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After lengthy public comment, planning commission recommends septic-truck yard with limits and buffering
Summary
Following multiple resident objections about wells, noise and visual impacts, the commission recommended approval of PL-26-108 for a septic-truck and equipment storage area at 782 Candler's Mountain Road with conditions including a defined site, buffering, a minimum setback from wells, and a limit on CDL trucks (recommendation passed 5–2).
The Campbell County Planning Commission recommended approval of PL-26-108, a special-use permit to allow parking and storage of septic-service trucks and related equipment at 782 Candler's Mountain Road, but only with conditions intended to reduce neighborhood impacts.
Planning staff explained the property is zoned agricultural and that the applicant asked to use a portion of the parcel for a contractor equipment yard, parking trucks and storing equipment. Applicant Tom DeWitt said the operation would use roughly one acre of a 7.3-acre tax parcel and described prior uses as lawn and landscaping equipment storage. A business representative said operations would be limited—"We just needed a place where we can park septic trucks... we only have one driver so it's not like two trucks we leave in at one time," and emphasized that trucks would typically make one trip in and one trip out each day.
Neighbors spoke at length in opposition, raising consistent concerns about groundwater contamination of private wells from leaks or spills, noise and early-morning departures, and the visual impact of equipment already on the parcel (including a shipping container). Lisa McCormick told the commission residents were alarmed that trucks had been on site before permit review and said this "has made a very mistrust with our whole neighborhood". The applicant and property owner disputed some claims and said empty tanks and lease terms prohibit storing sewage on-site; the applicant also agreed to consider operational limits as permit conditions.
After extended deliberation the commission adopted a substitute motion to recommend approval with conditions: limit the special-use permit to the area depicted in the applicant's narrative/graphic, require screening or buffering to reduce sight and sound impacts, include a minimum setback from the nearest private well consistent with Virginia Department of Health guidance (commissioners discussed a 100-foot benchmark), and cap the number of CDL septic trucks kept on-site (commissioners proposed a numeric limit). The substitute recommendation passed 5–2 and will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors, which has final authority on Aug. 4.
