Charlotte County Planning Commission reviews draft comprehensive plan, flags battery storage and manufactured-housing updates

CHARLOTTE COUNTY — The Charlotte County Planning Commission on June 27 reviewed Draft Chapters 4–6 of the county’s comprehensive plan and identified several items for follow-up, including verification of demographic data, further study of battery energy storage, and the formal inclusion of manufactured-housing language required by state statute.

Lauren Jones with the Commonwealth Regional Council reviewed updates and additions to Chapter 4 (Land Use) and told the commission no further changes to that chapter were recommended at the meeting. Jones also noted that Keysville’s Historic District had been added to the National Register of Historic Places; CRC staff will add related information to Section III of the draft plan and present those edits at a future meeting.

Commissioners pressed CRC staff to clarify how migration was being measured in the plan’s demographic tables. “Commissioners asked whether the American Community Survey numbers used for migration represented average annual migration, or migration for the five-year period included in the survey,” CRC staff said; staff committed to reviewing the ACS methodology and reporting back at the next meeting.

After CRC presented a new battery storage section, commissioners discussed the potential for battery energy storage as a county land use and recommended that staff research and evaluate battery storage options and impacts in the near term. The discussion did not produce a formal action or change to zoning at the session.

The commission also recommended adding information about manufactured housing to the plan in accordance with §15.2-2223.5 of state law and requested the draft recognize Cardinal Homes’ recent construction of homes for Habitat for Humanity as a local example. Commissioners additionally raised the possibility of reevaluating campground zoning given an anticipated increase in demand for short-term housing, asking staff to consider whether regulatory changes are needed.

CRC staff introduced Draft Chapter 6, Goals, Objectives, and Strategies. Monica Elder, Assistant County Administrator, said she and Administrator Witt had worked with CRC staff to align the chapter with the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Plan before the commissioners’ review. During that review, the commission recommended revising Strategy 1 in the Land Use Section — which currently reads “Promote single-family development in areas designated for residential use” — to instead reference “Residential and Village Center Zoning Districts.”

Time constraints prevented the commission from completing its review; discussion ended after Objective 3 of Section D. The commission tentatively scheduled its next work session for July 25 at 6:00 p.m. to continue review of the draft comprehensive plan.

Next steps: CRC staff will verify the ACS migration figures and return with clarifying information, and staff will prepare the proposed edits described above for consideration at a future meeting.