Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Monday, August 3, 2026

The Wythe County Planning Commission approved a variance for a half-acre lot subdivision and a conservation easement for a 32-acre island property. The meeting also included updates on railroad infrastructure repairs, significant progress in broadband expansion, and plans for a joint community input session on a draft land use classification ordinance.

About this meeting

Government Body
Planning Commission
Meeting Type
Planning Commission
Location
Wythe County, VA
Meeting Date
August 3, 2026

Transcript

225 sections

0:00 – 0:17Speaker 6

Good evening. Welcome, everyone, to the August 3rd meeting of the Wythe County Planning Commission. And I've determined that all members are present. We have a quorum. And we will proceed with the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:17 – 0:33Speaker 7

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

0:40Speaker 6

And we have a advertised public hearing tonight on the Levi and Anna Terry

1:02 – 2:35Speaker 1

So Levi and Anna Terry are proposing to split off approximately a half an acre from tax map number 54-90, located along State Route 652, Cinnamon Run. This is actually in the Speedwell Magisterial District, so that's a mistake on my part. Sorry. and they're going to leave approximately 8.16 acres for the residual. Mr. Terry also owns tax map 5489, which adjoins the residual property, and they are proposing to give 100 foot of road frontage from $54.89 to $54.90 to make it in compliance and move the entrance to the house at $114. Because Mr. and Mrs. Terry's half acre does not have 100 foot of road frontage and the proposed division of the property would leave a nonconforming lot, they are requesting a variance to section 5.3.18 of the ordinance in order to proceed with this proposed division. So according to their plat that I have here attached somewhere, there's about 33 feet of road frontage right there touching Cinnamon Run. And then they would be cutting off this part.

2:40Speaker 6

Now, that lot does have public water, correct?

2:43 – 3:36Speaker 1

Yes, it does. I haven't pulled up on the map. So this is the parcel that they're wanting to split off. And he's going to give 100 foot on this side to go with this piece of property. So it'll come off a 21 instead of using Justice Mills Drive for this 114. No, they're going to do. They're actually going to split off 100 foot here and attach it to this piece of property. So it will actually have its. Yep.

3:36Speaker 9

And they got this is so a time frame that you get that done, correct?

3:40Speaker 1

Yes. I can't remember exactly how long it is for a variance. I want to say Like six months, maybe.

3:50Speaker 10

I was going to say 108 days, I believe.

3:53Speaker 1

Yeah, you might be right.

4:09Speaker 6

Anything else from staff?

4:13 – 4:29Speaker 6

All right, I will move to the Public comment, do we have anyone in the gallery who would like to speak on this subdivision? I have a question. Please come to the podium, please, sir, and state your name and address.

4:32 – 4:49Speaker 5

My name's Phillip Miller, and I live on this corner lot where the existing road is. And Ms. Clark over here owns the land track where the current access point is. And if I understand her correctly, he's planning on building a completely different road?

4:50Speaker 1

Going up to 114, correct.

4:53Speaker 5

And this current road down here at the bottom corner where they intend to split it, will they abandon that right away across her property?

5:02Speaker 1

This Justice Mills?

5:03Speaker 5

Justice Mills.

5:04Speaker 1

Well, Justice Mills will still need to be used for 110.

5:08 – 5:27Speaker 5

Okay. And not one. That's a concern I had. And, yes, they do have public water down there in the corner. Okay. There's other utilities over there, but that's a separate matter. I was just wanting to clarify if they intend to abandon the right across her driveway for this larger parcel.

5:30 – 5:41Speaker 1

Once 114 has its own access off of 21, it will not be using it anymore, but the 110 would still need to use it to get into that place.

5:41Speaker 5

My concern, and we've worked with Michael Sobey for the past five years, is we've been trying to put pressure on him to build a new road that's more accessible for the large vehicles.

5:53Speaker 5

They won't have nothing but trouble with them for the past five years or longer.

5:56Speaker 1

Okay. So they're going to put in a new access for 114, but 110 would still use Justice Mills, and I don't know who lives at 110.

