Planning commission recommends three Ag & Forestal additions, including 826-acre Healing Springs Farm

The Louisa County Planning Commission on its July agenda approved additions to two existing agricultural-forestal districts and recommended a third, larger district to the Board of Supervisors.

Staff told the commission the Ellisville application would add a 30.8-acre parcel owned by John Massey and that the parcel is used for timber and lies 0.67 miles from the northernmost boundary of the Ellisville district. Planning staff also presented a three-parcel, 33-acre application from June and Linda Courtney to join the Goldmine Creek Ag & Forestal District; staff said both applications were recommended by ag/forestal staff.

"As of Monday, we have 10,034.42 acres of applications submitted since December," planning staff said, noting the county’s pipeline of ag-preservation requests. After the presentations, the commission opened both public hearings. No applicants or members of the public spoke on the Ellisville or Goldmine Creek items, and each motion was moved, seconded and approved by roll call.

The commission also considered a creation of a new Healing Springs Agriculture and Forestal District submitted by Healing Springs Farm LLC. Staff said the original Healing Springs application covers 826.5 acres, and a separate 14.74-acre addition from the Dorisami family was included in the record. Staff noted there was a packet error and distributed an updated cover sheet to the commissioners.

A representative introduced in the meeting as Todd Hicks spoke for the landowner, describing the property as a large rural parcel slightly west of the Hanover County line and north of the Goochland County line, and said neighbors had attended an informational meeting. "It's a unique opportunity for our district," the representative said, praising the landowner’s interest in preservation and the property’s complement to the county’s rural character.

A member of the public asked whether an adjoining property received notice; staff replied that state code requires notice to adjoining landowners and that the speaker’s property was not affected by the application. After discussing the item, the commission voted to recommend approval of the Healing Springs district to the Board of Supervisors.

The commission returned the gavel and announced the motions had carried for each item. The actions move the three Ag & Forestal requests forward: Ellisville and Goldmine Creek were approved by the commission, and Healing Springs was recommended for the Board of Supervisors’ consideration.

The Board of Supervisors will receive the commission’s recommendations at a future meeting; staff did not state a hearing date for the Board during the Planning Commission meeting.