By DAPHNE HUTCHINSON

By DAPHNE HUTCHINSON

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

It was two years in the making - or eight years if the review and revision begun by former Commonwealth’s Attorney George Davis is counted. But however long it took to arrive, Rappahannock County’s new zoning ordinance is now officially here.

In action that was almost anticlimactic after the furor of earlier public hearings, the four supervisors at Monday’s meeting voted unanimously to adopt the rewritten land use regulations. And the work by the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission and professional planner Richard McNear that has continued steadily for the past two years went on right up to that vote.

At the request of the Water and Sewer Authority, the supervisors added a provision to require a permit from the WSA as a prerequisite to a building permit for any construction in the Sperryville service district which involves plumbing or sewage disposal. WSA member Carson Johnson noted that a mandatory hook-up applies to buildings with sanitary facilities which are located in the town or within 300 feet of the sewer lines.

In addition, the supervisors revised the provision for migrant farm labor camps.

Rappahannock’s orchardists were present in force to add their arguments to those of Supervisor J. Newbill Miller. Asking that the nine month limitation on occupancy of a migrant labor camp be dropped, Mr. Miller suggested that use be restricted only to seasonal, adult workers. “It takes people in the orchard 12 months of the year ... I don’t think we should create an environment where horticulture can’t exist.”

Calling the issue of migrant housing a “county-wide problem,” Supervisor J. R. Latham proposed allowing the camps in agriculture and conservation districts by special exception, rather than by special use permit. “Then they’d come before the Board of Supervisors rather than the Board of Zoning Appeals.”

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