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Commission discusses allowing sun shelters on private piers; decides to refine language with enforcement input
Summary
The Planning Commission debated amending the pier ordinance to allow open-sided sun shelters (gazebos) on private noncommercial piers by conditional use, discussed screening, size limits, and neighborhood notice, and deferred final language pending input from enforcement staff.
The Northumberland County Planning Commission spent substantial time Aug. 28 in a work-session discussion on whether to revise the county's pier ordinance to permit open-sided sun shelters (sometimes described as gazebos) on private noncommercial piers. Commissioners examined existing local code that currently prohibits such structures and discussed a path that would allow them as conditional uses subject to neighbor notification and compliance with Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) criteria.
Staff explained that current county pier ordinance language (zoning ordinance section cited in the meeting) states: "open sided shelter roofs or gazebo type structures shall not be placed on non commercial piers." A county staff member summarized the change under consideration and the trade-offs, saying: "If we remove the prohibition, then they're allowed, subject to conditional use." The staff presentation noted size limits discussed with county planners: sun shelters (open-sided) typically limited to 400 square feet in aggregate with other pier structures, and boathouses limited to 700 square feet; combined structures could total about 1,100 square feet depending on configurations.
Commissioners debated neighborhood impacts and enforcement mechanics. Some commissioners favored amending the ordinance language to permit sun shelters in the same manner as boathouses—permitted if no adjacent neighbors object and conditional use if objections are filed—while others warned that allowing sun shelters could lead to proliferation and visual impacts along narrow creeks. One commissioner suggested including a caveat that existing boathouses should not automatically allow a new gazebo, reasoning that protecting views and adjacent property interests remains important.
Several commissioners and staff referenced neighboring counties' approaches. Contacts in King George and Middlesex counties indicated those localities generally defer to VMRC on state-bottom structures and do not specifically permit screened gazebos on piers; one county official cautioned that anything with walls is often treated as a water-dependent structure subject to different rules. Commissioners agreed that enforcement staff (notably the official who would administer pier permits) should review and refine the draft ordinance language before the commission moves forward.
Next steps: the commission decided to wait for input from enforcement staff and for Commissioner Marston (absent) to offer his perspective before crafting final ordinance text. The matter remains in the work session stage; no formal motion to amend the zoning ordinance was adopted at the meeting.
