Fauquier Planning Commission postpones vote on zoning text changes that would shift ARB duties to staff

The Fauquier County Planning Commission on Thursday postponed action for up to 60 days on a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment that would move many duties of the county’s Architectural Review Board to community development staff.

The amendment, initiated earlier this year by the Board of Supervisors, would amend Articles 4, 11, 14 and 15 of the zoning ordinance to transfer responsibilities the staff says the ARB has not been using and to remove the ARB review requirement for most wireless facility applications.

Ms. Marshall, community development staff, told the commission the Board of Supervisors asked staff in February 2025 to evaluate boards, commissions and committees and to propose eliminating or reallocating functions not required by the Code of Virginia. "Article 11 requires the ARB to review certain wireless facility applications. Since March of 2019, when this ordinance was adopted, the ARB has only been asked to review two such facilities," Marshall said, adding staff proposes shifting those reviews to community development staff. Marshall also said the ARB’s preservation-planning functions are now handled day-to-day by the preservation planner on staff and that some duties could be temporarily transferred until a historic district is proposed.

Speakers at the hearing urged caution. Bob Lea, a Marshall District resident who said he served 15 years as Fauquier County administrator and later 14 years as the Marshall District representative on the planning commission, said the ARB has been "a valuable local government component for identification, documentation, and continuing education regarding the county's significant historic resources." He told commissioners the ARB helped secure state and federal funding for heritage work and recommended preserving the ARB’s role in ordinance text rather than removing it. Mary Root, Lee Magisterial District and current chairman of the Architectural Review Board, described the board’s volunteer educational programs, walking tours and seminars and urged retaining the group’s formal status.

Staff acknowledged two letters raising concern that public notices did not clearly identify the ARB as affected by the amendment and recommended postponing action so the record could be clarified and additional public input obtained. The commission left the public hearing open and voted to postpone action up to 60 days.

Discussion vs. decision: commissioners did not adopt ordinance changes at the meeting; the matter was postponed. Staff indicated the transfer of duties could be temporary until a historic district is proposed and noted the Board of Supervisors could establish a separate citizen preservation committee under its own guidelines in the future.

The commission did not take final action; the public hearing remains open and the amendment will return for further consideration within the 60-day window.