Five Myths About Rappahannock

1. The county’s zoning requires each home outside the villages to have 25 acres of land.

It’s a common mistake people make when they talk about Rappahannock’s restrictive 25-acre residential zoning. The ordinance, approved in 1986, actually stipulates that a density of one house per 25 acres is required. So, on a 100-acre parcel, four houses can be built within an acre of each other.

2. Land in conservation easement can’t be farmed.

While there are restrictions on how the land is used, agriculture is often encouraged by conservation groups, such as the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF), the Piedmont Environmental Council, and the Krebser Fund for Rappahannock County Conservation, as a way to maintain its natural state. “There is not an incompatibility between easements and working landscapes,” said Nick Lapham, owner of The Farm at Sunnyside, where land is in conservation easement. “My experience in working with the VOF is that they were very enthusiastic about seeing Sunnyside stay a working farm.

“People think an easement is a straightjacket for anyone trying to operate a business,” Lapham added. “But there is flexibility in the model. I think we need to destigmatize the discussion so it’s not a case of ‘You’re not in easement so you don’t care about conservation’ or ‘You are in easement so you’re an elitist who doesn’t care about working farms.’ They’re both wrong.”

3. Conservation easements and land-use tax deferments are behind the county’s revenue challenges.

While there’s a touch of truth to that thinking, it’s an overly simplistic explanation. Yes, land in conservation easement is assessed at lower levels, and yes, parcels receiving a land-use tax deferment can generate significantly less revenue than they would otherwise. But that’s what keeps most of the county open and undeveloped. And that kind of land use places the fewest demands for public services on the county, helping to keep those costs lower.

4. Many people with land-use tax deferments cheat on meeting the requirements.

There no doubt are some property owners who don’t play by the rules when it comes to qualifying for land-use tax deduction by not, for instance, meeting the required productivity or income levels. But speculation that this is widespread and systematic is overblown, according to a number of county officials and longtime county administrator John McCarthy. First, there’s the stiff penalty for noncompliance — a roll-back tax equal to the sum of the deferred tax for each of the five most recent years, plus 10 percent interest per year. Another reason, they say, is the number of anonymous tips called in by people reporting neighbors or nearby landowners suspected of not abiding by the land-use rules. “What we found is that if you enforce it against people, they will tell you about other people,” said McCarthy.

5. Rappahannock is anti-business.

As Jason Brady, president of Businesses of Rappahannock suggests, it comes down to how you define business. “We’re anti-growth, but that’s not the same as anti-business,” he said. “Are we anti-Walmart? Yes. Are we anti-McDonald’s? Yes.” But at the same time, Brady points out, Businesses of Rappahannock continues to grow, and now has just under 150 members. He is of the mind, however, that the local government shouldn’t play a big role in promoting businesses. “I’m very much, ‘This is business, and this is county.’ The county should take care of what the county does,” he said.

Sperryville entrepreneur Robert Archer provided the perspective of a relative newcomer. “I haven’t seen that Rappahannock is anti-business. I’ve seen people who want to do business here, but just haven’t approached it in the right way. The reality is that with a county of only 7,000 people, you’re not going to attract many businesses. It’s hard to make the numbers work.”