[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6143601,"mediaKeyId","5535419-e02a18a9a59887ed12e77871e226311a","parentId",5535419,"title","Rooted Land Company’s event‑venue and short‑term‑rental expansion advanced to planning commission","audioSeconds",1913,"startMs",2411000,"endMs",4324000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5535419-e02a18a9a59887ed12e77871e226311a&start=2411&end=4324","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5535419-e02a18a9a59887ed12e77871e226311a/thumbnail_2411000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6143601/Madison-County/Virginia/Rooted-Land-Companys-eventvenue-and-shorttermrental-expansion-advanced-to-planning-commission","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143601-ad13dd3ce30a2cbe5dfc6340835553a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775220602&Signature=cUbfA3nhxIbzAxk24a1oURxReE4xeTntt9bmmoFJRAp83UvywbkRtzyB-QAjYT0DV6fp-K6Q7JyC0CQfor7rTNN6EblD-q0udczlUEgT-grdqSGfWF~OXZHoL6O7Pn8xm6eYUSjIn9ot7YDwuCIHYTiTJSn9aQShmENFPisss1fU-EmFfZdl9x3uGGGtYyWXrdXDzYEL7GD3dBgK-ZBUhSPGI2Rcr5Yhw4ZArsPlmEY82IVKWAH7uhLPr6PaorLmDQqjFgac3pYi8~jatxdOuUSRkMlJsRsjE0cD7Jw4TZpxDByo-9HryTTKQbhL5X~pX~MVRbpiXK7ozZC3q~udMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Madison County, VA","date","2025-08-06T02:49:13Z","article","Rooted Land Company LLC — represented in the meeting by owner Zachary Whitman — will take its application for a special‑use permit to the Planning Commission after the Board granted a motion to advance the case.

Whitman told the board he operates four short‑term rental units on his property and is seeking to consolidate/replace the earlier special‑use permit with a new permit to allow up to 16 short‑term rentals across the parcels and to add two small event venues: a refurbished covered bridge (used for small ceremonies and photography) and a barn/pavilion with a modest covered event area. He described the project as agritourism, with on‑site gardens, cut‑flower sales and farm‑to‑table opportunities.

The application covers two parcels listed in the filing (described in the packet as totaling 257 acres) and includes four deeded entrances. Whitman said existing demand has driven the request: he told commissioners he declined “at least 80 requests for either locations or wedding events” and that his short‑term rental operation has “a 5‑star review with over, I think, 565 reviews now.” He said he intends to keep events small and boutique — he estimated no more than about 30 people on the covered bridge and no more than 50–60 at the barn pavilion — and emphasized he wants to limit traffic, noise and other neighborhood impacts.

County staff and commissioners focused on ingress/egress, sight distance, floodplain issues, public safety access, and health‑department requirements. The county’s road/staff review raised sight‑distance limits governed by VDOT standards: an entrance that generates 21–50 average daily trips requires stopping sight distance; above 51 trips requires the longer intersection sight distance. Staff noted that some cul‑de‑sac access points do not require sight‑distance improvements and that those access options could be part of a solution. The county also flagged that an agricultural low‑water crossing and an existing temporary crossing are part of the site’s current circulation and that Whitman is pursuing a permanent low‑water crossing engineered to handle heavy vehicles.

The health department noted well and septic review will be required as part of a final plan; staff said wells that would serve events or extended uses must meet yield and public‑health thresholds (the health department highlighted thresholds for structures and gatherings; specifics will be confirmed when a detailed plan is submitted). Road and emergency‑services staff raised emergency access concerns and recommended clarifying which entrances would serve as primary event ingress and emergency egress.

Whitman said he will engage neighbors and use a mailing list maintained by Phil Sterling to notify the neighborhood, host an on‑site information event, and post project details on a public website prior to the Planning Commission hearing. Commissioners encouraged Whitman to clarify the number and location of cabins/units, provide parking and traffic estimates, identify the primary access points for events and emergency vehicles, and show how new structures would avoid or mitigate floodplain risk.

The board’s motion to advance the application to the Planning Commission was made from the floor, seconded, and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The Planning Commission will review the full submission (access/sight‑distance analyses, floodplain/permitting details, well and septic permits, parking plans and neighborhood notice) and decide whether to recommend approval, modification, or denial. No special‑use permit was granted at the workshop.

