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Amherst County Board tables Poplar Church digital sign special-exception request
Summary
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors on a motion to table voted to delay action on a special-exception request from Poplar Church to install a digital freestanding sign at 1583 Richmond Highway. Staff said the sign meets size and setback rules but recommended a future code update to address digital signs countywide.
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors voted to table a special-exception request from Poplar Church to install a digital freestanding sign at 1583 Richmond Highway.
Planning staff presented the request and opened a public hearing, which drew no speakers. The board then voted to table the matter until the next meeting so the item can return with additional review and discussion.
The request was for a freestanding sign on a roughly 1.89-acre parcel identified as tax map number 112-A-26. Planning staff told the board the property is zoned A-1 (Agriculture-Residential) and that the county zoning ordinance requires a special exception for any sign in the A-1 district that uses flashing, intermediate, or changing lights (cited in the meeting as Section 907.041(d)). Staff said the proposed sign’s square footage, height and setbacks meet county requirements and that the county’s fire marshal and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) had no concerns.
Staff also noted some standard sign requirements in the county ordinance (including restrictions on colored lights that could be mistaken for traffic-control devices and limits on light spill that creates traffic hazards) and did not restate them as conditions because those requirements already apply. Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0. Staff apologized to the board for an incorrectly attached drawing in the packet and said the correct community letter had been distributed at the meeting.
Several board members said digital signs are increasingly common and discussed whether the county should adopt a code change that would set uniform standards so future requests would not require special exceptions. Planning staff recommended drafting standards for digital signs in A-1 districts to protect rural areas while allowing signs on higher-traffic corridors such as Richmond Highway. The board agreed to postpone final action to allow that discussion to include additional members and staff.
The public hearing was opened and closed with no speakers. A motion to table the request until the next meeting was made by Mr. Wade and passed without recorded opposition; the board did not adopt the special exception at this meeting.
The item will return on the next agenda for further consideration and any recommended ordinance language for digital sign standards.
