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Southampton County board approves comprehensive-plan amendment and rezoning for Flaggie Run subdivision
Summary
After a public hearing, the Southampton County Board of Supervisors approved a minor comprehensive-plan amendment and a rezoning to permit a 15‑acre second phase of a Flaggie Run subdivision; residents raised concerns about traffic, trash capacity, drainage and family graves while the developer said he purchased the land believing county GIS showed it was already zoned R‑2.
On Aug. 26, 2025, the Southampton County Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive‑plan amendment and a conditional rezoning to allow a 15‑acre second phase of a subdivision on the south side of Flaggie Run Road.
Planning staff told the board the amendment would change the future land‑use designation from commercial to low‑density residential to make the proposed rezoning consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan. The planning commission recommended the comprehensive plan amendment by a 5–3 vote and later recommended the rezoning 6–0 after follow‑up work on wetlands, drainage and safety concerns.
The property is part of a two‑phase development. Phase 1 — 27 homes — is already under development; the second phase would add 17 homes, bringing total buildout for both phases to 44 houses, officials said. Developer Joe Venn told the board he had bought the parcel after reviewing county GIS records that showed R‑2 zoning. “We actually bought the land based on the county GIS website showing that it was R2,” Venn said, and added that phase‑one construction is underway and that he expects home prices in the $300,000–$350,000 range.
Local residents who spoke at the public hearings urged the board to consider traffic safety, existing trash/dump capacity and tax impacts. “Flaggie Run Road is a small, narrow road with a lot of traffic on it already, and I hate to see 46 more houses out there on it,” Jamie Lee said. Other speakers asked whether new houses would rely on the same community dumpster, whether reassessments would raise tax bills and whether graves near the railroad track had been identified and protected.
Planning staff and commissioners described required improvements tied to any future site plan: stormwater management consistent with the county ordinance and a state stormwater permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; roads built to state standards for acceptance into the Virginia Department of Transportation secondary street system; a community well to serve the subdivision; sidewalks and streetlights as required by the subdivision ordinance; and a fenced stormwater (BMP) pond with homeowner‑association maintenance so the county would not incur ongoing pond maintenance costs.
After questions and public comment, the board voted to approve the comprehensive‑plan amendment (the motion passed five‑one) and later approved the conditional rezoning (recorded as unanimous). Board members and planning staff noted that final approval of project details remains subject to the site‑plan review process and all applicable state and county permits and codes.
The developer and planning staff said they will continue work on drainage designs and other conditions identified by the planning commission; neighbors were urged to participate in follow‑up planning‑commission hearings.
Outcome and next steps: the board approved both the comprehensive‑plan amendment and the conditional rezoning; the developer must submit a conforming site plan and secure required stormwater and subdivision approvals before building proceeds.
