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control. Miller, an outspoken advocate of this approach, acknowledged that the inflexibility of rezoning has caused many of the county’s development related problems over the past four or five years. Now, he said, he favors regulating development through special use and exception permits instead.
McNear pointed out that unlike approval of rezoning, granting a special permit doesn't set a precedent for future development. “With a special excpetion permit (that can be granted for a specified period) you're looking at approval at a given point in time...What’s suitable now may not be suitable five years from now,” he noted.
In another departure from current regulations, the draft ordinance will require site plans. possibly both preliminary and final, for aO commercial, industrial and multi-family uses allowed by right and by special use and special exception permits. “A site plan’s purpose is to ensure compliance with your regulations—nothing else,” McNear told the commissioners.
Site plans may be required to show existing contours, finished contours, front sight elevation, parking, deacceleration lanes, landscaping—all aspects of the proposed development. “But you don't want to make the applicant spend an exhorbitant amount of money just to be told no!’’ McNear cautioned. He suggested that the commissioners allow some flexibility on which provisions of a site plan may be required and which may be waived.
Rappahannock has enough tots on record, filed before zoning and subdivision ordinance regulations were first adopted, to raise the county’s population four, five, even six times over. Many of the lots are unusable because the property won’t pass a percolation taste for septic field sewage disposal. This development control may be lifted, however, should the General Assembly approve new Health Department regulations that allow alternative sewage systems. With this in mind. Miller asked if anything* could be done to control* these existing lots.
The county may require that all lots front on a road maintained by the Virginia Department of Highways, according to McNear. In addition, he said, if a boundary line on a nonconforming lot is changed "one iota”, this can constitute a resubdivision with the result that the property owner must comply with all current zoning regulations. McNear said.
Repeatedly. McNear emphasized that changes incorporated in the draft ordinance are only suggestions and not final proposals. “It's not what I’m recommending. It's not what you’re recommending.’* he told the planners. “It's an attempt to get things moving in the right direction.”
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