Berryville Nixes Chickens In Town

Town of Berryville:

“Following a rare tie vote Tuesday night, the Town Council will not continue work on an ordinance that would have allowed Berryville residents to keep from four to eight chickens in backyard coops. After a report by council member Mary Daniel on the wording of a proposed ordinance to regulate egg-laying hens, Mayor Wilson Kirby asked for a vote on whether to continue ‘moving forward’ with the ordinance.

Kirby said he had talked to many residents, and all were uniformly against allowing their neighbors to keep chickens. Under the ordinance, the number of chickens would have been regulated by the size of residential lots. Town Manager Keith Dalton said it appeared that only a few lots could have more than the minimum of four hens and the largest flock could only be eight. Roosters would have been forbidden to limit noise.

Kirby said he was concerned about the expected $1,000 expense to advertise the new ordinance and have it vetted by town attorney Robert Mitchell. ‘I haven’t met one person who is in favor of chickens in Berryville,’ Kirby said. ‘Everybody is against it.’ Several of the newer subdivisions in town, governed by homeowners associations, bar chickens by covenants.”

~ Writes Val Van Meter of The Winchester Star

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Strasburg seeks input on new zoning guide

Town of Strasburg:

“Strasburg residents and business owners get a chance Monday to learn about new zoning and development rules under consideration. Town officials plan to hold a public meeting on the draft of the Unified Development Ordinance at 7 p.m. in the municipal building, 174 E. King St. Economic Development and Planning Manager Kimberly Murray said Thursday that town officials and the consulting firm will hold the meeting as part of the public rollout of the large document…

Town Council would not vote to adopt the regulations until March 11 at the earliest. As Murray explained, the ordinance is an attempt to streamline the process through which developers obtain permits needed for projects. The ordinance sets up a clearer timeline for the approval process, giving developers an idea of what they needed to provide to the town staff and when. The ordinance also calls for the town and developer to discuss the proposal before the application process begins. The ordinance also formalizes the technical review committee's involvement in the process, Murray said.

The new ordinance also would include regulations designed to prevent situations like the failed housing project on U.S. 11 once called Cedar Valley. Murray said the ordinance contains language that requires a developer clean up a site if a project falls through.”

~ Writes Alex Bridges of the NV Daily

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Hearing on tower changes revealing

Nelson County

“A proposed amendment to the Nelson County Zoning Ordinance pertaining to wireless communication towers was determined to be severely lacking at a recent Nelson County Board of Supervisors meeting. Last Thursday, the board held a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the Nelson County Zoning Ordinance that deals with the repeal and replacement of sections of Article 20, regarding communication towers.

Tim Padalino, the Nelson County Planning & Zoning Director, highlighted some of the important changes for the supervisors, including adjustments to tower classifications; application procedures; required minimum setbacks from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive and other Virginia Scenic Byways; removal and reporting of facilities; and the application fee schedule. Under the proposed replacement section, the new category for personal wireless service, or Class C facilities, would be similar to what currently is the Class IV category for personal wireless service facilities, with a few significant changes. Several speakers at the public hearing said there were problems with the proposed replacement sections.”

~Writes Katherine Lacaze of the Nelson County Times

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Albemarle panel makes tweaks to steep-slopes ordinance

Albemarle County

“Thanks to a simplified review process, it soon may be easier and cheaper for some residents in growth areas of Albemarle County to develop on steep slopes. At the same time, other, more-sensitive slopes will get additional protections.

‘There are probably individuals who are re-grading their yards, putting in sheds and terracing their lawns without appropriate building permits because it is a hassle to get,’ said Bill Fritz, the county’s chief of special projects. ‘Hopefully, by making the ordinance easier to comply with, people will comply with it.’

Earlier this week, the Planning Commission recommended approval of ordinance changes reclassifying critical slopes in the growth areas as either managed or preserved. In addition to simplifying the permit process, the ordinance will cut costs to both the county and residents.”

~Writes Effie Nicholaou of Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Senator backs zoning referendum bill

Grayson County

“Grayson supervisors’ effort to put the future of zoning before county voters now has a sponsor in the General Assembly. A three-member majority of Grayson County supervisors voted Jan. 9 to direct county staff to pursue a special referendum vote on the issue of repealing the county’s zoning ordinance, which requires General Assembly approval.

Sen. Bill Carrico is sponsoring legislation in the General Assembly that would allow Grayson to put its zoning law to a public vote. Sen. Bill Carrico is sponsoring legislation in the General Assembly that would allow Grayson to put its zoning law to a public vote. On Jan. 17, Senate Bill 668 was presented to the General Assembly by Sen. Bill Carrico of Fries. The bill, if passed, would require Grayson County Circuit Court to order the referendum vote on or before Aug. 15, 2014. The referendum vote would be held in conjunction with the 2014 general election in November, and would ask qualified voters the question, ‘Shall the county repeal the existing zoning ordinance for the County of Grayson?’ Citizens would vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

~Writes Patrick Smith of the Galax Gazette

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New Farm Brewery Legislation

General Assembly

“The Senate has overwhelmingly approved SB 430, which creates a new farm brewery license and sets out the privileges of this new license and the state and local license tax. It limits application of local zoning ordinances to farm breweries in a manner similar to farm wineries, but goes further by limiting local restrictions on parking and access. The bill utilizes language that exists in current Code provisions related to farm wineries, allowing yet-to-be defined “usual and customary” activities at such breweries unless the activity causes substantial impact on the health, safety or welfare of the public. It prevents minimum parking, road access or road upgrade requirements for these new breweries if they are on land zoned agricultural, unless there is a substantial impact. It provides no clear thresholds and safeguards to ensure farm breweries are growing a sizable quantity of local agriculture products that can be used in the manufacture of beer. This bill overrides local efforts to involve the public in adopting zoning regulations for agricultural-related operations and activities.”

~Writes David Blount TJPDC Legislative Liaison