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Staff says Sunken Meadows wetlands change came without county notice; federal meeting planned
Summary
Staff said an outside organization is holding a meeting about Sunken Meadows and that previous wetland drainage occurred without county notification; DEQ was contacted and staff reminded the public that changes to wetlands require county conditional-use approval when applicable.
A commissioner asked about an upcoming meeting related to Sunken Meadows and wetlands. Planning staff clarified the meeting is organized by an outside organization, not the county; earlier drainage of wetlands in the area surprised local residents and the county and prompted staff to contact the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to investigate.
Staff said the county informed DEQ and requested notification of actions that might alter wetlands. “We said we shared our frustration with that and said that any here, if you do anything else there, you do require a conditional use permit from the county,” staff said, adding that the county will encourage an open-house approach so neighbors can review any proposed work. The item is not currently a county-led project but could have future county implications if federal or state actions require local permits.
