Planning Board backs rezoning of 120 Haines Road to residential agriculture; applicant says commercial use no longer viable

The Rockingham County Planning Board on Oct. 13 recommended approval of a conventional rezoning request to change 120 Haines Road (tax PIN 7931048333120) from Neighborhood Commercial back to Residential Agriculture.

Planner remarks described the parcel as located in the county's G1 transect (low-density growth) and surrounded largely by Residential Agriculture zoning. The board heard from the property owner, who said commercial plans for a restaurant were no longer feasible.

"We were looking to put our restaurant there, that was, pre COVID during the time of COVID. And since COVID, it's just not going to be feasible, for the scale of what we were looking to do," owner and applicant Michael Harkenreiter told the board, saying most recent interest in the parcel has been from prospective residential buyers.

The parcel had been rezoned to Neighborhood Commercial in 2019; the applicant said he purchased it in 2021 and that the site has been largely idle since. Board members asked about access points and potential easements for neighboring properties; staff said access for nearby parcels appears to be from Haines Road and Old Mill Road and that a plat would be needed to confirm any easements.

A motion to recommend approval based on the consistency and reasonableness statements in the agenda packet passed; the planning board’s recommendation will be transmitted to the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners for consideration at the Nov. 17 meeting.