Planning Commission recommends Frytown private-street waiver, drops paved-surface condition

The Fauquier County Planning Commission voted to forward a category 29 special-exception application to the Board of Supervisors recommending approval of a private street extension in the village of Frytown, and the commission removed a staff condition that would have required a two-inch paved surface where slopes exceed 7 percent.

The applicant, Ruth Holbrook, asked to subdivide Lot 2B into two lots and extend an existing private street to serve a total of three lots. The proposed private street would extend roughly 729 feet within a 50-foot ingress/egress easement, with cross-sections consisting of an 18-foot travelway and 1-foot shoulders. Because the street would exceed 700 feet and portions would have slopes up to 12 percent, the applicant requested two waivers from subdivision standards: a length waiver and a slope waiver.

Ms. Worley, community development staff, presented details and noted staff included a suggested condition that a two-inch bituminous surface be installed where slopes exceed 7 percent because the overall average slope is about 7.4 percent. Ruth Holbrook, the property owner, told the commission that paving would be expensive and could present a hardship. Commissioner Smith said he did not want to place the additional cost on the applicant and recommended removing the paving requirement; the commission agreed and moved the item forward to the Board of Supervisors with that revised recommendation.

Discussion vs. decision: the Planning Commission recommended approval to the Board of Supervisors and removed the condition requiring a two-inch paved surface on steeper portions. The Board of Supervisors will make final determinations on the requested waivers and any conditions.

Next steps: staff will include the commission’s recommendation and the requested waiver findings in the referral package to the Board of Supervisors.