Powhatan planning commission debates Village expansion, transitional zones and 500-foot Highway 60 buffer

At a March 18 workshop, the Powhatan County Planning Commission continued its review of proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan’s Future Land Use maps, focusing on a potential expansion of the Village area, use of transitional zoning around growth areas and a proposed 500-foot buffer along U.S. Highway 60.

Deputy County Administrator Brian Haney opened the item by linking the map review to the county’s strategic priorities: financial stability, economic prosperity, housing and residential options, and rural heritage and resource preservation. Haney asked the commissioners to weigh differences between the 2019 and 2021 maps and to give staff direction on the Village expansion and other growth-area tools.

Planning Director Ligon Webb said current designs for the Village expansion envision an 80% residential to 20% commercial split, noting that higher residential density is intended to attract commercial activity. Commissioner Jessica Winall said expansion should “stop at an intersection point,” arguing for clear geographic limits on the Village boundary. Commissioner Darlene Bowlin said she would prefer additional land designated for Economic Opportunity, describing that option as a gateway to continued growth.

Haney identified parcels north of U.S. Highway 60 as candidates for transitional use categories and urged the commission to consider smaller, existing lot patterns in Powhatan as interim options rather than immediate high-density rezoning. Commissioners discussed lot-size minimums and the difficulties and costs of extending water and sewer to some parcels; the group cited a large lot south of the Holly Hills subdivision as an example of existing smaller-lot patterns and infrastructure constraints.

The commission also reviewed a proposed 500-foot buffer from Highway 60 and discussed what types of development should be allowed at the edge of that buffer, noting the effect the buffer line would have on current businesses and residents located where the buffer would fall. Commissioner Kenneth Hatcher II said more residential development is needed to create a local workforce but cautioned that drawing workers from outside the county will increase traffic.

Commissioners emphasized the need to reconcile discrepancies between the Comprehensive Plan text and the land use map; they identified several parcels for potential transitional zones and asked staff for additional visual aids and parcel-level analysis for future meetings. The commission approved the workshop agenda at the start of the session (motion by Commissioner Kenneth Hatcher II; second by Commissioner Jessica Winall) with a recorded 4-0 vote in favor. Vice Chair Bobby Hall adjourned the workshop. The commission’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 7, 2026, at 6 p.m.

The review is ongoing; staff will return with more visuals, parcel analysis and potential transitional-zone language to help reconcile map designations with the Comprehensive Plan text.