Votes at a glance: Amherst supervisors approve rezoning, welding shop, CDBG application and ordinance amendment

The Amherst County Board of Supervisors took a series of administrative and land-use votes at its Aug. 19 meeting, approving several routine and higher-profile items while separately denying a 5-megawatt solar special exception (see separate coverage).

Key approvals included a rezoning to allow a double-wide home, a special-exception permit for a small welding business, county action to submit a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application for South Madison Heights infrastructure, and an ordinance amendment to align transient-occupancy tax rules with recent state law.

Rezoning for manufactured home (Case 2025-337)

- What passed: The board approved rezoning petition 2025-337, filed by John Tomlin, to reclassify about 17 acres from R-1 (limited residential) to R-2 (general residential) so the owner may place a double-wide manufactured home on the parcel (tax map 139-A-45). Planning staff and the planning commission recommended approval, noting similar uses (double-wides, manufactured homes) exist on nearby parcels. - Vote: Motion carried (voice vote); no opposition recorded on the transcript.

Welding business special exception (Case 2025-354)

- What passed: The board approved special exception 2025-354 to allow an existing pole-barn conversion to a welding and metal-service shop on a parcel zoned A-1 (tax map 110-2-1). Applicant William Casey said the shop would employ three people and undergo a change-of-use permitting process with building inspections and VDH where applicable. The planning commission recommended approval with nine standard conditions, including lighting limits, building permits and limits on expansion beyond 25% without further board approval. - Vote: Motion carried; approval recorded by the board.

CDBG application — South Madison Heights (Resolution 2025-13-R)

- What passed: The board approved submission of a CDBG application seeking up to $2 million to fund multi-phase infrastructure upgrades in the South Madison Heights/Lakeland subdivision area, including assistance with sewer connection fees and sidewalk/street-like installations. Central Virginia Planning District Commission staff said the defined project area includes roughly 57 homes (about 53% qualifying as low-to-moderate income by HUD LMI mapping). No displacement is planned. - Vote: Board approved the resolution to apply for the grant.

Transient-occupancy tax ordinance amendment (Ordinance 2025-3)

- What passed: The board adopted an amendment to bring the county transient-occupancy tax ordinance into compliance with state legislation clarifying that third-party intermediaries (platforms that collect payments) may be responsible for remitting occupancy taxes when they facilitate sales. County counsel said the amendment is a technical update consistent with the General Assembly’s action. - Vote: Motion carried; ordinance adopted.

Other votes and appointments

- Planning Commission appointment (at-large): The board reappointed Mr. Martin O. (Martin O.) for a four-year at-large term on the Amherst County Planning Commission. - Planning Commission appointment (District 2): The board appointed Susan Schoening as the District 2 representative to the Planning Commission following interviews with two candidates. - Board of Equalization nominees: The board recommended five citizens for appointment to the Board of Equalization and two alternates; the circuit court will make final appointments and the appointees would be sworn to begin Jan. 1, 2026. - Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda as presented. - Special presentation: The board adopted a commemorative resolution honoring Chief Mac Mays Jr., recognizing his service to local volunteer fire departments; the board also received an ISO rating update from fire officials noting improvements in department ratings.

What the votes mean

- Rezoning (2025-337) enables the applicant’s plan to place a manufactured double-wide home consistent with nearby land uses but changes the parcel’s future zoning classification from low-density to medium-density residential. - Welding shop special exception (2025-354) permits a small business conversion in A-1 with conditions intended to limit visual and environmental impacts and to require standard building- and health-department approvals. - The CDBG application, if awarded, would fund sewer connections and right-of-way improvements in a defined low-to-moderate-income area; staff estimated up to $50,000 per-home maximum for sewer connection and related work subject to CDBG rules. - The transient-occupancy ordinance change aligns local collection procedures with state law and clarifies which parties are responsible for remitting occupancy taxes.

Actions (summarized)

- Rezoning 2025-337 (John Tomlin): Motion to approve; mover: Mr. Martin; outcome: approved (voice vote; no recorded opposition in transcript). Identifiers: tax map 139-A-45; purpose: allow placement of double-wide manufactured home. - Special exception 2025-354 (William Casey): Motion to approve with conditions; mover: board member (recorded by chair); outcome: approved. - Resolution 2025-13-R (CDBG application, South Madison Heights): Motion to approve submission of application for up to $2,000,000; mover: Supervisor Wade; outcome: approved. - Ordinance 2025-3 (transient-occupancy tax amendment): Motion to adopt; mover: Supervisor Martin; outcome: adopted. - Planning Commission appointments: Martin O. reappointed (at-large); Susan Schoening appointed (District 2). Motion passed. - Board of Equalization recommendations: Board approved recommended nominees to forward to the circuit court for appointment. - Consent agenda: Approved as presented. - Commemorative resolution for Chief Mac Mays Jr.: Adopted by the board.

