Board approves rezoning and conditional-use permit for Hunter Classical Christian School campus on Huguenot Trail

The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning ordinance (O2025-13) and a companion conditional-use permit (Resolution R2025-24) on April 28 to permit the Hunter Classical Christian School campus on a 27.3-acre parcel along Huguenot Trail.

What the board approved - Rezoning: The board rezoned 27.3 acres from rural residential to the Commerce Center district and replaced proffers previously attached to the site. The rezoning passed by unanimous vote. - Conditional-use permit (CUP): The CUP permits a private church and private school and attaches six conditions the applicant agreed to; the board approved the CUP by unanimous vote.

Key project specifics (as presented) - Parcel and layout: The site consists of 27.3 acres; roughly 65% of the site will remain open space, with the developable portion outside the mapped floodplain. One existing dwelling at 690 Huguenot Trail will remain; other structures will be removed. - Enrollment and staffing caps: Proffers and conditions limit the campus to a maximum of 475 students and up to 100 faculty and staff. The applicant currently enrolls about 50 students (K–8) at its Derbyshire Baptist Church location and plans phased expansion to K–12; the first ninth-grade class is expected fall 2025, and the site’s target opening is fall 2029. - Traffic and access: The property uses an existing frontage/service road and shared VDOT entrance; the application includes proffered frontage improvements, a widened service road (24-foot width), and a designated lane providing direct access to an adjacent parcel. The applicant agreed to employ traffic-control personnel at morning drop-off times once enrollment reaches 100. County staff noted Huguenot Trail’s nearby volumes are below the arterial’s design capacity and included analysis saying the site’s estimated vehicle trips are within local network capacity; the county and VDOT improvement projects (including a reinforced shoulder project slated for completion in the next several years) were cited as mitigation. - Proffers and conditions: The applicant proffered 10 items replacing prior site proffers; the CUP contains six explicit conditions including noise and hours limits consistent with county code, required site plan approval before building permits, and a cap on students and staff.

Public comment and board discussion - A nearby resident, Connie Harris, who said her family has lived at 1470 Huguenot Trail since 1830, spoke in favor and expressed a concern about potential athletic lighting spillover; board members noted Powhatan’s existing dark-sky and outdoor-recreation lighting standards that require shielded fixtures and time limits. - Supervisors asked questions about backup queues to Huguenot Trail and were told the distance from the shared entrance to the primary drop-off area is about 3,000 feet (roughly three-quarters of a mile), which staff said should prevent driveway queues reaching the state road. Supervisors also discussed regional traffic patterns and enforcement of speed limits in the area.

Vote Rezoning ordinance O2025-13: approved by roll call (Supervisor McClung—Aye; Supervisor Powers—Aye; Supervisor Kenny—Aye; Supervisor Morissette—Aye; Chair Donati—Aye). CUP resolution R2025-24: approved by roll call (same tally).

Next steps - Applicant to submit a detailed, approved site plan and then return for building permits and any required inspections. VDOT coordination will continue as frontage and intersection improvements proceed. The board noted ongoing monitoring of traffic and lighting impact during site-plan review.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this report include county staff (planning), applicant representatives (Hunter Classical Christian School headmaster Jeffrey Brown, board member Doug Halbertson, attorney Jared Anderson), and public commenters.