Neighbors fight

Neighbors fight

garage zoning

Settles’plan called

inappropriate in village

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

The Planning Commission tabled the request of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Settle to rezone about a half acre of property behind their service station on U.S. 522 in Flint Hill from Village Residential to Village Commercial. The request will be reconsidered next month.

James W. Fletcher III, representing the Settles, told the planners they wish to expand their garage use. He noted that the property does not have a recent survey but that it was combined from two parcels the Settles bought from the Burke family in the late 1950’s.

He said that the Settles were willing to offer two proffers on the rezoning: to erect a privacy fence to protect the neighbors’ view and not to keep abandoned vehicles on the property longer than six months.

The gas station garage is a non-conforming use grandfathered in when the original zoning ordinance was adopted in 1973, he said. “They are not planning on changing the use in the back,” he said, but they would prefer to park wrecked cars there instead of out in front where they are unsightly.

Mr. Fletcher said that the Settles have already spent a lot of money conforming with new requirements for underground storage tanks. He noted that many rural service stations have gone out of business or stopped selling gas and more will follow before 1992 when new Environmental Protection Agency standards fully take effect.

“They have expended over $100,000 to afford the community of Flint Hill and Wakefield District with gasoline,” he said. “They can move all the unattractive vehicles they want to the front because it’s a non-conforming use, and they can park as many licensed vehicles as they want in back on a residential lot.”

See GARAGE, p. 14