Culpeper hearing draws split public reaction to proposed rural downzoning and cluster option

The Culpeper County Planning Commission heard nearly 50 speakers at a public hearing on proposed changes to the county's zoning and subdivision ordinances that would raise minimum lot sizes in A1 and RA districts, add a rural-cluster option and establish new road-design standards.

Sam McLaren, the county planning director, told the commission the package under consideration would, among other changes, raise A1 minimum lots from 5 to 10 acres in some cases and RA minimums from 3 to 6 acres while keeping existing 10-acre requirements where state road frontage is lacking. McLaren said minor divisions would remain limited to two new lots plus a residue every five years; the draft cluster option is based on a 10-acre density with open-space requirements and new road standards the Planning Commission has discussed lowering from 70% open space to 50%.

Speakers who support the amendments emphasized farmland loss, county growth and the limits of rural infrastructure. "For every $1 Culpeper receives in tax revenue from working open land, it requires only 32 cents in services, while residential land requires $1.22," said Sarah Parmelee of the Piedmont Environmental Council, urging the county to concentrate growth near towns to limit service costs and keep rural roads safer.

Other residents and many local builders opposed the changes. Don Hage, identifying himself as a Stevensburg resident and frequent critic, urged commissioners to reject the supervisors' recommendations and argued the package amounted to a taking of property rights; several speakers named a pending lawsuit related to the initiative. Local builders such as Anthony Clatterbuck and DJ Moberly said the proposals would raise costs, favor large national builders and reduce opportunities for small, local contractors. "The cluster component makes sense, but as written it is far too complex and far too expensive," Clatterbuck said.

Speakers on both sides cited county data during their remarks: McLaren's overview estimated roughly 90% of county land is zoned A1 or RA; several commenters said administrative minor divisions average about 28–50 per year, and opponents pointed to a separate large subdivision proposal — multiple speakers named a 740-home project by Ryan Homes — as evidence that major growth drivers are large rezonings and town developments, not minor rural splits.

Many public comments asked for transition rules or grandfathering for landowners who recently received notices under current rules. Several speakers described using minor subdivisions to fund retirement, medical care or family housing and urged either longer grandfathering windows or other compensation mechanisms for landowners who would lose division rights.

The Planning Commission did not take a vote on the ordinance tonight. After the public comment period concluded, the chair closed the hearing, noting 48 people had spoken, and adjourned the meeting. McLaren said staff and the commission would conduct further work sessions and that any final recommendation would go to the Board of Supervisors at a future date.

Next steps: the commission plans additional work sessions to revise the draft; no final review date was set at the hearing.