This week in county government; Supes talk pay hike, ok ag operation in residential zoning; PC set for busy meeting, but consideration of proposed PUD near Gordonsville expected to be deferred

Engage Louisa is a nonpartisan newsletter that keeps folks informed about Louisa County government. We believe our community is stronger and our government serves us better when we increase transparency, accessibility, and engagement.

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This week in county government: public meetings, Dec. 11 through Dec. 16

For the latest information on county meetings including public meetings of boards, commissions, authorities, work groups, and internal county committees, click here. (Note: Louisa County occasionally schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).

Wednesday, Dec. 13

James River Water Authority, Fluvanna County Administration Building, 132 Main Street, Palmyra, 9 am. At publication time, an agenda wasn’t publicly available.

Louisa County Electoral Board, Office of Elections, 103 McDonald Street, Louisa, 10:30 am. (agenda)

Neighborhood Meeting, hosted by the Louisa County Community Development Department, Public Meeting Room, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 4 pm.

The Community Development Department will host a neighborhood meeting to provide two applicants an opportunity to discuss their land use requests. The meeting will focus on Louisa County’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to build a civic use building adjacent to the Louisa County Animal Shelter (see below for more information) and Essex Concrete Corporation’s request to rezone, from General Commercial (C-2) to General Industrial (I-2), 4 acres (portion of tmp 67 2 B,C) at Ferncliff to operate a concrete plant. (land use application)

Louisa County Water Authority, 23 Loudin Lane, Louisa, 6 pm. At publication time, an agenda wasn’t publicly available.

Thursday, Dec. 14

Louisa County Planning Commission, long-range planning work session, Public Meeting Room, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 5 pm. (agenda packet, livestream)

Louisa County Planning Commission, Public Meeting Room, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 7 pm. (agenda packet, livestream)

Other meetings

Monday, December 11

Mineral Town Council, 312 Mineral Ave., Mineral, 6:30 pm. At publication time, an agenda wasn’t publicly available.

Additional information about Louisa County’s upcoming public meetings is available here.

Interested in taking your talents to one of the county’s numerous boards and commissions? Find out more here including which boards have vacancies and how to apply.

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BOS Roundup: Supes talk pay hike, ok farm in residential zoning

The Louisa County Board of Supervisors last Tuesday night convened for its penultimate meeting of calendar year 2023, considering a wide-ranging agenda. Six of seven supervisors attended the meeting. Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams was absent. Check out a meeting roundup below. (meeting materials, video)

Supervisors to consider pay hike: The Board of Supervisors will consider upping members’ salaries. 

Supervisors voted 6-0 to consider a plan to hike board members’ pay at their December 18 meeting. Currently, members receive $9,000 annually while the board’s chair receives $10,200. Supervisors are also eligible for health insurance benefits.

Louisa District Supervisor Eric Purcell, whose term ends December 31, raised the issue at Tuesday’s meeting, noting that supervisors haven’t received a substantial pay increase since 2002. Purcell said that serving on the board requires a tremendous amount of work, and low pay and long hours could deter qualified candidates from vying for a seat. 

“I’m getting ready to leave this board and I think we have an interest as a county and as a county government entity, at a minimum, (to) not have artificial barriers or hindrances to attracting the kind of people who can do this job well,” Purcell said. “If they’re good and they have an interest in this county, and they want to serve this county, we should want them to serve this county or at least be willing to throw their hat in the ring to run in an election. Otherwise, we end up getting a much smaller candidate pool and, before long, I just don’t think the leadership is as well representative of the county as it should be.” 

Currently, five of seven board members are either retired or self-employed while two are employees of Louisa County Public Schools. In the last two election cycles, only one candidate has run for four of seven board seats. 

While supervisors didn’t discuss how much of a pay hike they’ll consider, Purcell said in his motion that the board should “look at supervisors’ salaries to bring them in line with our neighbors.”

