Planning commission seeks more time on zoning rewrite after public backlash to draft presentation

The Franklin County Planning Commission told the Board of Supervisors at a May 13 joint worksession that the commission wants to pause further consultant-led drafting of the county's Zoning Ordinance, take more time to prepare a revised draft internally and expand public engagement after public feedback and commissioner concerns about the first draft and its presentation.

Rebecca Cobb and Cecile Gaines of Berkley Group presented the project's scope, schedule and public engagement results, and summarized Attachment B, a spreadsheet of specific amendment considerations. Berkley Group outlined goals to comply with the Code of Virginia, preserve agricultural land and uses, modernize content, and streamline processes. The presentation included proposed changes to agricultural districts (A-1 and a new A-2), recommended setbacks, a sliding-scale lot option, short-term rental (STR) standards, and development standards for data centers, solar and other intensive uses. Materials and a public engagement summary were posted on the county's project site.

Public comment and the Attachment B options showed widespread differences of preference on agricultural lot sizes (public commenters generally favored 1–3 acres or a sliding-scale approach over a proposed 10-acre A-1 minimum), road frontage, impervious surface limits, and the A-2 district name. The draft also proposes utility- and medium-scale energy standards and new standards for short-term rentals; the Berkley Group noted state law constraints for certain items and included a state code tracker of recent bills for Board review.

Planning Commission Chair Sherrie Mitchell told the joint meeting the commission supports updating the county's 1988 ordinance but said the initial draft and the way it was presented to the public were "less than ideal." Commissioners asked for time to revise the draft internally, complete necessary code-mandated updates, and develop a stronger public communication plan. Board Chair Lorie Smith and other supervisors said they would be willing to meet jointly again and urged the commission to work promptly because county funds have already been spent on the project.

Next steps: staff and the Commission will coordinate on a path forward; Berkley Group materials, public engagement summaries and the state code tracker remain available on the County's Zoning Ordinance Update website for review.