6:06 – 6:17Speaker 5

It's a rented lot, and it's been in conflict for a long time. I brought some photographs of this other road, but if he's building another road, it won't make any difference.

6:20Speaker 4

And where's the access for the 118 there?

6:24Speaker 1

118 doesn't exist anymore. It's gone.

6:27Speaker 4

It's a vacant lot.

6:32Speaker 1

They took that trailer out.

6:36Speaker 5

I was just looking at the future if they intended to use Ms. Clark's land forever because if the model turns like 120 degrees, it's a hard point.

6:46Speaker 6

Yeah, I understand that they plan on taking the property where they put the new double-wide in at the top of the hill behind it.

6:55Speaker 5

Yes, they've been driving through the hayfield for about a year.

6:57Speaker 6

Yeah, they're going to take 100 foot over to the right of Mrs. Clark's property and adjoin it with that one in behind.

7:10Speaker 5

Okay, that wasn't included in our notice. We just said they intended to split off a half an acre.

7:17 – 7:32Speaker 6

Yeah, they're going to split off a half an acre for that 110, and that little lot, 23,000 square foot lot, will still use that Julius Mills Drive, that house wheel.

7:32Speaker 5

Okay, that was the concern we have is because they can't haul these large trucks and trailers around that hard corn.

7:38Speaker 6

And the house in behind it's going to have access from 21 off the lot coming towards town.

7:44Speaker 5

Correct, off the existing driveway.

7:47Speaker 1

So that'll take one less off of that driveway, off of Justice Mills.

7:51Speaker 5

A large portion of the burden.

7:54Speaker 1

Sounds like it.

7:55Speaker 9

Is that all? Unless you have more concerns.

8:00 – 8:20Speaker 5

No, no, that's just my concern is the road access. Right now they had the ability to cut in a better road and nobody's been willing to in the past. And now it seems to me that Mr. Terry is willing to remedy that problem. I've never been to one of these meetings before. So I'm clear of the process. Thank you. All right, you're welcome.

8:20 – 8:38Speaker 6

Thank you. Any other public comment? If none, we'll close the public comment. And we'll proceed to the Planning Commission discussion and action.

8:45Speaker 9

Will the 100-foot right-of-way go all the way to the very end of the property? Or just go up so far?

8:53Speaker 1

I think he's going to go up so far, and then he'll cut it back.

8:56Speaker 7

Cut it back in there?

9:00Speaker 7

So you said it wasn't right away. It's just the property.

9:03Speaker 1

He's actually going to give him 100 foot addition to it. Correct.

9:10Speaker 10

Off of 5489.

9:16Speaker 10

So just 100 foot off that road to be able to attach.

9:19 – 9:30Speaker 1

Correct. So what he'll have to do is, since this house uses this right here, he'll have to give them a right-of-way across, since he's going to give 100 foot to this one.

9:31Speaker 6

I don't think anybody's going to live in that house anymore.

9:34Speaker 1

Probably not.

9:36 – 9:54Speaker 6

Just in the new double-wide they put up above where the lot number is, they put a new double-wide in above it. I'll entertain. What do y'all think?

9:54Speaker 9

He's making it all conform.

9:57Speaker 6

All except for the small lot he's asking the variance for, which has 33 foot of road bridge and the banks is steep. Yeah, I'd say approve it, sir.

10:11Speaker 9

But like you say, he'll have to come back within six months to make that work.

10:16Speaker 6

Have it surveyed and cut the 100 foot off. Yes. So it's been moved. Do I have a second?

10:23Speaker 6

It's been moved and seconded. We'll have a roll call vote from my left to the right.

10:35Speaker 9

Aye. Aye. Aye.

10:37 – 10:55Speaker 6

The variance has been requested for that new lot on the ground. Thank you. And our next item is citizen's time. Any citizen would like to speak?