Next steps: applicant to finalize and submit engineering, traffic/parking, and health‑department documentation; staff to route the full packet to the Planning Commission and advise on any VDOT sight‑distance or access upgrades required before a public hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Preliminary Development Review Committee 08/05/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Rooted Land Company LLC — represented by owner Zachary Whitman — will take an application for a special‑use permit to the Planning Commission after the Board voted to advance the case for full review.","taxTitle","Madison County, Virginia","taxId",37279,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6143606,"Madison planners advance Verizon/Towers LLC application after county asks for technical proof of need",2105,135000,2240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5535419-e02a18a9a59887ed12e77871e226311a&start=135&end=2240","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5535419-e02a18a9a59887ed12e77871e226311a/thumbnail_135000.jpg","/articles/6143606/Madison-County/Virginia/Madison-planners-advance-VerizonTowers-LLC-application-after-county-asks-for-technical-proof-of-need","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143606-dcfe14a826ad387caf0329c94a03bd6b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775220602&Signature=RboZ09MJPU7p38BaCP0cXl2ZmWBXVDnC1cpwWnfVyAMR-nuZM5ZTNkvB0mCzRXAi5FNX~l8r0alK~qGUwlyIQGb6xg7PuhhZInqyf8edBJ92ms97SlrzefzKH5hqlruZRGHQrb~AU5m47lAb-cYvNo4a2co2zJ8SjqbYf~9BIb0iNi~RO5QNu-YwCLoVFZjMj9Uif58qYLGew3awsyVu1zmW-A7-7MTCXNJjepdtlNTI8BAqeR7iy1J2s-Vf6WmswLxMeBhHItujn3M9DJpK8P98CmZJ-K5O3uSGbcwqrml2JbdCr~1SQTENuq47Hx8viYuaG76X0efCd-cBYblIMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Madison County planning staff agreed on a motion to send an application from Towers LLC — representing Verizon Wireless and tower-owner Vertical Bridge — to the county Planning Commission once the applicant submits the technical and application materials required by Madison County zoning ordinance 14-13-10.

The application seeks a special-use permit for a 125-foot monopole (129 feet overall including a 4-foot lightning rod) on a 1.7-acre parcel owned by Madison Wood Preservers (Madison County tax map 48-25). Stuart Squire, a land-use consultant representing Verizon Wireless, told the board the installation is intended to relieve overloaded capacity on nearby facilities and increase data capacity in the town of Madison and along Route 29.

County staff emphasized the applicant must document why existing sites cannot accommodate added capacity. Alan Nichols, a county planning staff member, told the commission the submission requirements at section 14-13-10 include an engineer’s written statement addressing technical data, a scheduled balloon test, and the advertising requirements needed for public notice. The board also highlighted section 14-13-6, which allows the county to require a third-party technical review at the applicant’s expense.

Squire said Verizon’s radio engineers documented “overloaded capacity on the surrounding towers,” and that the new facility is intended to offload traffic from two nearby sites (identified in the packet as Shelby at the fairgrounds and Zeus about three miles north). He described the proposed site as wooded, with the monopole center about 60 feet inside the property to avoid a creek and wetlands, a 12-foot gravel access drive from North Frontage Road, and no lighting on the tower. He said the facility will support Verizon’s latest technologies and “will be 5G initially” and will “support all of Verizon’s technologies.”

Supervisors and commissioners pressed the applicant to show why capacity — not coverage — required a new freestanding structure, noting Verizon service is visible in town now and that county ordinance encourages maximizing existing support structures and joint use where feasible. The board asked for data demonstrating that (1) existing towers cannot be reconfigured or shared to meet the stated capacity needs and (2) the proposed tower’s design and location meet fall-radius, setback, and height rules in the R-1 zoning context. Nichols clarified that the parcel is zoned R-1 but currently vacant, and the ordinance language restricting towers on lots whose principal use is single-family residential applies differently where no residence exists now.

Board members also discussed procedural items: whether the county would require a third-party technical review (the ordinance allows the county to do so and to bill the applicant for the consultant cost, not to exceed 2.5 times the zoning application fee), how the planning commission will determine the need for that review, and that the applicant must provide the engineer’s technical narrative and other items listed in 14-13-10 before the planning commission hearing. The board noted that some submission items — such as a validated fall-radius plan and a balloon test — should be included in the application packet.

The recorded motion (mover/second not clearly identified on the record) was to forward the application to the Planning Commission once all 14-13-10 submission requirements had been provided to staff. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. No special-use permit decision was made at the workshop; the action was procedural to advance the application for full review.

Next steps: the applicant will return with a complete submission (engineer’s technical statement, balloon test schedule and visual simulations, fall-radius calculations and setbacks, and required public notices). The Planning Commission will then decide whether to accept Verizon’s technical materials or to require a third-party review, as allowed under the ordinance. No building or construction authorization was granted at this meeting.","A proposed 125-foot monopole from Towers LLC (Verizon/Vertical Bridge) on Madison Wood Preservers property will go to the planning commission after the applicant agrees to submit detailed technical data required by county ordinance.","actionData","errors"]

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Rooted Land Company’s event‑venue and short‑term‑rental expansion advanced to planning commission

Madison planners advance Verizon/Towers LLC application after county asks for technical proof of need