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Accomack supervisors conditionally approve Virginia Space rezoning for Darby Farm site
Summary
After staff and attorney presentations and public comment, the board conditionally approved rezoning ~369 acres of the Darby Farm property from agriculture to industrial for Virginia Space, including proffers for fire/rescue training and protections for existing cemeteries; planning commission and staff recommended approval.
The Accomack County Board of Supervisors voted Nov. 18 to conditionally approve a rezoning application from Virginia Space to convert roughly 369 acres at the Darby Farm site from agricultural to industrial, citing economic development and compatibility with the county comprehensive plan.
Lee Pamben, deputy county administrator for community and economic development, outlined the application’s scope, regulatory review and the applicant’s four proffers, which include an annual training program for volunteer fire and rescue companies and a proffer to survey an 86-acre tract the county requested be split off for enterprise-zone use. He said partner agencies returned no technical objections and staff and the planning commission recommended approval.
John Custis, an attorney representing Virginia Space, described the rezoning as a long-term economic development move and said the site will remain largely farmed in the near term. "We are here tonight for economic development," Custis told the board, stressing that rezoning will allow the county to respond more quickly when prospective aerospace tenants show interest.
Custis and staff answered questions about hot-fire testing and cemetery protections. Custis said hot-fire testing is not proffered out of the application but would require separate conditional use permitting and infrastructure if it were proposed in the future. On cemetery protections, Custis said Virginia law requires a court order to remove burials and that Virginia Space committed to fencing and to reasonable access for descendants; he cited Virginia law (section 57.27.1) and said the company would abide by it.
One public commenter, Grayson Chesser, thanked the board and urged care to preserve an on-site family cemetery and access for descendants; staff also reported a written comment raising similar concerns.
After discussion, Supervisor (speaker 2) moved to conditionally approve REZ-000141-2025 with the proffer statement dated 09/29/2025; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
The conditional approval follows a unanimous 9–0 planning commission recommendation and places proffers and conditions on future development, including coordination with county public safety on training and recognition that certain environmentally sensitive areas are not developable.
