bors Henry and Meredith Gorfein with hills between it

bors Henry and Meredith Gorfein with hills between it and their residence.

According to Mr. Sharp, the facility was constructed for 16 but he initially sought a permit for 10 to avoid triggering stringent federal and state regulations and oversight of migrant housing. Those regulations come into play when more than 10 workers are involved. His new special exception application seeks to have the cap lifted to 16 for the harvest season only; for the rest of the year it would remain at 10.

To questions from the planners, he said the camp would be restricted to adults but by law, female workers would have to be allowed since to bar them would constitute discrimination on the basis of sex.

“Are there any year-round labor camps in this area?” asked Commissioner John Clark.

“In Flint Hill there’s one they operate more or less year round,” Mr. Sharp replied.

“There’s Clifton Miller’s,” added Chairman A. Y. Stokes.

“It seems like there’d be more local labor available in the winter (for pruning),” said Commissioner David Fannon, noting that, like Commissioner Clark, he saw a problem with allowing the camp to be used year-round.

“It’s a myth to think you can get good local help in Rappahannock to work on a farm,” maintained Commissioner Miller, himself a farmer with a beef cattle operation.

Mr. Sharp said he has 15,000 trees to prune. “It takes as much as an hour for one tree, and we have five months to do it in.”

Speaking in favor of Mr. Sharp’s application, trucker Steve Critzer said, “The apple industry has supported my business for the last four, five years,” and by bringing an influx of people to the county every fall and employing local workers at the packing house, it supports other Rappahannock businesses as well.

In considering the migrant camp proposal, Mr. Critzer contended, the commissioners must also con(Continued

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