By STELLA DEAN RICHARDS <

By STELLA DEAN RICHARDS <

Rappahannock Newa Staff Writer ,

The courtroom was packed December 18 for the joint public hear- j ing held by the Rappahannock , County Board of Supervisors and , the Rappahannock County Planning , Commission. Consideration of , whether the proposed location of the \ Rappahannock animal shelter at the : old Scrabble school was substan- , tially in accord with the 1980 Rappahannock County Comprehensive ] Plan was on the agenda for the evening, but within the first five min- ' utes the Board of Supervisors voted to halt all construction activities at the Scrabble site. ,

After additional discussion, the , Board also approved a motion sub- , mitted by Board member Nelson ■ Lane to withdraw its application for a building permit at the old Scrabble school. The Board agreed to hold another public hearing before construction begins — or resumes — on ( the proposed animal shelter.

Board chairman Hubert Gilkey was careful^ to add “it wasn’t said , that we wouldn’t use the Scrabble , site.”

In response to a question by Pat Saltonstall, Mr. Gilkey said that around $4,000 to $4,400 in public money had already been spent clearing land and laying footings at the Scrabble school.

“In the present Zoning Ordinance there is no place that allows for any animal shelter in any district,” said Mr. Gilkey.

Under the new Zoning Ordinance, an animal shelter may be built in an agricultural zone as a “special exception.” The Planning Commission recommended that the Board pass the new Zoning Ordinance, instead of amending the 1973 Zoning Ordinance to allow non-commercial kennels and animal shelters in agricultural districts as a use permitted by right.

Application of the “special exception” clause would require a public hearing, whereas amending the current ordinance to permit a use by right would not.