Onancock council retroactively authorizes sending letter withdrawing boundary-line adjustment to Accomack County

On Oct. 27 the Onancock Town Council voted unanimously to retroactively send a letter to Accomack County withdrawing the town's boundary-line adjustment (BLA) request.

Councilmember Lisa Fiege moved that the council send the withdrawal letter; Councilmember Cynthia Holdren seconded and the motion passed 5-0. The action formalized an Oct. 9 email from Town Manager Matt Spuck that stated, "Given the shift in the County's support, the Town of Onancock hereby formally withdraws its request for the boundary line adjustment at this time." The council's motion instructs the town to make that withdrawal official with the county.

The BLA had been the subject of public hearings at Accomack County on Sept. 17 and the Onancock Town Council on Sept. 22. Transcripts and attachments in the Oct. 27 packet show multiple residents opposing the adjustment during the Sept. 22 hearing. Pam Fitzpatrick and other property owners provided written statements and documents asking that their materials be included in the public record; those materials note concerns about notice to affected owners, tax implications of becoming town residents, potential development patterns, and requests for greater transparency in the process.

Town Manager Spuck's Oct. 9 email to the county explained that after the county's public hearing the county appeared no longer supportive of the adjustment and that the town therefore withdrew the request. The town letter referenced in the meeting packet will be submitted to the Accomack County Board of Supervisors; the packet also cites the county's agenda item accepting the withdrawal, which would conclude the county's consideration unless the town re-submits a new BLA in the future.