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Planning commission to initiate DSM text amendment to match state stormwater threshold
Summary
Staff told the commission the county's Design Standards Manual currently applies a 10,000-square-foot threshold for stormwater conversion while state code allows up to an acre; staff recommended initiating a text amendment to align local practice with state code to ease design and maintenance burdens on small developments.
Fauquier County planning staff recommended the commission initiate a text amendment to the county's Design Standards Manual to align local stormwater thresholds with state code.
John Shellenberger, a county planning staff member, told commissioners the DSM "is more restrictive than the state code" and said, "we use a 10,000 square foot conversion where the state code would allow for up to an acre." He said the stricter local threshold has required smaller developments to design larger stormwater facilities and undergo more frequent inspections and maintenance.
The proposed initiation would begin a public process to amend Chapter 2 (drainage) so local standards match state requirements. Staff said matching the state standard should reduce design burdens for small projects and simplify ongoing maintenance and inspection obligations for both property owners and county staff.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the impacts on inspection frequency and facility maintenance; staff said those details would be addressed in draft amendment language and the public hearing. The commission planned to initiate the amendment and take the item to public hearing as part of its next steps.
