Powhatan committee adds parcels to economic-priority map and counts part of solar site toward 85/15 industrial target

Powhatan Countys economic development subcommittee voted Wednesday to move several parcels into an economic-priority category on the countys future land use map and to count a portion of a large solar site toward the countys 85/15 target for industrial/job-producing land.

The committee approved adding four parcels near Route 60 (identified in the committees GIS by parcel numbers discussed during the meeting) to the economic-priority layer. The panel also voted to treat Parcel 411 (the large solar site discussed at length) as part of the economic-priority area on the map while counting roughly 98.8 acres of that parcel in the spreadsheet used to track progress toward the 85/15 objective.

Why it matters: the county board set an 85/15 strategic goal (commonly referenced as 85/15 in committee discussion) to encourage a balance of economic land uses and housing, and the subcommittees parcel selections feed the planning commissions and boards recommendations. Committee members said counting…