Commission agrees to revise fence condition for Applegate auto‑repair case; schedules public hearing

The Planning Commission revisited special‑use case 25SUP353 (applicant Applegate) to clarify a privacy‑fence condition that the Board of Supervisors had flagged. Commissioners agreed to specify a six‑foot board privacy fence that the applicant will install if natural vegetation is removed on the applicant’s property or if adjoining parcels are developed within 50 feet of the applicant’s side or rear property lines.

Applicant Mr. Applegate told the commission he does not intend to install a fence now and said the timber buffer on his property already provides screening. He said he would install a fence only if neighboring development made it necessary and emphasized cost concerns for a full fence. Commissioners crafted a more precise conditional requirement: a six‑foot board fence on the sides and rear to be installed by the applicant should adjoining parcels be developed within 50 feet of the applicant’s property line. Commissioners also noted that existing vegetation could qualify as a barrier under VDOT standards.

Because the clarification materially changed the draft conditions, the commission voted to schedule a public hearing on the revised condition; staff set the hearing for June 23, 2025, and will notify adjacent property owners. The commission instructed staff to add the revised condition language to the packet and to coordinate with the county attorney if additional recorded language would be necessary to memorialize voluntary commitments.