County Planning Commission approves new Rockland subdivision plat plan and public hearing for new self storage facility

With a packed agenda and one commissioner short as the result of the resignation of South River District commissioner Crystal Beall, the Warren County Planning Commission plowed through its March 10 meeting with little fanfare but a lot of information. The press packet rivaled “War and Peace” for volume.

Chairman Robert Myers first opened the floor for public presentations but there were no takers for the opportunity to address the commission with planning issues that were not on the agenda, even though there were several citizens who had signed up to participate in one or more of the four scheduled conditional use permit public hearings.

Chad Evetts addresses the Planning Commission regarding safety and road conditions affecting Short-Term tourist rentals.

Planner Matt Wendling summarized a request for a conditional use permit by Justin and Felicia Katzovitz for a short-term tourist rental at 1253 Liberty Hall Road in the South River Magisterial District. The applicants intend to offset some costs of maintaining the property by offering tourist rentals. The portion of Liberty Hall Road closest to the property is unpaved and less maintained, and the planning department has received some concerns about it. When Chairman Myers opened the public hearing, the citizen concerns revolved around increased traffic on a poorly maintained road, and the potential for people unfamiliar with the road to drive too fast.

One of the six speakers was favorable to the use, citing good experience with other short-term tourist rentals in the area being better maintained and lower impact on their neighborhoods, so long as they were managed well. Once the citizen input was complete, Vice Chairman Henry reminded the audience that short-term rentals usually reduce the traffic load, since they are primarily weekend use, as opposed to long-term rentals which generate daily trips. In addition, a problematic short-term tourist renter is gone at the end of the weekend, but a long-term renter can be a long-term headache. Long-term rental is a by-right use, meaning a property owner does not need a permit to do it.

Regarding the maintenance of the road and the speed limit, Vice Chairman Henry asked the planning department if the Virginia Department of Transportation could look at that portion of the road and advise on the speed limit and road geometry. Planner Wendling indicated that they could ask VDOT to take a look. The commissioners unanimously recommended approval of the permit
John and Sheila Kirkpatrick are requesting a conditional use permit to construct a guest house on their property on Red Hille Way in the Shenandoah Magisterial District. The property is zoned Agricultural and the applicants are building a residence there. The guest house will provide lodging for the Kirkpatricks as they oversee the construction of their home, and thereafter will be used only for friends and family, not as a commercial enterprise. One citizen was concerned about the placement of the septic system The Commission unanimously recommended approval.

Finally, Carl and Jennifer Ey have requested two conditional use permits for short-term tourist rentals for two adjoining properties at 1406 and 1408 Panhandle Road in the South River Magisterial District. Their request generated no additional questions from the commission and the recommendation for approval was unanimously approved.

Planning Staff Matt Wendling and Joe Petty explain conditional use permit guidelines for short-term tourist rentals to the Planning Commission.

Having dealt with the public hearings and permit recommendations in short order, the commission faced a stack of authorizations to advertise a total of 12 requests.

An unusual request for rezoning and amendment of the Warren County Zoning Map was submitted by Michael and Barbara Olsen, for a 30-acre parcel off High Top Road in the Shenandoah Magisterial District. The applicants intend to turn their parcel from single-family Residential (R-1) back to Agricultural so that it can be used as a tree farm for native Virginia species as it is part of the 630-acre Blue Ridge reserve Conservation easement. The underlying zoning is still Residential, however, so this request would protect it from future development while allowing it to be used for forestry agriculture. The commissioners unanimously agreed to advertise the public hearing for the request.

Six more requests for Conditional Use Permits were considered for short-term tourist rentals and approved for an advertisement for public hearings next month.

Two Conditional Use Permit requests from Front Royal Self Storage, LLC were presented for a facility at 8897 Winchester Road for the construction of a climate-controlled 39,000 sq. ft. building and 38,000 sq. ft. of drive-up storage, as well as a car, boat, and RV storage area at the back of that lot. A representative for the applicant Ed Murphy provided a brief overview of the project, which would proceed in phases, depending on the business. Future expansion could eventually increase the total square footage of storage to 125,000. The property is zoned commercial and lies within the 340/522 overlay district which has architectural, landscape, and overall appearance requirements that must be met. The commissioners unanimously agreed for the requests to be advertised for the public hearing.

Jacob Foltz has requested a conditional use permit for a commercial repair garage on his property at 288 Durham Drive in the Fork Magisterial District. The applicant runs a mobile forklift repair business, and occasionally projects need to be brought back to the shop for additional work. The planning department has outlined the requirements for the facility, and the repair shop is a permitted use in the Agricultural District. The commission unanimously approved the advertisement for the public hearing.

George Lombardi has applied for a conditional use permit for private camping on a residential lot he owns on Harris Drive in the Shenandoah Magisterial District. He intends to use it for fishing and tent camping and to place a shed on the lot for storage of tools and equipment. The accessory structure must be permitted if the conditional use permit is approved. The commission unanimously approved the advertisement for a public hearing.

The other major action of the commission was the final plat approval of a Class B Subdivision containing 97 Acres and 16 lots at the corner of Rockland Road and Benny’s Beach Road in the Shenandoah Magisterial District. “A Class B subdivision is one resulting in five or more lots being created, where their frontage is entirely upon existing streets in the state highway system, or meeting the standards for acceptance into such system, and there is no dedication of land to public use other than the widening of an existing right-of-way and no required improvements; or subdivisions of less than five lots where the parent tract has been the subject of a previous subdivision of land within the last two years.” (Warren County code, Chapter 155 § 155-21)

This plat approval simply divides the property, but it does not mean houses will be built on any of the lots. Any buildings, road changes, or utilities would require additional approvals and permits. The Commission unanimously approved the Plat.

Newly appointed Assistant County Administrator Taryn Logan in her dual role as County Director of Planning along with Assistant County attorney Caitlyn Jordan brief the Planning Commission on a new subdivision plat on Rockland Road.

Planning Director Taryn Logan provided a summary of Planning Commission Activities for 2020, including 11 Regular Meetings and three work sessions. The Planning Department processed 191 new housing unit permits, which equates to a 1.9% growth rate. The Warren County vision is that the growth rate should range from 2- 3%.

The Meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.