Planning commission recommends reclassifying 800+ acres for conservation easement

The Smyth County Planning Commission on Oct. 24 recommended that the Board of Supervisors reclassify four parcels owned by Greg and Kyli Waddle from Commercial/Industrial and Village Residential to Agriculture to support a conservation easement.

Clegg Williams, Assistant County Administrator for Development, explained at the joint public hearing that the parcels appear on the county’s Future Land Use map as Commercial/Industrial and Village Residential but that the property owners have applied to place the land in a conservation easement. Tommy Oravetz of the Virginia Outdoor Foundation, who represented the Waddles at the hearing, described the holdings as “800+ acres” with karst features crossing Smyth and Washington counties and said the owners intend to preserve the land rather than pursue development.

Why it matters: Reclassifying the parcels on the Future Land Use map aligns the county’s plan with the owners’ intent to restrict development through a conservation easement. The designation affects future land-use expectations and informs both county permitting and landowners or potential buyers about likely allowable uses.

During discussion, commissioners and staff reviewed maps showing existing conservation easements in Smyth County and the location of public utilities relative to the subject parcels. Vice-Chairman Mike Sturgill asked about utility access; Mr. Williams presented maps showing utility locations. Commissioners Rick Billings and Kris Ratliff noted portions of the property are currently in agricultural use; staff clarified that two parcels adjoining Colecrest Subdivision are not included in the proposed easement.

Mr. Oravetz explained that conservation easements generally cannot be removed without a formal application and that removals are rare. He also said the donating owners can receive a federal income tax deduction and a state tax credit based on the reduction in the property’s market value caused by the easement, and he clarified those tax benefits apply to the donors, not to future owners who acquire the land after the easement is recorded.

Commissioners raised the trade-offs between preserving land and limiting future development, citing topography (including an undevelopable cliff side) and long-term land-use flexibility. No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

The Planning Commission motion, made by Commissioner Lea Meadows and seconded by Commissioner David Spence, recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve amending the Future Land Use map to reclassify Tax Map Nos. 64-A-20, 64-A-5A, 64-A-6 and 64-A-7 as Agriculture. The motion passed with six yeas (Commissioners Campbell, Dean, Meadows, Shepherd, Spence and Wagoner) and one absence (Graham Davidson Jr.). The Planning Commission’s recommendation goes to the Board of Supervisors for final action.

Next step: The Board of Supervisors will consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation in its decision-making process; the transcript does not record a final Board vote on the amendment.

Sources: Joint public hearing of the Smyth County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, Oct. 24, 2024 (presentation by Clegg Williams; application represented by the Virginia Outdoor Foundation).