Commission recommends BZA deny variance for dumpster pad and screening at 336 James Madison Highway

The Culpeper Planning Commission reviewed a variance request filed by K & N Heating and Air Conditioning, on behalf of owner Steven J. Lane Jr., to allow placement of a refuse dumpster outside the rear yard at 336 James Madison Highway and to seek relief from the UDO’s requirements for a concrete pad, masonry screening and landscaping.

Town planner Louis Pancati explained the site constraints: the dumpster sits in an existing asphalt parking area visible from James Madison Highway and Fairview Road, and the lot’s geometry and frontages make a conventional rear yard difficult to define. The applicant proposed a six‑foot wooden gate and two to four evergreen trees along the highway to screen the container.

Planning commissioners questioned whether wooden screening and a tree buffer would be adequate, noted a refuse hauler’s concern about power lines and truck service access, and debated whether asphalt is an acceptable surface. Several commissioners said they have seen similar setups on town asphalt and would accept the location if screening and a suitable foundation were installed; others favored requiring a concrete pad and full screening on three sides.

A motion — amended during discussion — directed staff to send the BZA a recommendation denying the variance insofar as it sought relief from the concrete pad and screening requirements, while indicating the commission did not object to the dumpster’s location if the applicant installed approved screening and a durable surface. The commission’s recommendation will go to the Joint Board of Zoning Appeals for its Feb. 19 public hearing.

Next steps: staff will forward the planning commission’s recommendation to the BZA; the BZA will decide whether to grant the variances.