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Pulaski planning commission sets May hearings for rural residential zoning changes, debates farm‑market rules and $650 fee
Summary
The commission scheduled back‑to‑back public hearings for May 11 on a rural residential zoning-text amendment and a rezoning request, discussed farm‑market rules including a 75‑mile production radius and a 2,500 sq. ft. footprint limit, and reviewed a staff recommendation to add a $650 zoning‑amendment fee to the town's rate schedule.
The Town of Pulaski Planning Commission on April 13 agreed to schedule two public hearings for its May meeting to consider a proposed rural residential zoning‑text amendment and a rezoning request.
Staff described proposed changes that would add a new permitted‑use subsection for "farm market," reduce a referenced square‑foot threshold (from 3,000 to 2,500 sq. ft.) for certain uses, and add parking and setback language. Commissioners raised questions about how the term "produced" should be interpreted when the draft requires that "all goods sold shall be produced within a 75 mile radius" — whether that means animals raised within 75 miles, processed locally, or packaged locally — and asked staff to clarify options in the text. The chair summarized the draft language as saying "All goods sold shall be produced within a 75 mile radius."
Commissioners also discussed building footprint limits and whether a two‑story structure could host a first‑floor store with an owner‑operator living above. Staff said the proposed rural‑residential rules would allow that configuration under current zoning language and suggested clarifying parking setbacks so vehicles do not encroach on roadways.
Separately, staff recommended formally incorporating a $650 fee for zoning text amendments into the town's rate‑and‑fee schedule because the fee had not been adopted there even though it appeared on application forms. Staff noted the actual mailing cost can vary and provided a rough comparison: one past public‑notification cost was about $200; the county charges $2.50 for a comparable item; and "Christiansburg can do it for 500," a commissioner said. Commissioners asked staff to perform a cost analysis and to look back 12 months to estimate the town's costs before finalizing the fee schedule recommendation.
The commission voted to schedule the two public hearings back to back at the May 11 meeting and closed the item for staff to prepare the public hearing packet and cost analysis.
