At its meeting, the Accomack County Board of Supervisors approved several planning and zoning changes after public hearings and directed staff to study travel-trailer placement and special-use permit standards.

What the board adopted

- Eastern Shore 9-1-1 commission amendment (11.3): The board adopted a draft ordinance that, among other items, seeks parity in compensation between dispatch staff employed by the commission and Northampton County Sheriff's Office employees with similar duties; approval by both Accomack and Northampton counties is required for the amendments to be binding. (Provenance: public hearing s=3559.975'adoption s=3662.8599.)

- Subdivision definition and process amendments (11.4): County staff said the change closes a loophole where lots were being recorded at the courthouse without staff review; the amendment expands the subdivision definition so certain lot splits and consolidations require staff review to ensure lots meet zoning and frontage requirements. The board modified language in committee to replace the term "developer" with "subdivider" to avoid unintended implications for ordinary landowners splitting property for family transfers. (Provenance: discussion s=3689.06'motion s=4807.825.)

- Approval-validity and conditional-use notice amendments (11.5): The board adopted changes that define how long permits and approvals remain valid (site development plans valid for five years) and align County practice with the notice provisions of the Code of Virginia (including twice-published notices with specified timing). The Planning Commission recommended a small change to the conditional-use notice timeline to ensure adequate public-notice windows. (Provenance: presentation s=4833.695'action s=5002.68.)

Travel trailers and RVs

- Staff presented an overview of travel-trailer proliferation and the Board of Zoning Appeals caseload; staff noted 201 notices of violation since January 2021 and 26 BZA cases that resulted in 36 legally approved trailers during the same period. Staff highlighted five main concerns: public safety and poor condition of some units, floodplain and resource-protection-area impacts, unknown waste disposal, increased density on small parcels, and incompatibility with rural character.

- The board voted to authorize staff to draft an initiating resolution and bring a study to the Planning Commission to consider ordinance amendments clarifying where and how travel trailers may be sited, for how long, and what design/separation standards should apply. Staff suggested clarifying separate treatment for temporary construction-occupancy trailers versus ongoing multi-unit trailer arrangements. (Provenance: travel-trailer presentation s=6462.5'motion s=6914.3.)

Why it matters: The subdivision change is designed to prevent unreviewed lot recordings that later cause permitting delays; the travel-trailer review is intended to give planners clearer tools to address complaints, illegal placements, and public-safety and environmental risks.

Ending: Staff will draft the initiating resolution and proposed ordinance language; the Planning Commission will review and return recommendations to the board for further action.