When compared to rural neighboring localities, Louisa supervisors receive less pay than their counterparts in Orange and Goochland. Orange, which has roughly the same population as Louisa, pays its board members just under $13,000 annually and its chair just under $16,000. Goochland, which is less populous than Louisa, pays its board members $17,000 and its chair $19,000. Fluvanna, which also has fewer residents, matches Louisa’s current salaries. 

If the board votes for a pay hike, the raise wouldn’t go into effect until January of 2026 and would require action by a future board. State law requires that supervisors set their compensation prior to July 1 each year with the salary taking effect on January 1 in the year following an election. Four board members are up for election in 2025 while three seats were on the ballot this year.   

“Approval/appropriation of any necessary amounts would have to take place as part of the annual budget process, which concludes prior to July 1 in any given year,” County Administrator Christian Goodwin said in an email to Engage Louisa. 

Though supervisors haven’t significantly raised their pay since 2002 when they hiked salaries $3,000, the board quietly voted for a small pay increase earlier this year as part of the FY24 budget. According to the budget, supervisors increased the board’s compensation by five percent, matching the salary increase allotted to county staff. The increase, which won’t go into effect until January in accord with state law, raises the chairman’s salary by $510 and the other six members’ pay by $450. 

Supervisors last publicly discussed a pay hike during the FY22 budget process. In January 2021, Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams suggested that a pay raise might be in order, noting that the board was dominated by people who were either self-employed or retired. Like Purcell, he said an increase in compensation could draw more candidates. Supervisors sent the idea to their finance committee for consideration then didn’t bring it up again. 

Supes ok farm in residential zoning: Supervisors okayed Christopher and Katherine Myer’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to run an agricultural operation on about 42 acres of residentially zoned property just north of the Town of Mineral. The five subject parcels are located at and around 142 Old Tolersville Road in the Mineral Growth Area Overlay District. 

In their land use application, the Myers said they intend to raise cattle for beef production, keep horses, and grow hay for the animals and other farmers. They plan to build accessory agricultural structures and new fencing, implement rotational grazing techniques to prevent overgrazing and soil erosion, and maintain buffer zones and natural habitats to promote biodiversity and protect wildlife.

Though the property has been zoned residential since Louisa County adopted its zoning code in 1969 and abuts similarly zoned properties, it’s historically been used for agriculture, a point the Myers and other community members emphasized throughout the public approval process. 

At Tuesday’s public hearing, attorney Jim Lillie told the board that the Myers shouldn’t be required to get permission from the county to farm the property because of its agricultural history. He said that an agricultural operation constitutes a non-conforming use, meaning it’s grandfathered in and not subject to the current zoning code. 

Lillie pointed to a letter from Jimmie Spicer, whose family sold the property to the Myers earlier this year, to back up his argument. In the letter, Spicer details the farm’s “continuous agricultural uses.”

“For almost the last 100 years, crops were grown. They included corn, soybeans and hay. When not in crops, the fields were used for pasture. The corn and hay were essential in feeding of the livestock. Soybeans were usually sold to provide cash for operational needs. We also had chicken and hogs which were raised for family consumption,” Spicer writes. 

“(The Myers) should be able to continue with their agricultural operation and not have the burden of any oversight from the county,” Lillie said.

Senior Planner Tom Egeland acknowledged that farming the property is a non-conforming use, but he said that both staff and the applicant believe that a Conditional Use Permit “would eliminate any doubt of the continuous agricultural use on the subject property since the creation of the zoning ordinance in 1969.” Egeland added that the permit would give the Myer family “peace of mind that the agricultural operation meets the requirements of the current zoning ordinance.”

The board approved the CUP with four conditions including a prohibition on the use of biosolids and a provision that allows the Board of Supervisors or their designee to inspect the property at any reasonable time without prior notice.

The former condition was recommended by the Planning Commission, which cited concerns about the potential use of foul-smelling biosolids near the Town of Mineral. The latter condition, a standard part of the county’s CUPs, had sparked concern from the Myers, who worried that a county employee inspecting the property could inadvertently allow livestock to escape. Egeland said that staff discussed the condition with the applicant and “believes that the issue has been resolved leaving no need to modify the standard conditional use permit language.”

