Supervisor Patrick Groseclose abstains from vote approving conditional-use permit for mini-warehouse

The Bland County Board of Supervisors voted May 27, 2025, to approve a conditional-use permit allowing Supervisor Patrick Groseclose to operate a mini-warehouse storage facility on Tax Map No. 119-A-28. Joel Cagle presented the application and told the board the Planning Commission had recommended approval with no conditions.

Stephen Kelley moved to approve the permit; Keith Costello seconded. The board’s roll call shows Mr. Kelley, Mr. Costello and Chair Randy Johnson voting to approve and Mr. Groseclose abstaining from the vote. The motion carried.

The minutes record the abstention by the applicant (Supervisor Groseclose) but do not include further discussion of conflict-of-interest procedures or any recorded recusal statement beyond the abstention. The Planning Commission’s recommendation and the board’s approval mean the permit was granted with no special conditions documented in these minutes.

Why this matters: Land-use approvals that involve a sitting supervisor as applicant require clear disclosure and procedural safeguards to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest; the record here shows an abstention by the applicant and approval by a majority of board members.