The Tappahannock Planning Commission voted on November 5 to recommend denial of a rezoning request that would allow Bareford GMC to expand its vehicle storage space.
The 4-0 vote (Commissioner Maria Pitts was not present) occurred after Town Zoning Administrator James Knighton briefly reviewed a from Bareford GMC’s legal team regarding his staff report on the matter.
Last month, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing focusing on Bareford-Ball Inc.’s request that four parcels of land (totalling nearly three-quarters of an acre) along Daingerfield Street be rezoned from R-3 (Town Residential) to CG-2 (General Commercial).
During his report at last month’s meeting, Knighton said the properties in question have an assessed value of $93,400. He said that figure will climb to approximately $125,000 if the request is approved, yielding $113 in real estate taxes annually.
Regarding the town’s comdrea prehensive land use plan, Knighton said the proposal is not supported by the future land use map or goals in the land use chapter. He did say it is supported by Chapter 7 of the economic development section.
Knight offered the following summary of his staff report:
• Rezoning request aligns with the Economic Development goals of the Comprehensive Plan but not the future land use map or an objective of the land use chapter.
• Upzoning increases density and intensity of land use.
• Environmental impacts, transportation impacts and utility requirements will be reviewed thoroughly at time of full site plan submittal.
• No proffers have been submitted which could potentially allow the applicant to use this property for any of the listed uses in the CG-2 zoning district.
At last week’s session, Knighton told the planners that the Comprehensive Land Use plan is general in nature.
Knighton said some issues addressed in the legal counsel’s letter indicating support of the proposal via the comprehensive plan’s land use chapter were “general statements. There is commercial bordering these properties now. This is an addition of commercial property so you take that one way or the other.”
He also said the letter opposed his opinion that the proposal is not supported by the future land use map.
“Generally, the future land use map does not show general commercial in this area, but does, in fact, show residential,” Knighton said. “I thought that was a little odd. And, again, the Comprehensive Plan is general in nature…. At the end of the day your job as a Planning Commission member is to look at the property to determine if it is appropriate for all commercial uses in the CG-2 District.”
Moreover, Knighton said he felt the letter’s contention that the proposal supported four goals of the economic section.
During last month’s hearing, Carter Ball, representing his family, told the Commissioners that Bareford GMC purchased the properties a couple years ago.
“They are in poor condition and this is our attempt to remedy that,” Ball said during that hearing. “We need space. We are out of room. This entire rezoning is about supporting us and our ability to have a little breathing room so we can get organized and function better for our customers. We love this community as much as anyone and that’s why we’re here. This is our attempt at making those lots better than what they are right now.”
The Commissioners offered no comments before last week’s vote.
The Tappahannock Town Council is expected to hold a hearing regarding the rezoning request during its December 15 meeting.
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