In motioning to approve the CUP, Board Chair and Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams said that, since an agricultural operation is grandfathered in, the county should reimburse the Myers the $690 they spent on applying for the CUP.  The board agreed to approve the CUP and reimburse the money in a 6-0 vote. 

Board sends staff recommendation to repeal Lake Anna shoreline ordinance to PC: Supervisors agreed to forward to the Planning Commission for consideration a recommendation to repeal parts of the Lake Anna shoreline ordinance. The recommendation came from the county’s professional planning staff. 

Adopted in 2005, the ordinance lays out development and design standards for overwater structures like docks, boathouses and boardwalks. The ordinance largely duplicates Dominion Energy’s development guidelines. Dominion owns the lake and its shoreline but allows adjoining property owners to construct overwater structures via individual use agreements. 

In a memo to the board, Community Development Department staff notes that the overlapping regulations cause confusion and increase project review times. Of the three localities home to Lake Anna shoreline—Spotsylvania, Louisa and Orange—only Louisa has a separate shoreline ordinance.

County Administrator Christian Goodwin reiterated those points Tuesday night, noting that Dominion is the ultimate decision-maker regarding what’s built on its property.

“The county doesn’t really have direct control over what is built out over the water in terms of how it’s oriented. The county does have control, through a building permit process, whether something is built safely and in a compliant manner according to the Uniform Statewide Building Code,” Goodwin said. “We have a situation where the county is applying a set of ordinances and Dominion is also applying its set of rules that look exactly like the county’s ordinances and truly it’s Dominion’s property.”

Board Chair and Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams, who represents the upper end of the lake, agreed. Adams said that through the shoreline ordinance, staff is tasked with figuring out where property owners’ riparian rights extend onto the lake, a job that has become increasingly complicated as more homes are built. He said the job is eating up staff time even as the county doesn’t have the final say on where structures are built. 

“The spirit behind the shoreline ordinance 18 years ago was probably needed. That’s when the lake was kind of the wild, wild west,” Adams said. “You start extending property lines over the back of a cove and it’s like a hundred people playing laser tag. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. Once staff goes through that process, it goes to Dominion who has the final say. I think that we’re duplicating effort.”

But two longtime supervisors cautioned that the board shouldn’t rush into repealing the ordinance. Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow and Cuckoo District Supervisor Willie Gentry, whose district includes much of the lower end of the lake, said that the county had good reasons for adopting the ordinance and they want to ensure that, if the board opts to get rid of it, Dominion doesn’t allow structures to be built that the county finds problematic. 

Barlow said that the ordinance was adopted, in part, because a developer proposed a 15-acre floating development near the Route 208 bridge while Gentry, who led the committee that crafted the ordinance, said safety was a leading factor in its creation. 

“I just think we need to be cognizant of what could happen without the ordinance and really need to know how (Dominion) is going to enforce their (rules). They own the lake, but the lake is in Louisa County,” Barlow said. 

Ultimately, the board agreed to send staff’s recommendation to the Planning Commission. 

Staff recommends repealing two parts of the ordinance, which address “Safe navigation” and “Neighbor policies,” because they mostly duplicate Dominion’s regulations. Staff’s recommendation would leave intact a third section of the ordinance related to erosion and sediment control, which isn’t covered in Dominion’s guidelines. A fourth section addressing dredging would refer to Dominion’s rules.   

Any changes to the shoreline ordinance would require a public hearing in front of both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors and an affirmative vote by the board.

Health Department settling into new location: The Louisa County Health Department is settling into a new home.

After more than a decade operating out of mobile units adjacent to the Betty Queen Center, the health department has moved to the Louisa Medical Center at 101 Woolfolk Avenue in the Town of Louisa. The county-owned building is just across the street from the County Office Building.

Blue Ridge Health District Communications and Public Relations Manager Kathryn Goodman told the board during Tuesday’s meeting that the department’s Environmental Health Services unit would open the next day while its Women, Infant and Children’s Services (WIC) will be available this week. The department is expected to be fully up and running later this month when its clinical unit opens. Goodman said that the department is awaiting final review of its laboratory. 

