Revised regs get Augusta’s attention

VERONA – More than two years after Augusta County Supervisors passed a revised comprehensive development plan for the county, they are now focused on putting teeth in that plan.

The teeth come in the form of a revised set of county ordinances that supervisors and planning commission members spent Monday evening reviewing.

The revised ordinances will be advertised for a joint planning commission-supervisors Oct. 26 public hearing, and could be in place by Jan. 1.

Some of the changes are subtle, such as the inclusion of wineries as a general agriculture use in the revised general agriculture ordinance.

“Wineries are a big thing in Virginia now,’’ said Augusta County Community Development Director Dale Cobb.

The general agriculture ordinance received much attention Monday since more than 90 percent of Augusta County is zoned agricultural.

Cobb said a new designation of planned residential districts in the county’s urban service areas could become popular for developers if it is approved.

The new designation calls for a development of at least 10 acres and two dwelling types from a list of such housing as duplexes, townhouses, single-family and multi-family.

Cobb told supervisors and planners that “this is a biggie,’’ and said in the future he believes many developers will take advantage of this new designation.
Another change is the elimination of townhouse and duplex residential districts.

If approved with other changes, townhouses and duplexes in the future can be built on individual lots.

The revised ordinances were worked on over the summer by a committee of community development staff and county supervisors David Beyeler and Gerald Garber.