Powhatan planning staff recommends counting floodplain acreage toward lot-size calculations; commission forwards recommendation to supervisors

Planning staff told the Powhatan County Planning Commission on June 2 that the Board of Supervisors has referred a zoning ordinance amendment (Resolution R-2026-29) that would remove the current exclusion of floodplain acreage from minimum lot-area calculations for newly created lots; staff recommended the commission forward the amendment to the board with Option One—count floodplain acreage toward lot size while continuing subdivision buildability review.

Planning Director Lian Webb framed the amendment as applying only to newly created lots and not affecting existing homes or floodplain permitting. Webb explained the distinction between FEMA-designated 100-year floodplains, wetlands (which are field-delineated and separately regulated), and local riparian-buffer protections. "The amendments would remove current exclusions of floodplain acreage from minimum lot area calculations," Webb said, and emphasized that subdivision review and buildability standards would continue to ensure adequate upland building sites and compliance with floodplain and buffer rules.

Webb showed examples and benchmarking from nearby jurisdictions: several counties include floodplain acreage in gross lot-area calculations while relying on buildability and subdivision standards to manage actual building placement. Staff noted that in Powhatan a 2014 zoning rewrite had introduced explicit exclusion language; historical practice and a reference chart used for larger rural lots created some inconsistent applications since the rewrite. Webb told the commission the change would restore a gross-acreage approach for newly created rural lots while preserving floodplain development rules, riparian buffers, and wetland protections.

Commissioners asked how the referral arose and noted family divisions and recent examples where conflicting ordinance language created confusion for larger rural A10 lots. One commissioner recommended Option One; another preferred a narrower approach limited to larger rural zoning districts. After brief discussion the commission made a motion, seconded it, and by voice vote indicated consensus to move Option One forward to the Board of Supervisors for a hearing at the July 7 meeting.

Next steps: Planning staff will prepare ordinance language for formal referral and a public hearing before the board; the commission's recommendation will be included in the board packet for review and possible action at the July hearing.