Goodman thanked the board and county staff for helping facilitate the move. The county acquired the medical center from the Louisa Health Center Commission in 2019 then renovated a portion of the facility to make way for the health department. Earlier this year, supervisors approved a 10-year lease with the Virginia Department of Health. According to the agreement, VDH will pay $224,000 annually to lease 7,000 square feet. 

“We have spent months and months preparing for this and the new site is really a wonderful location. We’re excited to be there,” Goodman said, noting that the department plans to host an open house in mid-January. 

County exploring severing airport from IDA: While the Louisa County Industrial Development Authority is tasked with promoting and facilitating economic development, it also oversees the Louisa County Airport. The IDA is the only industrial development authority in the state that owns and operates an airport, receiving special permission from the General Assembly to act in that capacity. 

The relationship between the IDA and the airport has occasionally been a topic at board meetings with supervisors wondering whether the airport should remain under the authority’s control. 

Chair and Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams, who serves as the board’s liaison to the IDA, said Tuesday night that the county has convened a stakeholders’ group, composed of representatives from the Board of Supervisors and county staff, the authority and the airport, to explore whether the facility should come under county ownership. Adams said the group recently met for the first time and intends to continue meeting as it explores its options. 

“This will be a multi-month process. We’ll see where it goes,” Adams said. 

County gets clean audit: A representative from Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates briefed the board on Louisa County’s Fiscal Year 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, a document that includes the results of an independent audit and provides a snapshot of county finances. 

Auditor Michael Lupton told supervisors that the county received an “unmodified opinion” from his firm, meaning that the annual audit was “clean” and didn’t identify any significant issues. 

Check out Louisa County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for FY23 here.  

Supes ok amended design contract for turf fields: Supervisors approved an amendment to a contract for engineering and design work for a pair of turf fields set for construction behind Louisa County Middle School. The board previously approved a $180,000 contract with CHA for the design work. But the amendment raises that amount to $190,000. 

Deputy County Administrator Chris Coon told the board that the county had planned to build the fields atop two grass fields before discovering a force main at the site. The fields will instead be constructed just below the initial location. The move will require $5,250 in additional survey work. Another $4,750 is needed for contingencies.

At the request of Parks and Recreations Director James Smith, the board included $3.4 million for the fields in the FY24 capital budget. Smith said that the fields would provide much-needed practice facilities for youth sports. They’ll also offer low-maintenance, all-weather playing surfaces for both the Parks and Rec Department and Louisa County Public Schools. 

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PC set for busy meeting; Consideration of proposed mixed-use development near Gordonsville expected to be deferred

The Louisa County Planning Commission on Thursday night will convene for its final meeting of 2023 with a busy agenda on tap. Commissioners will consider Louisa County’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to construct a building designated for civic use adjacent to the Louisa County Animal Shelter. They’ll also consider a rezoning request that would clear the way for more residential lots off Halls Store Road and a request for a Conditional Use Permit to establish a contractor’s office and shop on Kentucky Springs Road. 

But the marquee item on the meeting agenda—Matthew Crane’s request to rezone about 20 acres just east of Gordonsville for a mixed-use development—likely won’t be the subject of a public hearing. Crane sent an email to county staff on Friday asking to defer the item for 60 days. 

Another controversial project isn’t on the meeting agenda: BW Solar LLC’s request for a CUP to construct an up to 5 MW utility-scale solar array off Peach Grove Road near the upper end of Lake Anna. That item is expected to be considered at the commission’s January meeting.

Prior to its regular meeting, commissioners will convene for a 5 pm work session where they’ll review funding requests for capital projects proposed for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. They’ll also discuss draft appendices that could be added to the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.  

Developer requests 60-day deferral for proposed mixed-use development near Gordonsville: The developer hoping to build a mixed-use complex featuring apartments, townhomes, single-family residences and commercial space just outside the Town of Gordonsville has asked the Louisa County Planning Commission to defer consideration of the request for 60 days.

