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. Members also discussed Buffalo Station Road, Walk Around Lane and Greenfield Drive as candidates to move up the list; several supervisors noted citizen requests and traffic patterns as key criteria.

The board approved the plan as amended and directed staff to proceed to the public‑hearing process required for final adoption.

Zoning and subdivision ordinance update

Staff and Berkeley Group consultants told the board they need direction on which three of five proposed new zoning districts to draft for the county’s zoning ordinance update. Planning staff recommended drafting: a higher‑density residential district (R‑3), a village overlay for village centers identified in the comprehensive plan (Piney River, Gladstone, Schuyler/Shipman and others) and a Mountain Ridge overlay to protect ridgelines and steep slopes.

Dylan (staff planner) said those three were already in scope and recommended proceeding; supervisors agreed to direct staff to have Berkeley Group draft R‑3, the Village Overlay and the Route‑29 corridor overlay (the board discussed the mountain ridge overlay and asked staff to provide a ridgeline map and consider a possible later work order to add or refine that district). Staff said each additional district drafting task is roughly $2,500.

Wintergreen fire marshal proposal: discussion, no decision

The board resumed discussion of a proposed appointment of a Wintergreen fire marshal after the item had been deferred from February. Chief Sheets (present at the meeting) and other stakeholders described the concept as a locally funded safety resource for the Wintergreen community. Several supervisors asked how the local appointment would interact with the Code of Virginia and the statewide fire prevention code.

Staff and the county attorney were asked to provide clarification. The board agreed to arrange a smaller briefing with the state fire marshal’s office (staff referenced “Billy Hux” in the transcript) and representatives including the commonwealth’s attorney and sheriff to answer legal and enforcement questions; the board did not act on the appointment and will revisit the item after that briefing.

Employee health insurance renewal

County staff presented the annual health‑insurance renewal to the board and recommended adopting resolution R‑2025‑16 to approve participation and set employee rates for FY 2026. Candy (county staff) said Local Choice (the insurer pool) returned a 0% premium change for the county. Staff said plan offerings would remain the same — Key Advantage 250, Key Advantage 500 and a high‑deductible HSA plan for active employees and non‑Medicare retirees, plus an Advantage‑65 Medicare supplement plan for Medicare‑eligible retirees.

The board approved the renewal and rate resolution; staff noted about 151 employees are eligible for coverage and current participation is approximately 77 percent.

Other procedural actions and public‑comment highlights

- The board adopted a proclamation designating March 2025 as American Red Cross Month by acclamation. - The board approved the consent agenda by motion earlier in the meeting. - Supervisors authorized a public hearing (resolution R‑2025‑17) to amend county code section 2‑125 (elections, terms and vacancies) to align local deadlines with state code; the public hearing is scheduled for April 8 at 7 p.m.

During public comment, Judith Selzer introduced herself as the new chief executive officer of the Jefferson Area Board on Aging and described the agency’s outreach, home‑delivered‑meals program and aging services coordinators who connect older residents to services. “People come to Java the way it is that we serve and try to meet their needs,” Selzer said, recounting a case where the agency connected a disabled couple to meals and volunteer cleaning to reduce isolation.

Grace Puskas, director of an AmeriCorps program at Blue Ridge Medical Center, said the program places members to conduct social‑determinants‑of‑health screenings, manage a food pharmacy and connect patients to resources. “Members do receive a living allowance and an education award,” Puskas said, while soliciting applicants for summer and year‑long placements.

Votes at a glance

- R‑2025‑15 (Amended Six‑Year Secondary Road Construction and Improvement Plan): Motion to approve as amended — outcome: approved (board motion and second; board directed staff to proceed to required public hearing steps). Note: board discussion reallocated priorities and added Lonesome Pine and Findlay Gap for further review and traffic counts. - R‑2025‑16 (FY 2026 health insurance renewal and rates): Motion to approve — outcome: approved (0% premium change reported by Local Choice). Staff reported ~151 eligible employees, 117 participating (77% participation rate as of March 10). - R‑2025‑17 (Amend county code §2‑125 — elections terms and vacancies): Motion to send ordinance to public hearing — outcome: authorized for April 8 public hearing. - Proclamation: March 2025 as American Red Cross Month — outcome: adopted by acclamation. - Consent agenda: Motion to approve consent agenda — outcome: adopted by board vote.

What to watch next

- Staff will return with the formal six‑year plan public‑hearing materials and updated project list and traffic counts for roads flagged for possible re‑prioritization (Findlay Gap, Lonesome Pine). - Planning staff and Berkeley Group will draft the selected zoning districts (R‑3, Village Overlay and a corridor overlay) and present initial drafts at a joint work session with the Planning Commission; supervisors asked staff to provide a ridgeline map and cost estimate if they want the Mountain Ridge overlay added by work order. - The board requested a smaller briefing with the state fire marshal and legal stakeholders to clarify the legal authority and enforcement mechanics for the proposed Wintergreen fire marshal before taking a final vote on the appointment.

Reporting note: Quotes and attributions in this story are taken directly from the March 11 meeting transcript. The article does not infer findings beyond the meeting record.