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Let’s get serious
At its last meeting, the Rappahannock Planning Commission unanimously endorsed an application for a special use permit from a Woodville furniture and cabinet maker. Nothing remarkable, except this particular cabinet maker has been in business at the village shop for more than four years without a permit.
The zoning ordinance is unambiguous: It specifies that in village residential zones, cabinet shops are allowed only by special use permit granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
The four-year after-the-fact application came only because neighbors raised the issue with the county’s zoning administrator.
The cabinet maker gave no explanation for his failure to comply with the zoning requirements. The Planning Commission asked for no reasons. Neither did they offer even a verbal tap on the wrist,
In Rappahannock County, there exists a general perception that in zoning matters, landowners should proceed as they choose and then come in for the necessary permits - after the land use is a fait accompli. By not saying “hey, you should have gotten this permit years ago! Why didn’t you?” the Planning Commissioners only reinforce that view.
We’re not advocating that the zoning book be thrown at the Woodville cabinet maker and others like him. But those who fail to abide by the county’s zoning regulations. - either through ignorance or willful disregard - should be reprimanded at the very least. Or better than a tap on the wrist, they should be slapped with a fine. That will send the clear message that Rappahannock County is'serious about its* zoning regulations. ,
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