Nelson County approves amended six‑year roads plan; board votes to advance zoning drafts, defers Wintergreen fire‑marshal questions

Nelson County supervisors on Tuesday approved an amended six‑year secondary roads construction plan and discussed several other county matters, including zoning‑ordinance updates, a proposed Wintergreen fire marshal appointment and the county’s health insurance renewal.

The board voted to adopt resolution R‑2025‑15, approving the draft six‑year Secondary Road Construction and Improvement Plan as amended during the meeting. The vote came after a presentation and extended discussion with a Virginia Department of Transportation representative about current road maintenance needs, project sequencing and funding for fiscal year 2026.

Why it matters: Nelson County’s six‑year plan programs limited state secondary‑road construction funds that determine which unpaved and substandard roads receive hard‑surfacing or reconstruction in coming years. Changes to the plan reallocate scarce construction dollars and set priorities for multi‑year projects.

VDOT briefing and board discussion

Robert Brown, representing the Virginia Department of Transportation, told the board it is “experiencing a tremendous amount of potholes and water break up on our roads” and said crews are prioritizing safety‑sensitive repairs while many maintenance tasks are being deferred because storm and winter costs have strained maintenance budgets.

Brown told supervisors the draft allocation for FY 2026 is $454,996 and that three projects already carrying previous‑year funds are scheduled for reconstruction and hard surfacing this year. He identified earlier‑programmed projects that will be completed first and said funding will begin on Wheelers Cove Road in FY 2026 with an initial programming of $59,401 and completion expected in FY 2027.

Supervisors spent extensive time reviewing and reprioritizing the county’s unpaid‑road candidate list. Board members urged staff to consider adding Lonesome Pine and Findlay Gap, and to move Gullysville Road to a lower priority given limited remaining development past the last paved driveway.…