Prince George County planning commission adopts consolidated meeting schedule, forwards 2024 report; hears updates on comp plan and chicken zoning

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY — The Prince George County Planning Commission on Thursday, March 27, adopted a revised meeting schedule that consolidates its monthly work session and business meeting into a single evening, approved its 2024 annual report and heard staff updates on the county comprehensive plan, recent actions by the Board of Supervisors and an upcoming zoning-ordinance amendment on backyard chickens.

Tim, planning staff, told the commission the revised schedule would move the work session from a Monday evening into the same night as the business meeting at 5:30 p.m., with an intended work-session length of roughly 45 minutes before the business meeting. "Just a quick note about that. That the, Planning Commission as discussed in the previous meeting, would like to do a consolidation of the work session meeting times and to the same evening as the business meeting," Tim said. Commissioners voted to adopt the new schedule.

The revised schedule is intended to reduce the number of separate meeting nights each month while retaining dedicated comprehensive-plan work sessions when needed. Staff said, if adopted, the schedule will be posted on the county website. The motion to adopt the schedule carried in a roll-call vote with commissioners present voting yes and one commissioner absent.

The commission also approved the 2024 Planning Commission annual report and voted to forward it to the Board of Supervisors. The report, which staff summarized for the commission, notes that in 2024 the Planning Commission heard 12 special-exception requests, considered seven rezoning or rezoning-amendment cases and addressed subdivision-ordinance waiver requests. The commission additionally held three work sessions related to development of the comprehensive plan. Commissioners approved the report to transmit it to the Board.

Under communications, staff reviewed recent Board of Supervisors activity relevant to the commission. Staff said the Board held a public hearing on Feb. 25 for a proposed vocational training center or training academy campus that the commission had previously recommended for approval; the Board asked for more information from the applicant and postponed the matter to April 8. Staff also reported that on March 25 the Board approved "special exception 24 12" for a childcare and private-school use identified in the packet as Stepping Stone; staff noted the Planning Commission had recommended approval earlier.

Staff updated the commission on the county comprehensive-plan effort, referenced in meeting materials as the Prince George "2045" plan. Staff said the Berkeley Group presented draft chapters at a recent work session and the commission discussed chapter 7 (housing and land-use analysis). Staff set a deadline for commission edits to chapter 7 for Monday, March 31, and said the chapter would be posted on the county website shortly thereafter for public review.

On a zoning issue raised by the Board, staff noted the Board accepted a Planning Commission recommendation and returned to the commission the initiation of an ordinance amendment to allow chickens in residential zones on parcels smaller than 2 acres. Staff explained the amendment must follow state code for formally starting the ordinance process; staff said the commission can make a motion next month to initiate the amendment and staff will draft ordinance language for review, a subsequent work session and then public hearings.

Staff also said a draft update to the Planning Commission bylaws is being prepared for next month; staff reported the draft reduces extraneous material and that commissioners will have an opportunity to review and comment.

There were no public comments during the allotted public-comment period and the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance: Adopt agenda (motion carried); Approve minutes (Feb. 24 and Feb. 27 — motions carried); Adopt revised Planning Commission schedule (motion carried); Approve 2024 annual report and forward to Board (motion carried).