Planning commission approves Divus Farms RV park special-use permit

The Smyth County Planning Commission approved a special-use permit for Divus Farms LLC at a joint public hearing on March 26, 2026. After staff read the legal advertisement and the applicant described the request, a commissioner moved to approve the application, the motion was seconded, and the commission approved the permit by voice vote.

Applicant representative (introduced in the record as Mr. Demasquez) said the park occupies the existing footprint, currently has 18 sites, and seeks to remove an expiration on the permit to allow capital improvements without a time limit. He said the owner is considering adding a bathhouse; the health department advised a minimum footprint (including parking) of about 1,600 square feet for the bathhouse, and the applicant said adding such a facility could reduce total site capacity from 18 to about 16 sites depending on engineering and grade work.

Planning staff noted applicable zoning standards (Article 6-2.3 and Article 10 definitions) and said they received no comments opposing the RV park application. Commissioners discussed septic and water arrangements, trash management and the potential for occasional market or transient use tied to regional projects; the applicant said the facility historically serves contractors and project crews and is largely booked by word of mouth. With those considerations, the commission voted to approve the special-use permit and directed staff to prepare the record and notices of action.