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Planning commission recommends approval for Marlborough Baptist Church special-exception permit
Summary
The Rockbridge County Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the Board of Supervisors grant a special-exception permit allowing Marlborough Baptist Church to build an accessory pavilion in a Zone AE hatched floodway, contingent on substantial compliance with the applicant’s schematic plan and county building-department approvals.
The Rockbridge County Planning Commission on Feb. 11 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a special-exception permit allowing Marlborough Baptist Church to construct an accessory pavilion within a Zone AE (hatched floodway) in the Flood Hazard Overlay District.
Applicant representatives described the site’s history and the proposed structure. Pastor John Tilley told the commission the church on the site dates to about 1900 and that a previous building was washed away in the 1960s; the congregation has held homecoming services on the property and wants an open pavilion "to preserve the heritage of the church," he said. Contractor Luke Fisher said the pavilion would be built "as flood resistant as possible, anchoring it in a concrete pad" and that posts and a poured pad would help resist flotation and lateral movement.
Commission member Tony Sabrizzi moved that the commission recommend approval with two conditions: substantial compliance with the schematic plan titled "Marlborough Baptist Schematic Plan" dated Jan. 16, 2026, and approval contingent on Rockbridge County building-department approvals. The motion was seconded and carried by a unanimous vote.
The commission closed the public hearing after staff and the applicant answered commissioners’ questions about parcel size and site conditions (staff and the applicant clarified that although the parcel surveys larger, about a half acre is usable after a road relocation). The commission’s recommendation is advisory; the Board of Supervisors will take the final action on the special-exception permit.
