Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Business topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves rezoning and conditional-use permit for Serenity Acres micro-processing facility
Summary
Southampton County accepted a Planning Commission recommendation and approved rezoning from R2 to conditional general industrial and a conditional-use permit for Serenity Acres to operate a small micro-processing facility, subject to ten conditions including USDA compliance, employee limits and site improvements.
The Southampton County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a rezoning and a conditional-use permit that will allow Serenity Acres to open a small micro-processing facility near the Virginia–North Carolina line.
Planner Jay Randolph presented the application on behalf of applicants Christine Sullivan and Veronica Prevost: the request rezones a portion of a 4.7-acre parcel from R2 residential to conditional general industrial and seeks a conditional-use permit for approximately 0.75 acres for a micro-processing facility to process wild game and USDA-inspected animals.
Christine Sullivan and Veronica Prevost appeared and said their operation would follow USDA standards and aim for minimal waste by working with local tanners, food banks and small homesteads. “Our goal is to have no waste,” Veronica Prevost said, explaining partnerships to reuse offal and hides.
Terry Zerflu, manager of the Western Tidewater food bank, endorsed the project and said Serenity Acres already supplies protein to local food programs. Multiple other residents spoke in support, saying the facility would increase local food security and help control deer populations through donation programs.
The planning staff and Planning Commission recommended approval with ten conditions: compliance with USDA regulations, no more than five employees, standard operating hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday–Saturday, with limited extended hours during deer season), no Sunday processing during deer season, no tractor-trailer same-day deliveries during certain periods, site-plan submittal to address water and wastewater, waste handling requirements, annual county inspections, and a capped incinerator footprint (10x10) for on-site use only.
Following discussion and a motion to adopt the Planning Commission’s recommendation, the board approved the rezoning and conditional-use permit. County staff said they will require submittal of the final site plan and will schedule annual inspections to ensure compliance with the conditions.
The approval allows Serenity Acres to begin final permitting and site work; the board noted the county’s permitting process and USDA regulation compliance remain prerequisites to operation.
Next steps include final site-plan approval, confirmation of USDA compliance where required, and scheduling the first county inspection after the facility opens.
