Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Truck Restrictions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Southampton supervisors decline to seek no‑through‑truck restriction for Trinity Church and Wakefield roads
Summary
After a public hearing that drew resident safety concerns and board debate over economic impact, the Southampton County Board of Supervisors voted 3–1 not to recommend the Commonwealth Transportation Board impose a no‑through‑truck designation on Trinity Church Road and part of Wakefield Road.
The Southampton County Board of Supervisors voted 3–1 on Nov. 19 not to recommend a Commonwealth Transportation Board restriction that would block through truck traffic on Trinity Church Road and a portion of Wakefield Road.
The decision followed a public hearing at which residents urged the board to act for safety. "The ditch has been cleaned out…there's a blind spot if you pull out of the driveway," said resident Cindy Edwards, who told the board she supports closing the road to through trucks to protect neighbors and other travelers. Rhonda Therrington, another resident, said narrow lanes and frequent heavy vehicles have led to trucks running off the road and endangering families on Trinity Church Road.
Board members debated the tradeoffs. Supervisor Robert (identified in the transcript by that name) argued against a local patchwork of truck restrictions in a rural county, warned the measure would complicate farm logistics, and pointed to local business investment. "You just can't have a patchwork of no through trucks roads in a rural county," he said, and referenced a large private investment at a nearby truck terminal that he said would be adversely affected.
Staff presented the proposed resolution and noted the local process under Virginia Code §46.2‑809, described the alternate routing and exemptions for pickups, panel trucks and farm equipment, and said the Southampton County Sheriff's Office would enforce any restriction if the CTB approved it. Several supervisors suggested pursuing road improvements with VDOT—widening and pavement upgrades—and stepped‑up enforcement as alternatives to the formal restriction process.
After discussion, a motion "that we do not pass it" (to forward the restriction to the Commonwealth Transportation Board) carried in a voice vote announced by the chair as "Passes 3 to 1." The transcript records the outcome but does not record an individual roll‑call tally by name.
What happens next: staff will follow up with VDOT about potential road‑widening priorities and enforcement options; the board declined to forward the truck restriction request to the CTB.
