Residents urge Greenbrier County Commission to rethink proposed zoning ordinance

The Greenbrier County Commission on Jan. 22 opened a public hearing on a proposed update to the county zoning ordinance and heard about a dozen speakers urge substantial revisions before any adoption.

Tom, a member of the Greenbrier County Commission, opened the hearing by describing the legal framework under West Virginia code 8a-7-5 and saying the planning commission had transmitted a study and proposed ordinance after a multi‑year effort. He told attendees the commission cannot substantially rewrite the ordinance before public hearings but will review comments, prepare a redlined version and hold additional hearings on any amended draft.

The majority of public comments urged the commission to slow down and address perceived problems in the draft. Josh Bennett, owner of Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company, said one provision (section 402.13) and other passages appear to impose rules that would conflict with state law and West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control requirements. "What the planning commission and the zoning board have tried to do here is basically dictate how I'm able to produce my product, when and where I'm able to sell it," Bennett said, adding he had sent letters to the attorney general, the agriculture commissioner and the ABCA commissioner.

Agritourism operator Mary Catherine Tuckwiller said the draft could effectively shut down agricultural enterprises such as Hough Knob Sidery and warned that parceling and technical requirements could make ordinary actions — such as placing a pool — impractical. Susan Grama, who runs Fair Haven horse boarding, said the ordinance lacks a clear definition for horse farms and asked that the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) improve its procedures: notify property owners before inspections, conduct inspections in pairs to avoid the appearance of intimidation, and avoid voting or sharing votes before a hearing.

Several speakers, including Robert and Sarah Woodfin, compared the draft to homeowners‑association style restrictions and urged the commission to avoid imposing rules that residents view as invasive. "We do what we please with our own property," Woodfin said, adding she feared the draft could deepen divisions and displace longtime residents. Other commenters, including Jim Johnson and Matt Williams, pointed to technical inconsistencies between the ordinance text and tables of uses, gaps in grandfathering language, and unclear zone boundary records.

Speakers also raised economic and housing concerns. Charlie Long and Todd Longenecker warned that overly restrictive rules could deter new businesses and push residents across county lines; John Hanks urged the commission to preserve options for low‑income residents and to allow replacement of destroyed mobile dwellings. Thomasos Stabraakis, who organizes Renaissance festivals and runs an events farm, said the draft contains more than a dozen provisions that affect his operation and requested clarification about airport‑related federal restrictions and how written comments could be submitted.

The commission and staff closed the signed speaker list after the last scheduled commenter and thanked attendees. Commissioners said the three elected officials will review all written comments and emails, produce a redlined version of the ordinance in the coming weeks to a month, and schedule additional public hearings on that amended draft before taking any final action. Staff said the redlined draft and public notices will be posted on the county website, published in a newspaper and shared on the county Facebook page.

No motions or votes were taken at the hearing. The commission encouraged attendees to submit written comments and to consult the forthcoming redlined draft for further opportunities to comment.