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Board weighs 30-foot functional right-of-way for 25-acre divisions, seeks VDOT input and consolidated draft
Summary
Page County staff presented draft subdivision ordinance language offering a 30-foot functional right-of-way alternative for 25-acre divisions; supervisors discussed fire/rescue access, VDOT acceptance and non-family-division inconsistencies and agreed to delay final action pending a consolidated draft and outside review.
Page County staff presented draft amendments to the subdivision ordinance on June 2 that would allow a 30-foot functional right-of-way as an alternative to the 50-foot right-of-way for 25-acre divisions; supervisors discussed safety, maintenance acceptance by the Virginia Department of Transportation and whether the draft should be folded into a consolidated ordinance before final action.
"I was tasked to come up with some language offering an alternative to the 50 foot right of way for 25 acre divisions and that is in your draft that you have before you," said Josh, planning staff, who said Tyler Austin of RACI Engineering assisted in drafting and the county attorney had reviewed the language. Josh described the 30-foot right-of-way as based on an interpretation of VDOT design guidance for a one-lane road.
Board members raised several concerns. Supervisor Hunt noted a potential inconsistency: the draft applies the 30-foot option to 25-acre divisions but not to non-family divisions, which currently require a 50-foot right-of-way, and warned that could create problems later. Chairman Berner and other supervisors emphasized that roads must be wide enough for fire and rescue, and that VDOT (referred to in discussion as BDOT/VDOT) typically requires 50 feet for acceptance into state maintenance under the Secondary Street Acceptance Manual.
Josh said the 30-foot functional right-of-way was designed "based on Tyler Austin's interpretation of the VDOT's manual for a one lane road" and noted the draft does not yet include attachments such as bus-turnaround standards that are in VDOT guidance. Supervisors suggested staff consult VDOT's Harrisonburg residency and Jeff Lineberry to confirm whether roads built under the proposed functional right-of-way would be eligible for state acceptance and whether traffic-count thresholds or bus-turnaround language should be added.
Rather than adopt the narrower standard immediately, the board directed staff to include the revisions in a consolidated subdivision ordinance and to return with additional input from VDOT and the planning commission. Several supervisors urged more joint meetings between the board and the planning commission to resolve outstanding issues; no formal vote was taken on the draft at the meeting.
The discussion focused on balancing a desire to reduce burdens on landowners dividing 25-acre parcels with safety, maintenance and future state-acceptance concerns for new roads. Staff offered to provide a revised draft limited to VDOT-related language or to delay further changes until the consolidated document is ready; a timeline of roughly 45 days to 2 months was discussed as a possibility but no firm deadline was set.
