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Joneses seek permission for long‑term shared rentals; commissioners table decision over zoning concerns
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Summary
Andrea and Gerard Jones asked to use a five‑bedroom house for long‑term, shared residential rentals (case 26SUP367). Staff said the request could resemble a residential group home or boarding house; commissioners debated whether the proposal effectively creates an apartment‑style use in A‑1 zoning and voted to table the matter for further study.
Andrea Jones and her husband Gerard asked the Buckingham County Planning Commission for a special‑use permit (case 26SUP367) to use a five‑bedroom home as long‑term shared residential rentals managed by the owner. Jones said the rooms would be rented to independent adults, including veterans or individuals who qualify for state or federal housing assistance.
Planning staff (Nikki) told the commission the application language included several possible use descriptions — "supportive residential housing," "long‑term residential rental," "owner managed shared residential housing," and "room rental" — and that staff had treated it as a shared residential dwelling rather than a residential group home requiring resident counselors or medical care. Nikki read zoning definitions and noted a residential group home (no more than eight residents) is allowed by right when it fits the ordinance definition and includes resident staff.
Several commissioners, including Commissioner Pete, expressed concern that month‑to‑month shared rentals that become effectively permanent could amount to an apartment‑style use in A‑1 farmland, which would warrant either a zoning text amendment or a different zoning classification. The point of contention centered on permanence: some commissioners and the applicant described month‑to‑month leasing as "temporary" or transitional; others said an indefinite month‑to‑month arrangement is equivalent to permanent residency and would change the character of A‑1 property.
Given those legal and policy questions, a motion to table the case until the next meeting passed. Commissioners suggested staff and the applicant prepare clearer language on the intended residency model (temporary/transitional vs permanent), note whether counseling or medical support is part of the plan, and identify whether a zoning text amendment should be pursued if the commission believes the use resembles an apartment or boarding house.
What happens next: The commission voted to hold the application until the next meeting so staff can provide zoning clarifications and the applicant can propose conditions (for example, limiting duration or specifying transitional‑housing intent).
