Purcellville planning commission finalizes opener for zoning public hearing and flags removal of R‑3 'cluster subdivision' language

The Purcellville Planning Commission on July 18 finalized the structure and content of an introductory slide deck for a public hearing on proposed zoning ordinance revisions, and directed staff to make key explanatory material available to the public before the hearing.

The commission agreed that staff would lead a roughly 15‑ to 20‑minute presentation, followed by a formal public‑comment period limited to about three minutes per speaker. Commissioners said the hearing will be followed that same evening by an optional town‑hall session for back‑and‑forth discussion if needed.

“People will have three minutes to speak,” the chair said, urging that comments be documented and that detailed follow‑up occur during the town‑hall portion. Commissioners also asked staff to make the larger draft and maps available online and, where feasible, as printed copies at Town Hall.

The meeting centered on how much detail to show during the opener. Commissioners asked staff to pull four topics from the appendices into the main deck — by‑right limits, overlay districts, the proposed historic properties overlay, and uses — so the public would have a basic “grammar” for the discussion. Commissioner 5 and others argued a short set of slides would orient residents without turning the hearing into a long lecture.

A technical matter raised at the meeting could prove consequential for property owners. A staff planner said language that authorized cluster subdivisions (previously in Article 6, section 5) has been removed from the draft ordinance and that the draft also removes duplexes in the R‑3 district. “This provision has been removed from the draft ordinance,” the staff member said, noting that removing the cluster subdivision allowance could make lots developed under earlier cluster rules nonconforming (some existing lots measure 7,000 square feet while a straight minimum would be 10,000).

One commissioner said he did not recall the commission directing that cluster provisions be removed and called for staff to identify the minutes where that direction occurred. Another commissioner warned the change felt abrupt: “It’s kind of like pulling the rug out from under people’s feet,” the commissioner said. Staff agreed to locate the record of any prior direction and to add a clear bullet to the public‑hearing slides noting the R‑3 changes so residents would be informed.

Commissioners asked that the full draft zoning ordinance, the zoning map, and related appendices remain available on the town website and that a concise slide set be posted in advance so residents could review materials before the hearing. Staff said the draft and map are already posted and that some printed copies and large‑format maps would be available at the hearing.

Ed (the commissioner who agreed to update the deck) will circulate a cleaned‑up version of the opener for review; commissioners set a review deadline (close of business the next day, with Saturday noon as a fallback) and asked staff to compile comments. The commission also confirmed it will accept written comments by email; staff gave the dedicated address as zoningordinance@purcellvilleva.gov (transcript spelling varied) and said emailed comments will be assembled as part of the record but not read aloud during the hearing.

The public hearing is scheduled for July 25; the commission set a special meeting on July 31 to adjudicate comments and, if appropriate, forward a recommendation to town council.

Why it matters: Commissioners warned that changes such as removing cluster‑subdivision language and duplex allowances could create nonconforming conditions for existing lots and that the public should be clearly informed of those consequences before the hearing. The commission ordered clearer slides and a small set of explanatory materials to reduce confusion during public comment and to provide a factual basis for residents’ statements.

Next steps: Staff and the volunteer slide lead will circulate a revised deck for comment; the commission will hold the public hearing July 25 and reconvene July 31 to consider submitted comments and prepare a recommendation to the town council.