The Montgomery County Planning Commission voted unanimously on Nov. 19 to recommend renewal of Agricultural and Forestal District (AFD) Number 6, a parcel south of Shawsville, after staff reported no proposed additions or withdrawals.

Kim Wright, who presented the item, said the district contains a core area and a separate outlier about 0.87 miles from that core. Wright told the commission the AFD "comprises of 16 58 acres amongst 6 land owners" (transcript phrasing) and that staff had received a 100% response rate with no owners seeking to add or withdraw land. She summarized the program’s purpose under State Code of Virginia and the Montgomery County Code as conserving land for agricultural production, ecological protection and related compatible uses.

Wright noted statutory criteria that the core must generally be at least 200 acres and that an outlier parcel must lie within one mile of the core’s boundary. Wright also answered procedural questions about withdrawal: owners have a two-year window after qualifying events (for example, inheritance) to withdraw lands and withdrawals otherwise are limited by an eight-year enrollment period; the presenter said she did not have the full withdrawal criteria read into the record at the meeting.

An unidentified commissioner asked whether parcels within the AFD that front Roanoke Road and fall inside a village urban development area (UDA) conflicted with village planning. Planning staff (name not specified) replied that there is no inherent conflict: such parcels are generally shown as open space and an owner who wishes to develop must withdraw from the AFD and pursue a comprehensive plan amendment. Staff explained comprehensive plan amendment requests are accepted on a twice-yearly schedule (February and August).

After hearing no public comment, the commission took a roll-call vote and recorded unanimous support. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors; Wright said if the board approves the renewal it will be adopted as a resolution and stated the renewal would expire on 12/31/2033.

Authorities cited during the presentation included the State Code of Virginia and the Montgomery County Code, which define AFD purposes and enrollment rules. The presenter also referenced county policy encouraging stewardship of agricultural and forestal lands.

Next steps: the Planning Commission’s recommendation will go to the Board of Supervisors for final action; no public hearing speakers spoke on the item at the Planning Commission level.