Zoning

by Paul Komar, Fall 2003

Question: Will unclear zoning ordinances drive businesses into the wrong areas?

Background: Commercial development in Rappahannock County is becoming more of an issue as some residents look for more local goods and services, others worry about unsightly strip development cropping up, and still others want no development at all.

The way to manage development properly is through careful planning and clear ordinances. RLEP is concerned that the lack of definition for the zoning category "Village Commercial" may drive village-type businesses into the areas zoned as "Highway Commercial" and cause more development with greater visual and environmental impact.

The county has taken a large step in establishing the Highway Commercial zoning area between Washington and Sperryville. This area was to accept commercial businesses unable to fit within the typical villages or town because of space considerations or types of goods and services offered. The first occupant of this area is Rappahannock National Bank. Will businesses that might fit better in the villages go into the Commercial Center instead because of ill-defined ordinances?

The Village Commercial zoning category is not clearly defined and is applied to already established businesses, most of which have been around for many years. The rest of the nearby property is zoned Village Residential. Businesses wanting to go into a lot or building that is not already in use as Village Commercial must ask for a waiver or change in the zoning, but because the village boundaries are not clearly defined, the Village Commercial zoning category cannot be easily applied. Newly established businesses have therefore usually taken existing space in the Village Commercial areas and merely changed the products or services provided.

Many Rappahannock residents would like to have more businesses offering services or goods, but first the county must develop a viable village plan and better specify the type and size of businesses that will occupy the two types of commercial areas.

To do this, the county must address the following questions:

• Do village residents want shops and stores near them?
• What enticement can or should be offered by the county to business owners?
• How can the county control what businesses are in villages or on the highway?
• How do we balance the mix of commercial and residential development?
• What overarching infrastructure changes must be made to the comprehensive plan and the zoning ordinances?

Counties to the east have experienced the vicious circle in which an increase in residential development or commercial development drives the other. The county planners need to define the ground rules for village development and mitigate the development impacts to both areas. To do this, the county must determine the following:

• Location of the village center.
• The distance from that center to the village’s outer boundaries.
• The number of buildable lots that exist in that defined village area.
• The number of village commercial properties that support the buildable-lot forecast.
• Lot sizes outside the village area.
• How to preserve historical structures, open space, and viewsheds.

Village planning efforts will drive changes in the county’s comprehensive plan and ordinances as decisions are formulated. A good example for separating Village Commercial from Highway Commercial zoning is to place limitations on floor space requirements for each zoning area. Setback requirements, space for septic and wells, and lot size would also limit the building size.

The greatest barrier to expanding existing businesses or attracting new businesses in rural communities is inadequate infrastructure. While transportation, public utilities, and telecommunications systems provide support essentials to the business community, most utility companies cannot justify the upgrading expense when the return on investment takes decades.

What can we as citizens do now? The county’s planners have acknowledged that village planning is important, but public opinion on how villages should be vary widely. All village residents should take the opportunity to voice their opinions on current and proposed infrastructure. One way is to do this is to attend the public meetings that are currently under way on the county’s comprehensive plan.

The county government must fund the studies, surveys, facilitators, and other planning tools required to gather information for rendering a decision consistent with the goals of the comprehensive plan and preserve Rappahannock’s beauty. The recently completed Historical Survey was a good start.

The primary economic sources of revenue to the county, agriculture and tourism, should be considered in all planning. Demographic changes, such as an increase of the elderly population in the county, should also be factors.

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