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Surry County amends zoning to allow smaller lots for water and sewer pump stations
Summary
Board approved an ordinance amendment to add two new allowed uses defining small water and sewer pump-station lots with design and siting criteria, including a 100-foot setback from residences and noise-minimization requirements.
The Surry County Board of Supervisors on July 2 approved an ordinance amendment from the planning commission to add two distinct zoning uses for water and sewer pump stations and to allow exceptions to minimum lot-size requirements.
Planning staff described the change as a response to an immediate need from the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) and to resolve a situation where a required pump station for a high school site required only an approximately 100-by-100-foot footprint while current rules in the Agricultural-Residential (AR) district required a minimum one-acre lot. The amendment creates a route for smaller lots without a variance, subject to standards.
Under the approved amendment, exceptions for water or sewer pump stations are allowed provided applicants show compliance with criteria including: a minimum setback of 100 feet from existing residences; designs that minimize noise and avoid continuous audible impacts on neighboring residential or commercial properties; compatibility with the surrounding area; and the ability to fully enclose the facility so it will not adversely affect public health, safety or welfare. Staff said applicants must provide reasonable assurance that these criteria will be met before a building permit is issued.
Supervisors asked clarifying questions about whether applicants would determine the lot size needed (staff said yes) and about existing examples of smaller pump stations in the county. After opening the public hearing (no members of the public offered comment on the item), a supervisor moved to approve the amendment as presented and the board approved the motion by voice vote.
The amendment was framed as a targeted fix to ease deployment of pump stations across the county while maintaining protections for nearby residents.
