Watching the Northampton Planning Commission

The following is a report from Citizen Ken Dufty who has been doggedly following a proposed high-density development in the County.

They tabled the proposal by Bill Parr and Angelo Manuel to put 13 houses on 48.11 acres of farmland zoned A/RB even though the legal density (houses per acre) limit in the Comp Plan and 2016 Zoning Ordinance limits are One House per 20 ( a density limit that the people want and has been in effect for over 20 year), but the Commission will take it up on the 1st of March.   Commissioner Andre Wiggins was great.  He argued that the application violated density and advocated for rejecting it now.    Chairman Crunk said Andre hit the nail on the head, but they have to do the process.  Chairman Crunk had one question for Kelly…..did the applicant give all the information that the PC asked of him….and the answer was “no”.  Later, Anders said he looked at the information that the applicant submitted and concluded that they had all the information they need.   Holland tried to thread a needle by asking if the term “cottage” would not have to meet density standards…. but Kelly said that when there is not a term in the zo, you turn to Websters, and Websters clearly defines “cottage” as a house…and a house is a dwelling unit. After that, they tabled the Axios issue and will take it back off the table during their March 1st meeting at 6pm.   My somewhat educated guess…and it is only a guess with no expectations…. that Holland….who proposed a 10 million gallon/year biodiesel plant in the middle of Exmore’s business district in 2007-08, will vote to approve…but thinking and hoping the rest will not.  But that means nothing as the BOS rarely even listens to what the Planning Commission recommends unless it is approval without conditions.  Assistant County Attorney   Thornton is supposed to give the Planning Commission a legal opinion on the density issue, but he was late…and when he finally came in, they said they would recess and then go into closed session after that.  By that time, they had already tabled the Axios issue so I left thinking that the issue would wait until March 1st, the monthly meeting.