappointments) - Land Use Panel - Mr. Hughes Swain, Mr. John Ed Purvis and Mr. Gordon Fletcher (all reappointments) EVENING SESSION - CLASS II COMMUNICATION TOWER/VERIZON WIRELESS, SPECIAL EXCEPTION - Mr. Boger reported that the applicant has requested a permit to erect a 95-foot metal communication tower on property owned by Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Mattox near 29 Whispering Pine Drive in Piney River (Permit granted by the Planning Commission at their November meeting.) The application requests a waiver for the required four-foot landscaped strip outside the perimeter of the facility because natural tree cover and existing vegetation provide screening from adjacent property. (The Planning Commission granted this waiver at their November meeting.) The application also requests a Special Exception to reduce the required 118.75 foot setback radius from the southern boundary of the property to approximately 50 feet. The proposed tower will be designed to collapse within the property line and any debris or ice from the tower will fall within the lease area as no guy wires are required for the tower. (This Special Exception requires approval by the Board of Supervisors.) With no public comment, Supervisors voted 4-0 to grant the Special Exception. ZONING & SUBDIVISION ORDINANCES - Supervisors, working with Mr. Phil Payne (County Attorney) and Mr. Boger (Planning Director), reviewed land division and development rights questions that have arisen since adoption of the amended ordinances (June 1, 2007). There are several questions - - How division rights are determined for parcels with internal lots and whether those division rights can be moved within internal lots to preserve the highest number of division rights. - Can a boundary line adjustment be used to add a parcel (purchased from an adjoining landowner) to an existing parcel and does that new purchase add to the total number of development rights available? - Can development rights be moved from multiple internal lots to one lot? - Can a landowner retain his pre-existing internal lot lines in order to preserve the highest number of division rights while either a) vacating the internal lot lines for purposes of re-division only or b) use boundary line adjustments to reconfigure the internal lots. After discussion and scenarios, Supervisors agreed that there is confusion about the definitions relating to boundary line adjustment and vacation of internal lot lines. They agreed that the intent was that adjustments or vacating of lines should not increase the number of division rights. They agreed that a boundary line adjustment should not be used to add a newly purchased parcel to the original parcel and increase the total number of division rights on the whole. Supervisors are still considering whether a landowner can move division rights from multiple internal lots to one lot. Mr. Harvey said that it could be preferable to have all of the lots in one place - clustered - rather than spread out over the whole parcel. He noted that the landowner would still have the same number of division rights. Mr. Hale stated that a boundary line adjustment should not be used to convey property. Supervisors directed staff to determine whether the language of the ordinances actually reflect their intentions. Supervisors noted that they have not answered all of the questions but intend to revisit the various issues. Copyright 2000-2008 by Rural Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Reports may be reprinted or excerpted with attribution. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OF INTEREST: - Wednesday, February 20th - 4:00pm-7:00pm Region 2000 Regional Water Supply Stakeholder Workshop - informational session and a time for input from interested public. Location: Lynchburg Public Library. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This report, sent to over 600 Nelson County citizens, was made possible by the generous donations of Rural Nelson members and supporters. We need your help to continue this service. Please consider donating. Kim T. Cash Field Officer Rural Nelson, Inc. P. O. Box 401 Lovingston, VA 22949 434.263.5000 www.ruralnelson.org