At its June 3 meeting, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors voted to accept proposed additions to the town water and sewer service area along U.S. 29 south of Culpeper and to leave in place the hashed service-area designation in the Inlet/Brandy Road area; the board also tabled indefinitely a separate request to expand the service area to cover the entirety of Tax Map 41 Parcel 126.

The decision affects which properties are eligible to connect to the town’s water and sewer mains and enforces the county’s mandatory connection rule that applies when a property lies within 300 feet of an existing water or sewer main. "If you're within the water and sewer service area, you cannot put in a well and septic system if you're within 300 feet of an existing water or sewer main," County staff said during the public hearing.

The choice matters because properties inside the service area are eligible to connect to public utilities but also must pay for any extensions needed to reach those mains; staff told supervisors that the developer is responsible for extending lines to serve new connections and that vacant parcels zoned for residential or commercial use may receive higher tax assessments if included in the service area.

Planning staff said the red‑hatched area under review is zoned and planned for development, is contiguous to the current service area, and is shown in the county’s water and sewer master plan. Staff recommended updating the town environs service area to either follow zoning lines or parcel lines; the board chose to accept additions along 29 and to table other proposed edits in the inlet area for further review.

Public commenters urged different outcomes. David Brown, representing Culpeper Stone and co‑owners Werder and Janice Willis and Rex Edwards, asked the board "to vote to not remove the service area outlined in that hatched section" and requested that any decision to expand the service area to the entirety of the parcel be deferred so the property owner could provide more information. Co‑owner Warda Willis said removing any part of the service area would "have a negative effect on its value" and would be inconsistent with the comprehensive plan’s designation of the parcel as a future growth area. Resident Justin Schenk said the low‑lying soils on his nearby seven‑acre lot made sewer access important if development reached Route 29.

Other public testimony took the opposite view. Laura Rogers said the rural agricultural (RA) portions behind heavy industrial (HI) parcels along Brandy Road are not compatible with increased urban service depth and recommended removing the urban service overlay from rural lands.

Supervisor Golgino moved to accept the proposed additions to the town water and sewer area along Route 29 south of town and to table proposed revisions in the Inlet area; Supervisor Bates seconded. After clarifying that tabling was intended to be indefinite and that the board would not remove the hashed service area, the motion carried on a voice vote.

Board members and staff said the expansion of service to the full Tax Map 41 Parcel 126 would be evaluated if and when the owner pursues rezoning or brings a site plan that demonstrates a viable connection. The board’s action preserves the current urban service overlay in the hashed area and leaves any full‑parcel expansion for a later, separate process.

Next steps: the county will keep the accepted additions in the town environs service area; any applicant seeking to expand service to cover the full parcel must pursue rezoning or a site plan and reintroduce the request to the board.