In an email to Community Development Department staff on Friday afternoon, Matthew Crane of Arterra Design and Construction said that, after meeting with county staff last week, the development team decided to ask for the delay.

“It was great to hear your thoughts and get your perspectives on the issues that need more attention and remain unresolved in our PUD application,” Crane wrote, adding that the development team agrees “that you were correct when suggesting that we ask for a delay before we go before the Planning Commission.”

In a memo to the commission, staff recommends approval of the deferral, noting that the applicant needs more time to “address comments about missing or uncertain information.” Louisa County officials typically grant applicants’ deferral requests.

Aside from a string of emails between County Planner Tom Egeland and the developers, the meeting materials don’t include any additional information about the proposed development, dubbed Spring Green Village. The developers held a neighborhood meeting to discuss the project several months ago before revising their application. Louisa County’s website includes some information about the proposal, but it’s unclear what changes have been made since the information was initially submitted in August.

According to the public hearing notice, Crane is requesting to rezone 19.9 acres at the intersection of James Madison Highway (Route 15) and Kloeckner Road (Route 860) from residential (R-2), Light Commercial (C-1) and Agricultural (A-2) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a mixed-use complex featuring residential and commercial space. The applicant is also asking for a Conditional Use Permit to allow multi-family housing in a mixed-use building and a special exception to increase the allowed density from 10 to 18 dwelling units per acre for 3.57 acres of the project.

The property, owned by Green Springs Two, LLC and Cyndra Flynn Kerley, is in the Gordonsville Growth Area Overlay District and the Green Springs Election District. It’s designated for mixed-use development on the Future Land Use Map in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

In an October 26 email to the development team, Egeland writes that the project had been accepted for consideration at the Planning Commission’s December meeting. But he asks the developers to obtain communication from the Town of Gordonsville confirming that water service is available and communication from the Rapidan Service Authority confirming the availability of sewer service. Egeland also notes that Louisa County Fire and EMS is expected to provide additional comments after reviewing the developers’ revised application and Louisa County Public Schools may have comments after reviewing the project’s fiscal impact analysis. It’s unclear if each of these issues remain outstanding. 

Louisa County asks for CUP to expand county facilities: Louisa County is asking for permission to expand its facilities on 104 acres near Pendleton. 

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing and consider whether to recommend to the Board of Supervisors approval of the county’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to erect a building designated for civic use at the end of Sacred Heart Avenue (Route 825) off Mica Road (Route 700) in the Cuckoo Election District (tmp 59-112).  The county-owned parcel is split-zoned Industrial Limited (I-1) and Agricultural (A-2) and primarily designated as rural/agricultural on the Future Land Use Map in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. 

The county is also asking the commission to declare the building in substantial accord with the Comp Plan. The determination is required under state code because the county proposes to expand public facilities. 

Deputy County Administrator Chris Coon said in the county’s land use application that it intends to build a multi-purpose building that includes office space, training/conference rooms and secure, multi-purpose rooms. The application doesn’t say which departments would use the building. Coon also notes that the county could expand “existing civic use structures and facilities on-site.”  

The property is already home to several county facilities including the Louisa County Animal Shelter and dog park, a fire training area, parking and storage, and a telecommunications tower. It adjoins the Louisa County Landfill. 

In its report, Louisa County Community Development Department staff recommends approval of the CUP. Staff also recommends that the commission find the facility in substantial accord with the Comp Plan.

“Utilizing the existing 104+ acre parcel owned by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors and expanding the civic (public) uses and facilities on-site, rather than adding new County facilities in a different area of the County, helps to preserve the rural areas of the County; conforming to the Goals of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan,” staff writes. 

While construction of a new county building isn’t included in the FY24 Capital Improvement Plan, expanding and upgrading county facilities has been a focus of local officials in the last several years. Last year, the county spent about $2 million to purchase the former Virginia Community Bank Building in the Louisa County Industrial Air Park. After extensive renovations, the building now houses the Human Services Department. The Board of Supervisors has also funded several other renovation projects.