10:58 – 12:34Speaker 2

Mr. Kegley. Yeah, just briefly. Thank you, Andy Kegley. I sent a couple of you all an email today about a meeting we're setting up next Thursday, August 13th at 7 o'clock down at Glenwood Church in Barron Springs. We're gauging community interest about creating an agricultural district. in the eastern part of Wythe County, so we invited about 20 farmers, landowners, along Reed Creek Road there and talked to the supervisors, Mr. Smith, Mr. Burnett and Mr. Terry, they know about it, and I send it to you, Susan, and you and Mr. Epperson, I believe. So informational, just you're welcome to attend. The way the Agriculture District would have to work is you've got to create a core of 200 acres of farmers, landowners, and if we can get that if they can get that created other landowners contiguous or near it i believe can sign on as well but i think it comes to the application comes to the planning commission first and then it gets a vote sometime and it gets referred to the board of supervisors for a vote and then it becomes an ordinance there's three districts in the county now, Fairview, and there were two in Crockett's Cove or just one? I think there's two. Two, yeah. So it's a good land protection, voluntary zoning kind of thing, just informational. All right. Thank you. Thank you.

12:42Speaker 6

And our next item of business will be the minutes of the prior meetings for July 6th and the 27th.

12:57Speaker 9

I didn't see anything. Did you move to approve both minutes, sir?

13:01Speaker 6

It's been moved. Do I have a second?

13:05Speaker 6

It's been moved and seconded. All in favor of approving the two previous meetings minutes of the July 6th and the 27th? Say aye.

13:19Speaker 6

It's been approved. And our next item is new business Virginia Outdoors Foundation review the proposed easement.

13:34 – 14:33Speaker 1

They didn't come tonight. I just have the information from them. So, she had sent me over all this information that I've attached to this, and I asked her, you know, exactly what they were wanting to do so that I could present it to you all, and she said that this is what she said. Mr. Ogle is interested in donating that conservation easement on the property in question. The term sheet I sent provides some basics, but it's very much in the draft stage because he and I haven't talked details yet. She figured it was best to wait until the Planning Commission's approval. The easement will limit development rights on the property. It would not allow any future divisions and will permit only a very small footprint of buildings and structures, which in turn will be confined to one small building to help minimize the views to the public from the New River Trail and the New River.

14:39Speaker 1

Just one structure.

14:44Speaker 6

I mean, it's between the river and the trail.

14:48Speaker 9

Like an island.

14:50Speaker 6

It's an island. She can pull on down and show you the overhead satellite.

15:07Speaker 1

I don't foresee anybody getting back here to do anything with it anyway.

15:11Speaker 6

I don't believe anybody would build anything on that island. No.

15:16Speaker 9

It's going to be temporary at times.

15:22Speaker 7

And what are they wanting to put there?

15:25Speaker 1

An easement.

15:26Speaker 9

Conservation. How many acres was it? 32. 32.

15:33Speaker 4

And where's the structure?

15:34Speaker 1

There's not one. It's limited to having one structure.

15:38Speaker 7

What was the access to that property outside the trail?

15:43Speaker 1

I think that's it.

15:55Speaker 9

So what are you wanting us to do? Approve the easement?

15:59Speaker 1

Mm-hmm. Make sure it's in accord with your comprehensive plan.

16:03Speaker 6

It meets the conservation and recreation requirements. aspects of the plan.

16:08 – 16:20Speaker 9

I agree. No buildings, no houses. I'm sure there would be a small building at that. Yeah.

16:21Speaker 1

I doubt they'd build back there.

16:22Speaker 9

I'm sure the water would have been all through that.

16:27Speaker 9

I'm going to guess.

16:30 – 16:47Speaker 6

The railroad put it where the edge of the Anything between the former railroad or the trail to the river is from the flood.

16:48Speaker 9

I said if you had the floodplain, I said it would be in there, I say.

16:51Speaker 4

Probably. Can I make a motion to approve the conservation easement? I'll second.

16:58Speaker 6

It's been properly moved and seconded. Everybody will do a little.

17:08Speaker 9

Aye. Aye. Aye.

17:12Speaker 6

It has been approved for the conservation easement by the Planning Commission.

17:18Speaker 9

So then what will it go to next, Ms. Lisa?

17:21Speaker 1

It'll go back to them, and then they'll go ahead and do it. Okay. I'll send them a letter saying that you all approved it.

