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Board approves Marlborough Baptist Church special-exception permit for pavilion in floodway
Summary
The board approved a special-exception permit allowing Marlborough Baptist Church to construct an open pavilion in an AE-hatched floodway with conditions: substantial compliance with the applicant's schematic plan dated 01/16/2026 and contingent Rockbridge County building-department approvals; no public comments were offered at the hearing.
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors on March 9 approved a special-exception permit for Marlborough Baptist Church to construct an open pavilion with a concrete floor inside an AE-hatched floodway in the county's Flood Hazard Overlay District (FH-1), subject to planning and building-department conditions.
Planning staff described the site (tax map number 52-5-2b) and explained that structures for public and private recreational use in the hatched floodway are allowed only by special exception under Rockbridge County's land development regulations. The planning commission previously held a public hearing and recommended approval with two conditions: substantial compliance with the applicant's schematic plan (titled "Marlborough Baptist schematic plan," dated 01/16/2026) and approval contingent on Rockbridge County building department sign-offs.
Applicant representative Luke Fisher told the board the church is about 125 years old and that the proposed pavilion would replace the temporary tents they have used for annual gatherings. "It's an open pavilion with a concrete floor... we'd like to situate our pavilion ... just for annual meetings, picnics, church recreation," Fisher said in support of the request.
There were no speakers from the public; the board closed the hearing, moved to approve the special exception with the planning commission's conditions, and voted unanimously to grant the permit. Staff noted that building-department approvals remain a condition for final permits.