Speakers (selected)

- John Tomlin — applicant (rezoning) - William Casey — applicant (welding shop) - Jafredo Granger — Central Virginia Planning District Commission (CDBG consultant) - Leslie Sprouse — county grants administrator (present for CDBG) - Popovich — county counsel (presented ordinance update) - Treasurer Carden — provided quarterly revenue/collection update

Provenance

- Each action is taken from the public hearing and board deliberations recorded in the Aug. 19 meeting transcript; specific agenda item references and identifiers are pulled from staff presentations and the motions read into the record.

Proper_names

- {"name":"John Tomlin","type":"person"} - {"name":"William Casey","type":"person"} - {"name":"Central Virginia Planning District Commission","type":"organization"} - {"name":"Amherst County Board of Supervisors","type":"agency"} - {"name":"Chief Mac Mays Jr.","type":"person"}

Clarifying_details

- {"category":"rezoning","detail":"Rezoning 2025-337 is approximately 17 acres to allow a double-wide; future land-use map designates the area low density but the community already contains multiple manufactured homes.","source_speaker":"Tyler Creasy"} - {"category":"welding shop","detail":"Special exception 2025-354 covers conversion of an existing pole barn to a welding shop with 3 employees; planning commission recommended approval with lighting and expansion-limits conditions.","source_speaker":"Tyler Creasy"} - {"category":"CDBG","detail":"Grant application up to $2,000,000 to support sewer connections and sidewalk/street-like installations for an estimated 57 homes in the South Madison Heights project area; HUD LMI about 53% in the area.","source_speaker":"Jafredo Granger"}

Community_relevance

- geographies:["Madison Heights/Lakeland subdivision","Isaac Walton Road (rezoning)","Monacan Parkway/Old Stage Road (welding shop)"] - funding_sources:["CDBG (DHCD)"] - impact_groups:["low-to-moderate-income households (South Madison Heights)","nearby residents (rezoning/welding)"]

Meeting_context

- engagement_level:{"speakers_count":28,"duration_minutes":190,"items_count":12}, - implementation_risk:"low to medium (grants contingent on award; welding shop requires building permits; rezoning effective immediately)", - history:[{"date":"2025-08-19","note":"Board approved actions listed; planning commission previously reviewed some items (rezoning, special exceptions)."}]

searchable_tags:["rezoning","special exception","CDBG","transient occupancy tax","appointments","Amherst County"]

provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"block_4300.98","local_start":0,"local_end":270,"evidence_excerpt":"And madam chair, board, this is a rezoning partition, 20 25 Dash 3 3 7, from John Tomlin... The proposed rezoning is for approximately 17 acres from the R 1 Limited residential District to the R 2 General Residential District.","tc_start":"00:71:40","tc_end":"00:72:10","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_4857.355","local_start":0,"local_end":32,"evidence_excerpt":"Motion on the floor by Mr. Martin. All in favor say aye. Opposed no. Motion passes.","tc_start":"00:80:57","tc_end":"00:81:03","reason_code":"topicfinish"},{"block_id":"block_4880.8647","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"This next is a special exception 2025Dash354 for a welding business in our A 1 Agriculture residential district. This is a request by William Casey junior and Teresa Qualls for a special exception.","tc_start":"00:81:20","tc_end":"00:83:00","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_5404.91","local_start":0,"local_end":80,"evidence_excerpt":"Motion on the floor. All in favor say aye. Motion passes. Thank you, Mr. Casey. Good luck.","tc_start":"00:90:04","tc_end":"00:90:13","reason_code":"topicfinish"},{"block_id":"block_5434.76","local_start":0,"local_end":180,"evidence_excerpt":"I will just do a quick introduction. So this is an awesome opportunity for Amherst County. We have mister Jafredo Granger with the Central Virginia Planning District Commission here... The funding to be requested on behalf of Amherst County is not to exceed $2,000,000.","tc_start":"00:90:34","tc_end":"00:93:34","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_5753.23","local_start":0,"local_end":45,"evidence_excerpt":"Motion on the floor by Mr. Wade. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed no. Motion passes.","tc_start":"00:95:53","tc_end":"00:96:02","reason_code":"topicfinish"},{"block_id":"block_5771.165","local_start":0,"local_end":160,"evidence_excerpt":"This is an ordinance amendment to the transient occupancy tax provisions of the code of Amherst County... This is a simple technical amendment just to bring the ordinance into compliance.","tc_start":"00:96:11","tc_end":"00:98:33","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_5895.02","local_start":0,