17:32Speaker 6

And our next item of business is our subdivision ordinance report. I'll entertain the report from the staff at this time.

17:42 – 18:14Speaker 1

Carolyn Copenhaver recently conveyed .633 acres to her adjoining owners Donna and Terry Irvin. Simultaneously, she conveyed 10.845 acres to her other adjoining owner, Chad and Jessica Hill. This subdivision leaves a .8 acre residual that will be used as residential. The new parcel of .633 acres will be used as residential and the new parcel of 10.845 acres will be used as agricultural. The residual is being served by public water and private sewer, and this plot was recorded on July 16th.

18:47 – 19:11Speaker 6

And our next item, since that was the only subdivision, will be our upcoming events. And a special note is the Planning Commission will be meeting on September 1st at 6 p.m. That's Tuesday.

19:15Speaker 1

Which is still in September. We'll also be adding a work session September 3rd.

19:40 – 19:53Speaker 3

I guess work session is not the right term. It's a community input session. The Board of Supervisors has requested one joint meeting or a joint input session with you all on September 3rd. Like we did with schools. Oh, okay.

19:53Speaker 1

We're just going to do one at George Wood.

20:00Speaker 3

And where's it going to be at? In the new Scott, right?

20:04Speaker 1

Oh, yeah, that's right. I'm sorry. You're right. Scott Memorial.

20:09Speaker 3

That's a third.

20:10Speaker 1

It's still George West to me.

20:11Speaker 10

That's a third.

20:12Speaker 3

Yes. We'll send you all notice.

20:16 – 21:08Speaker 3

Yes. This will be a public input session. The way that we are envisioning setting it up is tables for each district. So each supervisor, each planning commissioner, you'll sit together. folks from your district can come up, talk to you. We're going to have the draft land use classification ordinance published this week. I've got one clarification I'm going to ask for later in the meeting, but we get that published. We've been making changes to the mapping So August is a pretty busy month for the board, so we're struggling to find a date, and September 3rd is the one that works best for the board members. So we'll get that notice out to you and get it published in the public so we can let folks know that this is their next opportunity to come and provide input on the draft ordinance.

21:09Speaker 10

You said Scott School. You're talking about the original Scott School? No, the new Scott School. The new one?

21:14Speaker 6

The new middle school. It's going to be in the library or what?

21:27Speaker 3

Yeah, school's back in, so space gets at a premium.

21:30Speaker 7

But they found a gym we could go in and get everybody fit in, too.

21:40Speaker 3

And we appreciate the schools working with us.

21:46Speaker 6

We'll go to the next item. It's the county engineer report from Mr. Kintzer.

22:24Speaker 7

That's pretty.

22:31Speaker 9

Have you got a drone shot of your coffee or done? There we go. There we go. We got some cool one.

22:39 – 24:17Speaker 8

Remember him? Yep. Fortunately, unfortunately, we've got a section of the railroad we've got to maintain. We've got a call. They did an x-ray of what the Southern Inspectorate of Traffic Force is doing in Providence Park. And this is the main line. So we had cars waiting to go up to Gatorade. They were, the engines back here at Lane, it's busy, much busier than you would anticipate. So the engine finally hooks up and he's pushing back to and we had to hire we had to get a inspector to watch the rail because the x-ray indicated that the rail was separated between the web and the flange right here the worst possible spot was right here in bronson before we had to watch it comes out and marks everything for us and then There's the train coming up. It's excruciating. You got two guys on caboose here. They inspect on the way in. They push in they switch cars, which parts which parts and switch. And these cars are, this is one of the reasons we have issues. They're, it's heavy. These things are absolutely heavy.

24:17Speaker 6

They're 100 tons.

24:24 – 24:50Speaker 8

And they're big and long. The engine's pushing. So it's a little big. So they push into Gatorade and Amcor, and they have to come back out several times, so they constantly block the crossing right there. So they gotta push into Amcor, pull back out, push up the empty track, drop the caboose, push into Gatorade. I mean, there's no room for error.

24:56Speaker 9

Well, how many feet you get to fix her, Johnny?

