Pittsylvania supervisors approve rezoning requests, property sale, contingency funding and other measures in 7-0 votes

Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors members voted unanimously on a package of land-use and administrative items at their Jan. 21, 2025, business meeting in Chatham.

The board approved four property rezones, accepted the top bid for a county-owned parcel, authorized contingency funding to cover a temporary deputy clerk's salary through June, recommended a reappointment for the Board of Zoning Appeals, denied a request to waive landfill tipping fees, approved the payoff of an enterprise fleet lease and voted to send a letter of support for Comcast’s BEAD grant application.

The actions were carried by roll-call or voice vote with outcomes recorded as 7-0 where a tally was announced.

Among land-use actions, the board approved the following rezoning petitions after staff presentations and brief public hearings: Case R-24-032 (Russell and Betsy East) — rezoning of 1.000 acre from B-2 Business General to R-1 Residential Suburban and 0.371 acre from R-1 to A-1 Agricultural to allow consolidation with adjacent parcels; Case R-24-034 (Patricia Byrd) — rezoning 22.20 acres from M-1 Light Industrial to A-1 Agricultural to allow a single-family dwelling; Case R-24-035 (Blair's Country Community LLC) — rezoning 0.789 acre from MHP Manufactured Housing Park to R-1 Residential Suburban to allow a single-family dwelling; and Case R-24-036 (Sandra Worsham) — rezoning 0.1137 acre from A-1 Agricultural to R-1 Residential Suburban to consolidate with an adjacent R-1 parcel. Each of the rezoning motions was recorded as passing 7-0.

On a separate item, the board held a public hearing and adopted Resolution 2025-01-01 to accept the highest bid received by online auction for the publicly owned Old Climax store site (tax parcel 1499-94-1236). County staff reported 86 bids with a high bid of $8,300; the property’s assessed value was listed in materials as $14,700. The board adopted the resolution and designated the interim county administrator to sign closing documents; the motion passed 7-0.

The board also approved using contingency funds to cover the salary of a deputy clerk in the Circuit Court clerk’s office from Feb. 1 to June 30, 2025. Staff said the contingency funding would bridge the gap until the next budget cycle; the motion passed 7-0.

On appointments, the board voted 7-0 to recommend Herschel Stone for appointment by the circuit court to a seat on the Board of Zoning Appeals. The county staff explained that the court makes the formal appointment but historically accepts the board’s nonbinding recommendation.

The board denied a request from Hurt Partners for a waiver of landfill tipping fees related to cleanup at the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park (Hurt site). Staff told supervisors that biweekly erosion-and-sediment-control inspections showed the Hurt site is not in compliance with required stabilization and sediment controls; supervisors said waiving the fee would forgo county revenue and could be seen as subsidizing the property owner’s cleanup. A motion to deny the waiver carried 7-0.

County staff reported that paying off an enterprise fleet lease (sheriff’s patrol vehicles) — roughly a $1.0 million payoff figure disclosed by staff — would save the county about a quarter-million dollars over the five-year term. The board approved the payoff; the motion carried.

The board also voted to provide a letter of support for Comcast’s application to the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. County staff said Comcast’s materials estimate the project could reach about 1,900 homes across roughly 470 miles of build, largely in southern parts of the county; the letter of support passed 7-0.

Finally, the board voted to postpone action on a comprehensive update to the county zoning ordinance (the “zoning ordinance mass revision”) until Aug. 19, 2025, to allow additional review and community outreach; that postponement passed 7-0.

The board convened as scheduled, heard public comment on multiple items and closed the session after the votes. Several items pulled from the consent agenda were discussed before being acted on.

Votes at a glance (selected) - Rezoning: R-24-032, R-24-034, R-24-035, R-24-036 — each approved, vote recorded as 7-0. - Sale: Resolution 2025-01-01 — accept high bid $8,300 for tax parcel 1499-94-1236; adopted 7-0. - Deputy clerk funding: contingency funds to cover Feb. 1–June 30, 2025 salary — approved 7-0. - BZA recommendation: recommend Herschel Stone to circuit court — approved 7-0. - Tipping-fee waiver (Hurt Partners/Southern Virginia Multimodal Park): request denied — vote 7-0. - Enterprise fleet lease payoff: approved — motion carried. - Comcast BEAD letter of support: approved — vote 7-0. - Zoning ordinance mass revision: postponement to Aug. 19, 2025 — approved 7-0.

Details on any of the actions above are available in the county packet and staff reports submitted to the board.

Meeting materials list the board’s next regular meeting date and identify staff contacts for follow-up on specific agenda items.