Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Subdivision Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission recommends amendments to subdivision ordinance to allow additional access points, tighten frontage language
Summary
Powhatan County staff proposed countywide subdivision-ordinance amendments to allow additional access connections with safety controls, limit traffic-study requirements to major arterials (Route 60 and Route 522), and align frontage rules; the commission recommended approval, 5-0, with minor editorial fixes.
The Powhatan County Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend a set of countywide subdivision-ordinance amendments aimed at clarifying access and circulation standards and aligning minor-subdivision frontage language with current practice.
Charity Gold, presenting the amendments, said the revisions "allow additional access connections while ensuring their safety and efficient travel on the public roadways." Staff explained the single-access restriction currently in the ordinance limits existing parcels to one access point; the proposed changes remove some exemptions (including family-division carve-outs) so the location of driveways is reviewed based on roadway characteristics rather than solely on subdivision type.
Key elements the commission discussed and the staff highlighted: - Traffic-impact analysis: the requirement for a traffic study applies to "major arterials," specifically Route 60 and Route 522; staff said VDOT spacing standards will be used as part of that analysis. - Exceptions for large subdivisions: the draft adds an explicit allowance for subdivisions of 50 or more lots to have multiple accesses if spacing requirements in the table are met. - Frontage and private roads: the amendment aligns minor-subdivision frontage rules to reflect existing practice that can permit private-road frontage for minor subdivisions. - Editorial fixes: commissioners asked staff to correct work-session dates and to place the "more than one access for subdivisions of 50+ lots" language in the correct subsection (1(d)) so the resolution and ordinance match.
After discussion the commission moved to recommend approval as amended; the roll-call vote recorded a 5-0 recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
Next steps: staff will make the non-substantive corrections identified by commissioners and transmit the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for formal consideration.