24:59 – 27:23Speaker 8

we had to fix it in three different spots we had to replace about 20 feet of rail where the plan had separated from the web at the crossing which was working possible as possible but then there's two other spots that they had to replace as well they took the rail out of service unless we had an inspector watching it as the train crossed so we didn't want to do that so we were out there at eight o'clock watching this train shift back and forth As you can see, it drops the caboose. It goes to Gatorade, it goes to Anchor, it gets it over there. And when the caboose is hooked up, when they go back out, they're done. but this this was the inspection well this is a this is a unique thing to with county i got behind the captain's wagon the other morning on the way to work he had a bunch of cars waiting for the canvas But the next day we had to come out and cut all the rail out, or Cleco did, they did an emergency repair for us. That rubber, that cut out the asphalt and removed the rubber, cut the rail, a lot of special equipment. And there's hives underneath there too. was any reason that it it broke just that one section i mean what's the reasoning well that section gets rail in truck traffic okay rail and truck traffic hit right there and like i say that engine has to come across that crossing many many many times every time he switches just just for one trip and they go up there about three times a week They stop at Lane and then Gatorade and Amcor. It's no deal. This is down at the Apex Center. We changed the pond over to the stormwater management side at the Hitachi Energy Arena.

27:23Speaker 3

You owe the jar $2. You what? He owes the jar $2. But you can see our wet basin is finally wet again.

27:35 – 30:22Speaker 8

So that's a good thing. Lana and them worked hard down there core drilling and patching the old hole for the DNS in this concrete riser right here. So now we're retaining water and retention, retaining stormwater basin. And it looks pretty good. Got a video. I'll show you. we got some drone pictures of the different you're not showing anything on the big screens john you may look good on yours but don't look good on ours area that's okay we've got some aerial stuff of the rail for bear and you've got the drawing up in there so i took some pictures of lot 35 substation the mountains again that's lot 35 i've gatorade and m4 do a picture of the siding going in and So what is the solution to the failure of the rail?

30:23Speaker 10

I mean, obviously, if it's already happened, it's going to happen again with the traffic.

30:28 – 30:48Speaker 8

The rail is, we understand there's no new rail. You buy a used rail, and this is 1911 rail. It was bought and put in there. David will probably tell you. Really don't wear out, but it will fatigue after a while.

30:48Speaker 9

Flexing and stuff.

30:49 – 31:14Speaker 8

We are looking at options. We met with an engineer out there to try to figure out how that curve gets out of gauge a lot. I saw that in your picture.

31:15 – 31:26Speaker 3

It's not just here. They're experiencing this in a lot of other areas. We heard from them about cold country. A lot of spikes coming out over in cold country with heavy cars too. Oh,

31:26 – 31:37Speaker 8

But we're looking at heavier rail, 132 or 136. Supposedly makes all the difference, but it's also plates, clips. I think my battery just died.

31:37Speaker 10

The bedding of the rail, too, has a lot to do with it, right? Yeah. I assume they checked the bedding and they know what they're doing at the road.

31:48 – 32:37Speaker 8

Norfolk Southern says that they don't have any issue with the ties moving, with the bedding's good. they have an issue with the rail. They think the rail size is more. Now the engineer says a lot of different things and he brought a CSX guy in there and they said a lot of different things but they contradicts a little bit but I think what we've decided to do is take the inspections from Norfolk Southern and try to figure out a plan but we've got, we're all over the boards with plans. We were going to replace just the curve with the heavy tie. I mean the heavy heavy rail. It's the more industrial ties, plates and rail. The problem is there's a height difference, so the. The way you attach it is a little bit different.

32:37Speaker 6

So what pound rails in there now 127?

32:42Speaker 8

127 pounds to the yard.

32:49Speaker 6

Is it yard? The main line uses 131, 132.

32:54 – 33:08Speaker 8

The main line uses 136, and that's what they want us to switch to. And that's what Norfolk Southern tells us. We replaced these pieces here with 132, so we had to have a different splice plate.

