UPCOMING: - Thursday, February 1st - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY - 3:00pm at the Nelson Center - Tuesday, February 13th - BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - 2:00/7:30pm at the Courthouse -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLANNING COMMISSION Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Present: Ms. Philippa Proulx, Ms. Emily Hunt, Mr. Mike Harman, Ms. Linda Russell, Ms. Delores Truesdale and Mr. Tommy Harvey (Board Liaison) ELECTION OF 2007 OFFICERS - Commissioners elected the following officers: Chair: Ms. Proulx Vice-Chair: Ms. Hunt Secretary: Ms. Betty Fortune REZONING/MR. HAROLD L. DAVIS - withdrawn FINAL SUBDIVISION PLAT/NELSON COUNTY SERVICE AUTHORITY (NCSA) - With no public comment, Commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the final plat dividing two acres from the CVEC property in the Colleen Industrial Park for the proposed NCSA Operation Center. SITE PLAN/UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION - Mr. Jim Taggart with TCS Engineering, representing the applicant, submitted a final site plan for a Nellysford branch of the Credit Union on property located within the Wintergreen Planned Residential Community on 1.40 acres located on Rt. 151. Mr. Boger noted that the E&S plan has been approved and that the exterior of the building had been approved by the Wintergreen Architectural Review Board (ARB). Mr. Taggert reported that, based on comments received at the Site Plan Review meeting, the applicant has set aside an area in the front of the property for a possible future interconnectivity road. He said that the lighting and landscape plans have been sent out for engineering. Mr. Harvey said that the recent Nellysford plan includes a future road to connect properties to eliminate additional entrances onto Rt. 151. Ms. Russell said that there is also a concern that putting in a future connector road would require moving the proposed stormwater management pond on the property. Ms. Russell also said that the design of the building had been presented to the Wintergreen ARB as a "courtesy" review only. After further discussion about whether the other landowners in that area should be contacted about a connector road, Ms. Proulx opened the Public Hearing. Mr. Stuart Sadler reported that in additional to the adjoining property owner, High Country Associates owns a five- or ten-foot strip of property along the abandoned Rt. 634 and should be involved in any planning for a connector road that would utilize Rt. 634. Mr. Harvey said that the process is at the point where it is too late to talk about access issues and the Commission will have to approve what has been presented and hope that the access can be worked out. He volunteered to talk with the landowners involved to see what could be done. Commissioners voted 6-0 to approve the site plan dated 01/16/07 contingent on approval of the signage and lighting plans by the Planning Director. FINAL SUBDIVISION PLAT/MR. GLENN GOLDSTEIN - Mr. Stuart Sadler, representing the applicant, submitted a final site plan dividing 3.36 acres into 3 lots on property located in the Hickory Ridge Section of Wintergreen. Mr. Boger noted that the majority of the property is located in Augusta County but that since a small section is within Nelson County, the county must also approve the final plat. He noted that the lots will be served by public water and sewer. Mr. Sadler noted that the property is zoned Single Family Residential in the Planned Residential Community District and is not inconsistent with the development already there. He said that the existing lots in the Hickory Ridge section have central water but utilize septic tanks while the proposed lots (13 in total) will have central water and sewer, with the sewer system to be installed by the applicant. Mr. Sadler said that having a central sewer system available would allow existing property owners to join the system if their septic fields were to fail. Ms. Proulx asked whether existing property owners would be required to sign onto the system and Mr. Sadler said that they would not be required to but would have the opportunity to if they wished. Mr. Harvey said that he does not understand how Mr. Goldstein can own the sewer system when the NCSA has service rates. Mr. Sadler said that he was not involved in the actual negotiations between the NCSA and Mr. Goldstein. During Public Comment, Mr. Tom Dunkerton, an adjoining landowner, said that he is concerned about increasing the density in the area as he likes the quiet and low-density that now exists. He said that putting three houses where one house had been planned would increase the density and traffic in the area. Following Public Comment, Commissioners agreed that they would like clarification on the sewer system issues. Mr. Sadler noted that Augusta County will not consider the final plat until March and agreed that Nelson could postpone a decision until their February meeting to allow the applicant to provide the information requested. Commissioners voted 6-0 to postpone a decision until February to consider additional information on the ownership and operation of the sewer system. FINAL SUBDIVISION PLAT/MR. DAVID HALL - The applicant submitted a final plat dividing 10.06 acres into two lots of 6.428 and 3.634 acres at 399 Abby Lane, Highland on the James. With no public comment, Commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the final plat. SITE PLAN/MR. CLAY STEWART - The applicant submitted a site plan for Tye River Farms, Inc to locate a wholesale and retail nursery and landscape supply business. The property is zoned Industrial, M-2, and is located at 604 Thomas Nelson Highway just north of the entrance to Tye River Road. The proposal includes a Class I Communication Tower as the applicant plans to offer a broadband service as a part of his existing computer company. Mr. Boger noted that there are two existing commercial entrances to the property, no new signs are proposed and an E&S plan is not required as no land disturbing activities are planned. He reported that he, as Planning Director, will have to approve the Class I Communication Tower. Mr. Boger said that any new exterior lighting would have to be approved by the county. With no public comment, Commissioners voted 6-0 to approve the site plan contingent on VDOT approval of the entrances and the Planning Director's approval of any lighting. ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS - Commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the draft amendments dated January 18, 2007. SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS - Commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the draft amendments dated January 18, 2007. OTHER BUSINESS - Ms. Russell suggested that the Commissioners authorize Ms. Proulx, as Chair, to draft a written response to the three recommended procedural changes received from the County Administrator on behalf of the Supervisors: 1. consider removing the requirement for Board of Supervisors' review of preliminary and final plats; 2. consider removing the requirement for a public hearing on subdivision plats and site plans; and 3. establish a provision enabling the Board of Supervisors to have discretion to review any subdivision plats that it wishes to review. Ms. Proulx suggested that she draft a response for the full Commission to review prior to sending it to the Supervisors. Commissioners agreed by consensus. Meeting adjourned. Copyright 2000-2007 by Rural Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Reports may be reprinted or excerpted with attribution. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- OF INTEREST: - Wednesday, January 31st at 7:30pm at the Nelson Library - Blue Ridge Sierra Club - Chapin Wilson & Janice Jackson will give a travelog of their recent trip to Costa Rica. All are invited. - "Nelson County - 200 Years of People, Pathways and Progress" - sponsored by The Wintergreen Nature Foundation & the Nelson County Historical Society. All sessions at 7:00pm at the Rockfish River Elementary School. Rural Nelson members receive a discount on registration (One session $15). For tickets or information, call 325.8169 or visit www.twnf.org. Sessions: "Hardy Souls" - January 27th - looks at the hearty souls who were the first Nelson settlers. Led by prominent local experts and historians. "Love of the Land" - February 10th - long-gone days and more recent events are remembered for generations through music and narrative. Led by descendents of Nelson's early settlers. - The Nelson Historical Society and Oakland Museum are seeking volunteers - to share memories and photos for the Oral History Project; to work on committees or the Board - and donations - to pay off the mortgage; furnish the tavern; equip the office. For information, call 263.8400 or email info@historicnelson.org. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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