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Staff proposes restructured Chapter 4 as planning bridge; commission initiates service‑district amendment
Summary
County planning staff recommended removing several outdated comprehensive plan chapters and drafting a restructured Chapter 4 titled 'Planning and Land Use' to better connect vision and implementation; commissioners voted to forward a resolution initiating an amendment to Chapter 6 (service districts) for drafting.
Fauquier County planning staff on Jan. 16 presented a proposal to streamline the county comprehensive plan by removing or consolidating older chapters and appendices and by creating a restructured Chapter 4, titled “Planning and Land Use,” to link vision, resources and implementation chapters.
Ms. Weiss, a planning staff member, told the commission that Chapters 1, 4, 5 and 11 and several appendices “were adopted or last amended more than 20 years ago, and for the most part contain very out of date information.” Staff recommended removing specific lists of land inventories and economic data from those chapters and replacing them with a new Chapter 4 that explains planning rationale, land use categories, planning history and goals that will remain useful over time. Weiss said the revised chapter would “provide the planning and zoning history behind the current land use structure of the county,” “introduce and define Fauquier County land uses generally,” and “develop goals and objectives that further best planning practices.”
Weiss also recommended moving the introduction to Chapter 6 (service districts) into the new Chapter 4. The intent, she said, is to preserve historical material while avoiding duplication and to provide links or references to updated data sources where specific figures are removed.
Commissioners asked procedural and technical questions. One commissioner asked about the county’s design standards manual and form‑based code; Weiss said the design standards manual “is a document that has been adopted that is used in evaluation of site plans and development of uses,” and that it overlaps with material in Chapter 11.
After discussion, the commission voted to forward a resolution initiating a comprehensive‑plan amendment to Chapter 6 (service districts). The motion was made and seconded by commission members; the chair announced the motion carried by voice vote and “Resolution has been forwarded.” Staff said it will prepare a first draft of the revised Chapter 4 and return to the commission in the coming months.