33:12 – 33:35Speaker 6

Like I said, Norfolk Southern, all the railroads, they don't really buy new rail. They pull up old rail. If it's sections, they'll weld it together in quarter-mile sections, and then they run it through a grinding machine and re-grind it, and they'll put it back down. But on the curves, it wears out quicker.

33:37Speaker 9

Yeah, I can see that.

33:39 – 34:04Speaker 8

Well, this rail has been in for 20 plus years, maybe getting close to 30 now, but it's very costly. At one time we were spending about $70,000 a year, but now we put gauge rods in the curve, so we went about three years without doing anything. But we're trying to figure out if we need to be more proactive than reactive.

34:05 – 34:34Speaker 6

yes yeah but you know how maintenance is it's always reactivating it'd be nice to get norfolk southern to take that's what i get take it be nice norfolk southern would take over the maintenance of it just take ownership of it yeah blue star came in we had that chance i think but it didn't it didn't come in but wasn't amcor gatorade and lane because it's all on this same problem with that to qualify uh for some reason they don't even talk about lane when when they're doing that and

34:36 – 34:50Speaker 8

I don't know if that siding is part of, was part of, or that, their spur was part of the siding that was already there maybe. I don't know. But they don't even talk about lane when we talk about.

34:50Speaker 10

Lane don't ship enough to account for anything. They don't rail enough to.

34:55 – 35:07Speaker 8

account for anything, right? They've gotten busier with rail. They used to be, well, no, they've gotten less busy, I'm sorry. They've gotten less busy with rail. I guess they bring it in by truck.

35:07Speaker 9

They do. They bring the raw material in by rail truck.

35:12Speaker 9

They bring the raw material in by rail, don't they?

35:14Speaker 8

They bring some in, but not as much as they used to.

35:17Speaker 9

They're shifting it to truck.

35:18Speaker 8

Because they used to be recycle pipe, but I think they do everything now, don't they? Okay.

35:24Speaker 10

That's my understanding.

35:29 – 35:56Speaker 8

Anyway, I had a little bit more. I was going to show you there was a drone showed up out there during the middle of our repair of the railroad. I thought it was Matt spying on us. And I put my drone in the air to go catch him. And when I got there, it wasn't him. It was a vehicle like his, but it was a surveyor actually doing topo with a drone. I was going to ask, was it approved flight?

35:57Speaker 3

Yeah. Now we're going to stick a sticker with Johnny's face on his drone and one with my face on my drone. Let me recognize it.

36:16Speaker 4

anything new on the retention pond?

36:19Speaker 8

No, I haven't heard anything. I'll call Stefan tomorrow.

36:24Speaker 9

You still got drones and lights?

36:26Speaker 4

Oh, I have a drone and a light show every day.

36:28Speaker 9

Well, what do you complain about a light show? It's good for you.

36:31Speaker 4

When your lights turn on and you back door every night, right?

36:36Speaker 9

I draw a line on that now.

36:38Speaker 10

What are they running drones down there for to look at this?

36:41Speaker 4

They do the drones for the solar farm. They do the drones for the substation. So I have drones.

36:47Speaker 10

The company that is running the solar farm is doing that to inspect?

36:50Speaker 4

Yeah. So I have drones two or three times a week out there. I guess the gas company does at some point. I don't know.

36:59Speaker 7

I'm not sure what Amber is doing on theirs.

37:01Speaker 4

A lot of times I knew they'd buy the helicopters and stuff. Oh, yeah, I have helicopters, too.

37:07 – 37:21Speaker 6

I have a drone. And if Mr. Kintzer is finished, we do not have a board member for our ex-officio report tonight. And we'll entertain a report from Mr. Higgins.

37:23 – 38:49Speaker 3

Mr. Burnett did drop by this afternoon. He had to work very early this morning, so he was at the end of his day. He had to go on home, so he apologized for not being able to be here tonight. Really don't have a whole lot for you other than we did... Some discussion of the site plan for the data center at our most recent board meeting. I would encourage you to watch those if you want to see what was shown on the screen for that meeting. I don't have it with me. We did have a couple folks who were escorted out of that meeting for the way that they approached their comment. But other than that, we don't have an awful lot for you. We do have the meeting on September 3rd. I do need one clarification from your joint meeting that you had with the board of supervisors. Mr. Dunford, you made a motion to add residential. The wording that I'm putting in adds that residential that you requested, but it does say that you can't do it in a commercial building. Is that in line with what you had in mind?

