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and hopefully would bring a residential or non-business buyer. "But, if not, (downzoning) could hurt us,” he added.
"Anything is sutyect to change prior to sending (the proposed ordinance) to the Board of Supervisors,” Commissioner Miller responded, adding that no decision regarding the former ski area property had been made. Miller said the property in question had been a major concern of Hampton District residents during the community meeting on the proposed zoning ordinance held there, where residents wanted the commercial tract downzoned.
Martin Woodard of Sperryville wondered if the proposed zoning document could be simpler, with less requirements on items such as off-street parking, noise and intensity of street lighting. Woodard thought such requirements would burden prospective business owners with unnecessary costs. "Is this really what Rappahannock County needs?” he asked.
Planner McNear responded, saying the zoning ordinance needed to be specific, something the 73 Ordinance was not. McNear said an ordinance that required “adequate” parking for a business might soon end up in court to determine the definition of "adequate.”
The proposed zoning ordinance included definitions, McNear said, which could avert lawsuits. "You shouldn’t have to file a suit to see what the zoning ordinance says,” McNear noted.
Ron Frazier, Amissville resident and president of the Rappahannock Public Action Committee (RPAC), presented a petition to the planners, and called for a referendum, which he said would allow the people of Rappahannock to decide which ordinance they wanted, the present or the proposed.
Frazier said 1,054 people had signed RPAC petitions, liiis petition called for a revision of the 73 Ordinance; an earlier petition had asked planners to table the proposed zoning ordinance, but to no avail, Frazier said.
Frazier also wondered if "topical” meetings on the proposed zoning ordinance were planned. Commissioner Miller said a series of Planning Commission meetings would be announced after the first of the year, at which the planners would review all suggestions made during the five community meetings. Miller added that the public would be welcome at these meetings, but that the meetings would not be public hearings.
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