BZA to hold public hearing on church permit
Some neighbors have opposed request to hold outdoor services, events
The Rappahannock County Board of Zoning Appeals will hold a public hearing at its May meeting on a request by Chester Gap Baptist Church for a special use permit to use a eld it owns for outdoor services and events.
The board asked for photos of the property and more speci c information on the location of the main and auxiliary parking lots in time for the hearing. At the body’s April 27 meeting, Chair Ron Makela said those elements weren’t part of the information packet the board received and he thought they would help with its review. Fellow board members concurred and made that part of the motion they approved to set a public hearing. Makela, Sharon Pierce, Stephanie Ridder and Bill Tieckelmann all supported the measure, while member Julie Coonce was absent and did not cast her vote.
The church’s application was on the BZA’s agenda for a preliminary review, a stage where the board takes a rst look at an application. The church owns 24 acres of vacant land o Headwaters Road, separate from the church worship building on Waterfall Road. Use of the Headwaters Road site would allow the organization to hold outdoor Easter services, Bible school and other events.
The space on Waterfall Road is limited. Before reaching the BZA, the special use permit request received a recommendation for approval by the Rappahannock County Planning Commission following an April 20 public hearing. The hearing drew some opposition from neighbors concerned about tra c, runo and the potential size of the gatherings. Church representatives maintained gatherings would be small.
The Planning Commission deemed the space not permitted to be rented for others to use, and the 200 by 200 foot area where events would be held is shielded from the road. Portable toilets, washing facilities and security personnel would be brought in when events are held.
In other business, the BZA scheduled a public hearing on a request to convert a workshop to a dwelling and approved two requests to operate tourist homes. The workshop is owned by Edward and Karen Rissing and sits on their property at 100 Eagle Nest Ln. in Boston. They plan to add a kitchen and convert the workshop to a residence. The Planning Commission recommended approval. The BZA will hold a public hearing on the request next month.
John and Diane MacPherson, former owners of Three Blacksmiths and the Foster Harris House, submitted one of the requests for a tourist home. They plan to convert what was the First Baptist Church fellowship hall, located at 742 Main St. outside the Town of Washington, into a three-bedroom tourist home. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the special use request. The conditions placed would limit occupancy to six people at a time, no food service, and expiration of the permit if the land is sold or transferred.
Narmada Winery, located in Amissville, submitted an application for a tourist home that the Planning Commission recommended for approval. An existing structure at 39 Narmada Ln. would be used as a one-bedroom tourist home. The county’s conditions include an occupancy limit of two people, no food service and termination of the permit if the property is sold or transferred.