Advisory committee forwards two Hancock properties to planning commission for Appleton agricultural district inclusion

The Southampton County Voluntary Agricultural and Forestal District Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend two adjacent applications — from Michael Hancock and William Hancock — be forwarded to the planning commission for public hearings and further review.

The advisory committee reviewed two applications and the mapping in the packet. Jay Randolph of the Department of Community Development summarized the state framework, saying the Agricultural/Forestal Districts Act requires advisory review and, if supported, a public hearing be scheduled at the planning commission level. "In 1977, the Virginia General Assembly adopted the Agricultural Enforceable Districts Act," Mr. Randolph said, and the advisory council's role is to review applications against the ordinance and recommend whether to authorize a hearing.

William Hancock, who was present at the meeting, told the committee he wants to preserve his family farm and to keep the land in agricultural use: "Mainly, I want to preserve the whole area as much as I could possibly can for agriculture from here on out," he said, recounting that his family has farmed the property for generations. Members praised Hancock's goal as consistent with preserving century farms and agricultural character.

Committee members raised technical questions about parcel numbering shown in the county GIS and whether recently recorded subdivision changes were reflected. A member noted that parcel 349 had been subdivided and a portion added to parcel 3412; Mr. Randolph explained that subdivision plats are recorded with the circuit clerk and copies go to the commissioner of revenue and that GIS and other systems can take months to update. Members asked that the recorded survey or plat be attached to the application packet for transparency and that the legal advertisement for the public hearing reflect the accurate acreage.

The committee made a motion and voted to forward each application separately to the planning commission. The motion to forward Michael Hancock's application carried unanimously, and the separate motion to forward William Hancock's application also passed unanimously (individual vote counts were not specified in the transcript). Mr. Randolph said staff will certify the surveyed acreage and ensure the public‑hearing notice reflects the corrected boundaries.

Next steps: both applications will be advertised for planning commission public hearings (the advisory committee identified the planning‑commission hearing as occurring at its May meeting), and any final action will come before the Board of Supervisors following the planning commission's recommendation.