38:50 – 39:11Speaker 7

Well, basically, my thought was it's a regular residential duplex, you know, of that nature. Now, would commercial go back to the aspect that we took a building and made a duplex out of it? That would be my question on that. But my original thinking was a residential house and a local family duplex or something like that.

39:12 – 39:35Speaker 3

So I couldn't buy the food country. You probably wouldn't want to move into that. Right. I think I need to add language to that effect if that's agreed. Well, why? Well, if it's commercial, I think you want it to stay commercial.

39:36Speaker 10

Is that, that's the thought, once it's commercial, always commercial?

39:40 – 40:13Speaker 7

Well, the thought coming up to it is because some of these locations have got classified as commercial. It's residential in their name. If, you know, this couple gives a piece of property to their kids, and we don't have the residential or some type of dwelling structure listed in that commercial name, They'll have to come before here and get a waiver. You know, go through the whole process. But we're putting the commercial on them. We're putting it on top of them. My thought was to make it easier.

40:13Speaker 10

So they can't just change it?

40:15 – 40:44Speaker 7

Just put residential, some type of residential or duplex within the commercial setting also. That way, if it's already in there, if somebody decides to build on a property next to it, because it could be a piece of commercial land down there next to the Fortuna Mansion, and somebody might want to give them a little acre of land to put a house on. Well, right now, they'd have to come before us if this thing would pass. If we put a residential duplex in that commercial setting, they could do that. It would be allowed by right.

40:46Speaker 6

So you're talking about adding single-family homes slash duplex slash townhouse?

40:49 – 41:07Speaker 7

Right, something like that to the commercial set. That way they wouldn't have to come before us. It would be by rights in there. Right now, it's not. The residential aspect is grandfathered, isn't it, if it does pass? Unless there would be no way to go forward unless they come before us.

41:07 – 41:29Speaker 10

Would you limit that to single-family or duplex homes? So that you don't get into a situation where... So limit that to a duplex maybe versus somebody buying a commercial building.

41:30Speaker 7

This would just safeguard keep from somebody not being able to give something to their family or something like that. And less hassle to come before us. Exactly. Less cost.

41:42 – 41:55Speaker 10

I believe I would limit the language, though, to include single family or duplex somehow versus just residential as a whole.

41:56Speaker 3

That's useful guidance, and that's what I was looking for. I mean, does that make sense?

41:59Speaker 10

It makes a lot more sense.

42:02Speaker 6

I mean, you're taking a 100-unit apartment building with, like I said, a commercial.

42:11Speaker 10

To a point, yeah.

42:13Speaker 4

I think for Rodney, it was protecting the homeowner that's already there to give their son or daughter a piece of property.

42:19Speaker 7

Yeah, absolutely. Don't make it so burdensome to the person that already lives there if they want to do something with the property. That was the whole thing.

42:28Speaker 10

Like a family subdivision, but it's just not. Yeah. I mean, I like that just with the limits.

42:39 – 43:15Speaker 3

I'll put in language that matches what we're talking about. I mentioned that I have been making changes to the mapping. Those should be live as they're made. So folks who have questions should be able to see those. But we may be making changes up until a couple of days before your meeting on the 3rd. If something else comes up or we notice issues, we're going to continue to make those changes until We're satisfied that we have something that you all can stand behind, as says the board.

43:19Speaker 9

How's the internet on the eastern end of the county?

43:23Speaker 3

We got an update today. They're making really good progress. They'd better because this is the last month that they can do work and get paid for it.

43:35Speaker 3

tell you where they're at. They did finish Millers Creek. Okay.

43:44Speaker 9

This is off the beaten path, yeah.

