Board sends proposed floodplain lot-area change to Planning Commission

Powhatan County supervisors voted unanimously on April 27 to send a proposed zoning text amendment to the Planning Commission that would stop excluding floodplain acreage when calculating lot area for new subdivisions.

Planning staff explained the change would allow floodplain acreage to count toward a parcel’s lot area while still requiring demonstration of sufficient buildable area on each lot (suitable for structure and septic). Planning Director Ligon Webb said the current rule effectively penalized landowners by reducing the number of lots on tracts that contain floodplain, and that the proposed amendment would remove that penalty but require separate demonstration of buildable area.

Deputy County Attorney Kalli Jackson clarified that, under the current ordinance example presented by staff, a 100-acre tract with 30 acres in the floodplain would yield only seven lots in an A-10 zone; the proposed change would allow ten lots provided each demonstrates a buildable area outside the floodplain. Mr. Kinney suggested a 90-day timeline for the Planning Commission’s review; staff said that was reasonable.

The board approved Resolution R-2026-29 to refer the proposed text amendment to the Planning Commission by a 5-0 vote. Staff said they will return with draft ordinance language based on the Planning Commission’s recommendation and any required legal analysis.