Planning commission recommends 'Ferry Court' for new private drive off Peppers Ferry Road

The Planning Commission voted unanimously Nov. 11 to recommend the name Ferry Court for a new private drive serving lots above Peppers Ferry Road. Chair (S1) opened the discussion and staff member (S4) told the commission the plat, as shown in GIS, identifies a 50-foot private drive with an existing single-family home on parcel 0721654 and construction underway on an adjacent parcel.

Staff member (S4) said the property owner asked that the town consider a street name so that addresses would no longer read off Peppers Ferry Road, and described the next steps: the commission’s recommendation would go to EMS for clearance, then to county addressing and the postmaster for finalization. "Once we get your all's approval, we'll take it to EMS and then county and then the postmaster," S4 said.

Commission members discussed suffix options to avoid confusion for mail carriers and emergency responders, debating Lane, Court and Heights. Committee member (S3) argued for a short, distinctive suffix to reduce response-time confusion, saying the town already deals with duplicated street names in emergency responses. After discussion, Meeting participant (S5) moved to recommend Ferry Court; Chair (S1) seconded the motion and the vote was recorded as unanimous.

The commission and staff also noted that the drive is private and not town-maintained unless it is upgraded to VDOT standards; S4 recommended private maintenance agreements among the lot owners. Staff will pursue the EMS, county and postal approvals and confirm the final spelling and sign placement. The commission did not vote to change maintenance or public-rights responsibilities.

The commission adjourned after brief updates on other agenda items.