Madison County planning commission, supervisors recommend rezoning for Jonathan Vaughn’s turf and hardscaping business

The Madison County Planning Commission recommended and the Board of Supervisors approved a partial rezoning of land on a 27-acre parcel at 3351 Oak Park Road so the owner can operate an artificial turf and hardscaping business from an existing building.

The rezoning request, filed as case RZ-03-25-1 by property owner Jonathan Vaughn, would change a small portion of the parcel from A-1 (agricultural) to B-1 (business general). The commission made a motion to recommend approval, and the board subsequently voted to approve the planning commission recommendation.

Commissioners and staff said the area proposed for rezoning is under two acres and that approval would allow the applicant to operate legally without creating a broader pattern of spot zoning. Planning staff said the proposed use is consistent with other small businesses in the county and recommended approval.

Planning staff (Mister Nichols) told the commission that the plat shows the rezoned area “is less than 2 acres” and that the applicant has discussed entrance improvements with VDOT engineers. The applicant, Jonathan Vaughn, told the commission he is working with VDOT on sight distance and entrance width; he said VDOT inspected the site the afternoon of the meeting and that his site meets standards for a low-volume commercial entrance contingent on engineering specifications.

Vaughn described how he will handle heavy deliveries: he said the business typically receives about five tractor-trailer loads per year and that he has arranged a hub in North Carolina where bulk sand is unloaded into smaller box trucks for delivery, reducing the need for large tractor-trailers to use the site. “We get about 5 a year,” Vaughn said of tractor-trailer deliveries, and added that he will use smaller trucks where feasible to avoid widening the entrance or moving guardrails.

Commissioners raised two recurring concerns: (1) whether a home-occupation allowance could cover the operation if the owner establishes a residence on the property, and (2) the need for VDOT-approved improvements at the entrance because of truck traffic. One commissioner said letting the activity proceed via home-occupation rules could work if the owner lived on-site, but others said the entrance configuration and truck access made rezoning a cleaner, more enforceable outcome.

The planning commission moved to recommend approval; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The board of supervisors then voted to approve the application as recommended by the planning commission.

No public opposition was recorded in the remote comments portion of the planning hearing.

What the actions mean: The partial rezoning authorizes the owner to run the specified business use in the rezoned area under the county’s B-1 regulations. VDOT involvement remains necessary for any entrance widening or official roadway access improvements, and the applicant confirmed he is pursuing VDOT approval and engineering if the rezoning is finalized.

Details and next steps: The parcel is identified in county records as Madison County tax map 40-40. The parcel contains approximately 27 acres; the area proposed for rezoning is under two acres. The applicant said he expects to begin residence construction (foundation inspection pending county approval) and hopes to have a certificate of occupancy by December. Staff noted that if the applicant does not complete residential permitting he might not qualify for home-occupation provisions and that rezoning would be the clearer process to authorize the commercial use.