Votes at a glance: Nottoway supervisors approve telecom tower, emergency declaration and grants; multiple land-use items advanced or tabled

The Nottoway County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took several formal actions after public hearings and staff presentations, including approval of a telecommunications special exception, acceptance of hazard-mitigation grants, a declaration of local emergency following a winter storm and multiple land-use and appointment votes.

Why it matters: The actions affect county emergency communications capacity (the tower), immediate disaster response and recovery eligibility (local emergency and FEMA/VDEM mitigation grants), and local land use and housing policy (manufactured-home and duplex special exceptions). Several actions will trigger follow-up permitting, regulatory reviews and staff work to implement conditions and grant-administration requirements.

Key votes and outcomes

- Telecommunications tower: Approved. The board granted a special exception to build a 300-foot self-supporting telecommunications tower at the county health department site to host the countys P25 emergency radio network, subject to staff conditions including marking the drain field and propane slab and a 10-foot construction setback from the active drain field. The planning commission had recommended approval 5-1.

- ATAM Services manufactured-home special exception (Colonial Highway / Long Hill Trail): Approved. The board accepted the planning commission recommendation and staff conditions allowing demolition of a blighted structure on 0.8 acres and placement of a double-wide manufactured home; required demolition permit and well/septic/VDOT driveway approvals were attached as conditions.

- Tropical Treehouse (Cross Creek Nursery) special-exception amendment: Tabled for additional public hearing and planning-commission documentation. Staff had recommended approval of amendments to permit rental of one duplex unit to non-nursery tenants; the planning commission recorded a denial by vote (transcript references a denial and one recusal), and several supervisors expressed concern about precedent and neighborhood objections. The board closed the hearing and agreed to re-advertise and hold a public hearing after planning commission review.

- Declaration of local emergency: Approved. The board declared a local emergency to cover storm damage over a specified period to enable eligibility for state and federal assistance and to open mitigation grant streams; staff said the declaration runs through March 11, 2026. The declaration followed a February state declaration that included multiple weather events.

- FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program awards: Accepted. The board authorized staff to accept two mitigation grant awards administered through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for emergency generators (health department and landfill/dispatch critical facilities) and protective measures for windows/doors in critical facilities. Staff said the two awards together total about $180,000 with county match roughly $8,600; funding is reimbursable and work must be completed by the grant expiration date.

- School budget adjustments (pass-through funds): Approved. The board approved budget adjustments for the school division that staff described as no-match pass-through money.

- Appointments and committee changes: Approved. The board rescinded a prior steps-board appointment, appointed Nathaniel Miller to the Industrial Development Authority (term through 09/18/2025), appointed county administrator Steve Bowen as an alternate to the STEPS board, and removed the county administrator from the courthouse revitalization committee; supervisors also adjusted finance-committee membership.

- Animal-confinement public notice (seasonal): Approved. The board authorized publishing a public notice to require dog confinement from April 1 through May 31.

- Consent agenda: Approved. The board approved routine consent items and interlocal pass-throughs noted in the meeting packet.

What the board directed next

Staff was instructed to prepare the required planning-commission materials and to re-advertise the Tropical Treehouse item for public hearing; to proceed with grant-acceptance paperwork and to coordinate county budgeting and reimbursement timing with the treasurers office; and to proceed with regulatory filings and permitting for the approved telecommunications tower.

What wasnt decided or remains pending

Several items will require additional federal or state approvals (FAA for tower lighting, SHPO/Section 106 and NEPA review where applicable, and FEMA/VDEM reimbursement timelines). The Tropical Treehouse amendment will return after planning-commission review and additional public notice. Staff did not provide binding construction schedules or total project cost estimates for some items during the hearing.

Votes were taken by voice; the meeting record lists approvals and motions but does not include a roll-call tally for each action in the public transcript.