Bedford supervisors send urban beekeeping zoning change back to planning commission

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted Feb. 10 to send a zoning-text amendment on urban beekeeping back to the county planning commission for further review and public input.

The motion, approved by the board after public comment, directs the planning commission to reconsider the ordinance language that had limited residential beekeeping and to evaluate guidance used by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). The motion also requests input from the county Agricultural Board.

Beekeepers and local landowners urged the board to preserve and expand the ability to keep honeybees on residential properties. Anne Zutikoff, a Huddleston resident and self-identified member of the Virginia Beekeeping Teachers Consortium, told the board she has kept bees in Bedford County for 20 years and asked supervisors to consider VDACS guidance. “If you’re going to keep bees, please have a conversation with your neighbors ahead of time,” Zutikoff said. She said state-developed best practices “take into account both sides” and recommended the county adopt that approach rather than rely on a single complaint.

Todd Ramsey, a landowner who said his property is about 15 minutes from town, told the board the county should encourage small-scale agriculture, including beekeeping, as part of preserving Bedford’s agricultural character. “We should be promoting people to have chickens and have gardens,” Ramsey said. He urged the board to support steps that make it easier for residents to produce food and run small agricultural projects.

During discussion, some supervisors said they wanted the Agricultural Board and planning staff to review the VDACS recommendations and make specific, local adjustments. One supervisor noted that the county itself does not have extensive beekeeping expertise and recommended deferring to the Ag Board and state guidance for technical details.

The board’s resolution sends the text amendment back to the planning commission and asks for a follow-up recommendation. The motion’s maker and second were recorded in the meeting transcript but not identified by full first name; roll-call recorded several members voting yes and at least one member voting no. The transcript does not specify a date for the planning commission’s review or a deadline for a report back to the board.

Why it matters: The change affects whether residents can keep managed honeybee hives on lots inside residential zones and what restrictions would apply — items that influence small-scale agriculture, pollinator habitat and neighbor complaints. VDACS guidance and the Agricultural Board’s recommendation were specifically requested by the board to inform a revised ordinance.

The board also heard other public comments about farmland and local preservation during the citizen-comment period, which supervisors said informed their view on protecting agricultural uses alongside residential activities.