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Wetlands board records two‑year permit for Askew bulkhead; requests revised JPA drawings if jurisdictional
Summary
The board reviewed JPA20252526 (Benjamin Askew, Hill Point) for a replacement bulkhead. Staff and VMRC described the permitting background; the board recorded a two‑year permit term and asked the applicant to supply revised JPA drawings or remove unauthorized decking, returning to the board if the matter remains jurisdictional.
The Accomack County Wetlands Board considered JPA20252526 for a replacement bulkhead at Hill Point (Benjamin Askew). Paul Watson (deputy director, code administration) said the timber bulkhead had exceeded its useful life and the property owners prefer to replace it now to avoid failure; the proposal included a narrow channel‑work alignment intended to avoid wetland impacts in most locations.
Claire Borman (VMRC) advised the board that part of the structure crosses state‑owned submerged lands and that those components fall under VMRC review; she and staff discussed the differences between local ordinance exemptions for private piers and VMRC’s definitions of multi‑user structures. Applicant representative Chris Governator said a JPA had been submitted and acknowledged that some decking over state submerged lands was unauthorized; VMRC said it would issue a notice to comply and that the applicant could apply to retain authorized portions.
The board discussed options, including returning the applicant to a future hearing if the applicant neither removes the unauthorized decking nor submits an amended JPA. The minutes record the permit conditions: the permit as entered in the record covers a two‑year period from the hearing date unless otherwise specified and all parties were advised they possess no authority to encroach on another's property.
Board staff will accept revised drawings or an amended JPA and will re‑present the item if it remains jurisdictional to the wetlands board.
