Planning commission backs rezoning for Sullivan plumbing shop at 273 Dog Trail, recommends conditions on buffer and access

The Campbell County Planning Commission on March 24 recommended approval of a rezoning request for 273 Dog Trail that would allow a 5,000-square-foot plumbing service building and related operations.

The proposal, filed as PL-25-03-053 by Thomas Sullivan as agent for Heather Keith LLC, would change the parcel from agricultural to Business General conditional to permit a plumbing business with a garage/warehouse, employee parking and space to store company vehicles. Mitchell, a county planner, told the commission the request is conceptual and “not proffered, so the preliminary plan and the proposal are conceptual and nonbinding.”

The commission’s recommendation will go to the Campbell County Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled to hear the item in May.

Why it matters: The parcel sits in an area the county’s comprehensive plan labels “medium to high density residential and transitional,” and the staff report said the plan allows small pockets of commercial uses in some residential areas. Neighbors said locating a commercial service operation on the lot could change neighborhood character, increase truck traffic and remove mature woods that serve as screening and wildlife habitat.

The applicant and staff Thomas Sullivan, the applicant and agent, described his business and operations to commissioners and…