The following report and opinion is from citizen Ken Dufty of Wardtown
This week’s Northampton Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting revealed a distressing disregard for the integrity of the County’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan). This is a continuation of a troubling pattern that began on March 19 when three Planning Commissioners reduced the Comp Plan to a malleable document, claiming it is “not regulatory,” “open to our interpretation,” and “only general in nature.” On tape, Commissioner Anders even went so far as to say, “it is not important.” These statements were made to justify the approval of the Hionis deal, which sought to establish a new hamlet where none previously existed, under the guise of needing workforce housing.
Commissioner Sturgis, advocating for the Hionis proposal, emphasized the urgency for workforce housing. Yet, the “cottages” intended to meet this need are projected to be priced around $300,000—far from affordable for the average worker. When the BOS approved this dubious plan, John Coker dismissed concerns by paraphrasing, “it is their land, we have no control over it. They can build whatever they want there.” This statement highlights the county’s inability to enforce genuine affordable housing, despite earlier promises.
Last night, Jon Dempster, a member of the Economic Development Authority (EDA), echoed the workforce housing rhetoric. He suggested that Virginia Builders could construct affordable duplexes and townhomes near Cheriton on rural lands without the necessary sewer or water infrastructure mandated by the Comp Plan. Dempster advocated for altering the Comp Plan’s density rules, proposing shared septic solutions to justify these developments.
The proposed duplexes, supposedly affordable at $185,000 to $220,000, are beyond the reach of most local workers. The Zillow Affordability Calculator starkly illustrates this reality. For instance, a worker earning $35,000 annually could afford a home priced at $65,897, with a monthly mortgage payment of $450. Even at $75,000 a year, a worker could only afford a $205,677 home. This disconnect underscores the misleading promises of so-called workforce housing.
During the meeting, I presented these figures, demonstrating the financial impracticality for the intended demographic. Furthermore, I emphasized that any change in density would necessitate amending the Comp Plan. Despite this, Jon had a pre-prepared resolution to explore density changes for cluster developments in rural areas, under the pretext of needing workforce housing. This move, approved unanimously, seems to pave the way for unchecked development, sidelining the Comp Plan’s regulations.
It is alarming to witness the Comp Plan, once sacrosanct, being relegated to irrelevance. The BOS and certain Planning Commissioners, notably not Commissioners Wiggins, Morgan, or Webber, appear to be in lockstep with development interests, risking the very rural quality of life that defines the Eastern Shore.
We are witnessing gentrification on steroids. The mantra seems to be: “The Comp Plan is not important, open to discretion and interpretation, and is not regulatory.” This betrayal by the gatekeepers threatens the community’s integrity and sustainability. If we do not stand firm in protecting the Comp Plan, we risk losing the unique character that attracts people to the shore in the first place. Enjoy our rural charm while it lasts—because it may not be here for much longer.
