Supes to Discuss Rural Lands

Friday, September 24, 2010

James City County’s Board of Supervisors is ready to tackle discussions on rural lands at their work session on Tuesday.

Some of the topics Chairman Jim Kennedy aims to discuss at the work session include identifying the board’s position on property rights and its vision for rural lands in the future; whether the board as a whole believes rural lands are in danger and if so, how; and what land uses the board wants to see in rural lands.

Kennedy asks in a memo for the board meeting, “Does the Board believe that rural lands are in danger and if so, in danger of what, and what is the board attempting to protect?”

He also wants the board to discuss whether the county would provide any funding for agricultural uses for rural land, and what policies will govern rural land controlled by the county or other agencies.

The board will also consider the current primary development control tool in the county, the Primary Service Area (PSA), which is the imaginary line where water, sewer and other county services end.

Another topic for the meeting will be new rural land preservation tools like Transfer of Development Rights (moving development rights from rural lands over to targeted growth areas), Purchase of Development Rights (preserving rural lands by paying to keep development rights), legislative actions, rural clustering, and land acquisition.

In his memo, Kennedy also asks, “what do the Board members believe is the position of the owners of rural lands as the county develops policy in this area?”

In previous board meetings, some major rural land owners expressed concern that their land values have diminished significantly since the county has continued to restrict land uses. They are not happy about the idea of losing significant investments (land value) in order appease other county residents without some sort of fair compensation.

There are several reports and documents relating to rural lands attached to the meeting agenda (find them here) that outline current county policies, explain the various new tools for controlling growth and how these tools have worked in other areas.

The meeting will be held Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the board room of building F at the county government complex on Mounts Bay Road.

Other Business

The Board of Supervisors will also hold their regular meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the same building.

They have a relatively light agenda, which includes three public hearings.

The first public hearing is on the renewal of several Agricultural and Forestal Districts; the second is on a proposed new landscape supply business on Richmond Road called Harmonious Hardscapes; and the third is reductions in the fiscal year 2011 capital budget due to extra funds in the school budget due to state-approved one-year delay in retirement fund payments.

View the entire agenda here.