43:48 – 47:28Speaker 3

So, in July, citizens finished Meadowview Lane off of Grouse Ridge, Pepper's Ferry Road from the Max Meadows, from Max Meadows to the intersection of Grouse Ridge, Frogleaf Lane from the intersection of Grouse Ridge to the Pulaski County line, Maxwell Lane. They finished Locust Hill Road, including Allegheny Road, Hamilton Lane, Catfish Lane, Millers Creek Road, including Smith Road, Sandy Springs, Village Green, Wayward, Moss, and Heather Lane. They finished Piney Mountain Road, Dunn Park Road, including Coffee Road, Collins, Dean Hollow, Barrow-Wallow, and Stone, and then Breezy Estates. They're currently working on Weiser Highway to the Pulaski County Line, Route 100 to Reed Creek, including Reed Creek Drive, Stillvale Road, Feature Lane, Brickstock Drive, and Arden Lane. Working on Scratch Gravel Road. They're also going to do the ones on the Carroll side of Scratch Gravel. including Lumber Lane because that's the only way into those. So they'll pick up those customers as well. And they are currently working on Red Hollow Road. There was a VDOT issue that we helped them resolve while VDOT was doing the work on truck climbing lane on 77. citizens couldn't get in there to finish that section. So we asked them to expedite that so they can do that work while they have the grant active. But that's going to also include Boiling Spring Lane, Dogwood Crest, and Jones Road. And then they're also working on several private roads or other roads, including Shadow Lane, Cranberry, and Meadow Brook, along with some others. One that we have talked about repeatedly is Bertha Farms. They've had some issues getting hold of landowners because of some absentee landowners or folks who aren't here year round. But they did get the deed research done on that and the deed that they have on birth of farms from 1984 utility rights of way are listed in the deed. So they plan to get those sections done. So that would include timber and a couple of the other small streets back in there. So glad that they've got documentation that shows they can do that. They do their utilities underground. They're not on poles. So that's more reliable service in the long run. So glad to have them getting that section done. They also have, and it's not in this email, but we talked about it during our project meeting last week, I think there are 485 locations that they have not been able to serve or will not be able to serve under the current grant, but they did get some additional funding in the BEAD grants to be able to do that. So they'll be able to expand broadband coverage using that additional grant. There's not a timeline on that. The state has been moving kind of slow on that with some federal regulations, so I don't know exactly when they'll get started on that, but they are talking about trying to use some of the contractors they've got under contract now to be able to start on that work as quickly as they've got authorization from the state to do so.

47:30Speaker 9

That's not bad. 10,000 and missing 4 and 85.

47:34Speaker 3

Well, it was closer to 9,000, but they were, call it.

47:41Speaker 10

Still pretty good. Pretty good percentage.

47:44Speaker 3

I take that. It's a whole lot closer than we thought it was going to be. Yeah.

47:51Speaker 9

I see they can't get it back up and going. Is it working?

47:55Speaker 3

As far as I know.

47:56Speaker 9

No news is good news?

47:59 – 48:50Speaker 3

I haven't heard any screaming. The new equipment looked really good. It looked much better than the old boiler that was under there when we went and visited. I wondered how it made it this long. So hopefully the new equipment will last until we can get a longer-term plan. I know we have asked for some federal help for some projects. We had asked for funding for the Lots Gap water tank that was supposed to be done as part of the Blue Star project. I don't think that was going to go through, but on the Senate side, the cannery, we had asked for some funding to do a new cannery building off of the school property. That one, I think, is still alive, but It's the federal budget process, so who knows what we'll survive through.

48:53Speaker 9

It's about like the Ready, Set, Go down at Fort Chester, the school, Ready, Set, Go. They've been doing this for five years, Rusty.

49:00Speaker 6

Is that all you have, Mr. Hankins?

49:11Speaker 3

Is that all you have? Unless there are any other projects you want to ask about. Okay.

49:16 – 49:46Speaker 6

next item is commissioner concerns well if nothing else will entertain a motion to adjourn the roll call vote Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. The August 3rd meeting of the Wythe County Planning Commission is hereby adjourned.

This transcript was automatically generated from the official public meeting video and is presented unedited. It reflects remarks made on the public record by elected officials, staff, and public commenters. Transcript accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.