PC to consider rezoning to allow more residential lots off Halls Store Road: A proposed rezoning to allow more residential lots in eastern Louisa County will again be the subject of a public hearing in front of the Planning Commission.

The commission, at its November 9 meeting, had planned to hold a public hearing and vote on whether to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve GK Structures, LLC’s request to rezone, from A-1 to A-2, about 21.9 acres (tmp 73-6-4) at the corner of Jefferson Highway (Route 33) and Halls Store Road (Route 612) in the Jackson Voting District. The rezoning would allow GK Structures to divide the property into seven residential lots, four more than what’s permitted under its current zoning.

At the request of Jackson District Commissioner Cy Weaver, who couldn’t attend the meeting, the commission instead opted to delay formal consideration of the request. Chair John Disosway opened the public hearing to allow citizens in attendance to weigh in before continuing it to Thursday’s meeting.

According to its land use application, GK Structures intends to divide the property into seven parcels, ranging in size from 1.6 to 6.8 acres. Six of the lots would front Halls Store Road, each with a private entrance. The seventh would have an entrance off Route 33. 

The applicant argues that the rezoning wouldn’t negatively impact the neighborhood, noting that the property is heavily wooded so it has ample mature vegetation for buffers and that the average lot size would likely exceed the size of many surrounding parcels. 

The company plans to build a single-family home on each lot with a target sales price between $300,000 and $350,000. As home prices climb in the county, the applicant argues that the rezoning would benefit the community, enabling GK Structures to provide more affordable housing options that meet the needs of young families and empty nesters. 

“(The) developer/builder applicant has a history of providing affordable one level living homes targeted at entry level buyers, aging in place buyers, and retirees,” GK Structures representative Larry Giannasi wrote in an email to county staff. “The home buyer who has historically purchased their homes has been of great benefit to the county. They usually are just starting out or empty nesters putting little strain on county resources.” 

But four neighbors who spoke during last month’s public hearing said they’re opposed to the rezoning and don’t want seven new homes in their neighborhood. The speakers said the new homes would threaten their community’s rural character and expressed concerns about increased traffic on Halls Store Road.

GK Structures will have an opportunity to make its case to the commission on Thursday and any community members who didn’t speak during last month’s hearing will get a chance to have their say. 

In its report, Louisa County Community Development staff said that while the 2040 Comprehensive Plan designates the area rural/agricultural, they don’t believe “the potential for seven (7) additional homes in this area of the County would conflict” with the plan.

Commission to consider CUP for contractor’s office: Commissioners will consider whether to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve Stafford Contracting, LLC’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a contractor’s office and shop on a 1.12-acre parcel (tmp 30-18-4) on Kentucky Springs Road (Route 652) in the Cuckoo Election District. The property is zoned light commercial (C-1) and in the Lake Anna Growth Area Overlay District in an area designated for low-density residential development on the Future Land Use Map in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The applicant is also asking for a proffer amendment to a previous rezoning that would permit the use on the property. 

According to its land use application, Stafford Contracting plans to establish a general contracting and home improvement business with a commercial building to house work vehicles, equipment, tools, and related materials as well as an office. Christian Ellis, the company’s owner, said the use would generate little traffic because of the nature of the business, which requires work to be done at customers’ homes.

Staff recommends approval of the CUP with five conditions, noting in its report that “the proposed use is consistent with the intended commercial support business for the Lake Anna Growth Area and that a contractor’s office and shop would have no adverse effect on the future land uses planned for the growth area.”

Beyond the CUP, the use also requires a proffer amendment because of a previous rezoning.  In August 2007, the Board of Supervisors rezoned 13.5 acres to Light Commercial (C-1) and established a list of permitted uses in a proffer statement. The list didn’t include a contractor’s office.

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Click here for contact information for the Louisa County Board of Supervisors. 

Find agendas and minutes from previous Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings as well as archived recordings here. 

Click here for contact information for the Louisa County School Board. 

Click here for minutes and agendas for School Board meetings. Click here for archived video.

Click here to access past editions of Engage Louisa.