Discussion continues regarding RC zoning amendment changes By Jim Ridolphi Ashland-Hanover Local More than 20 years ago, Hanover County created a Rural Conservation (RC) designated zoning district in an effort to preserve the rural nature of the county while allowing some residential opportunities in those areas. The current RC ordinance allows landowners or developers to apply for the designation on lots of 25 acres or larger, but there are restrictions. First, 70% of the tract deemed the conservation area must be preserved with at least 20% classified as common space, and one preservation lot is allowed that could contain a residence or
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and the hours of this building,” Farrar said at last week’s meeting as he presented a plan for Council’s consideration. The pilot program was prompted by COVID concerns, but also allowed customers extended hours of service for those unable to get to Town Hall during normal business hours. Last May, Farrar presented a plan to make the four-day week permanent, but Council members were not ready to endorse the plan and asked Farrar to gather more input from the public regarding the schedule. “We thought the pilot program was successful and asked council members what do you think about making it permanent,” Farrar said. In response to Council’s request for more information, Farrar initiated a survey available electronically and at the Town Hall’s front desk to gauge public comment regarding the hours. That survey garnered 43 responses with 73 percent favoring the alternative hours.
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single family building site. The remainder of the property can be used for cluster home developments In 2019, the Community Development Committee (CDC) recommended changes to the ordinances in an effort to make RC more desirable and preserve more rural acreage. Board of Supervisors chair Sean Davis also heads the CDC and said the recommendations are needed. “I’m trying to save RC .If these measures go away, RC becomes more undesirable,” Davis said. “These new ordinances are density neutral. We are not trying to change RC zoning. The only thing that we are doing is proposing that the preserved land has an abil-
In addition, the county established and manned a voicemail response system for customers needing service on Fridays when the facility is closed. That service is manned and every call receives a response that day. “Everyone gets a call back,” Farrar said after describing the call volume on that line as “very small.” The survey also revealed a preference to make a clear decision on the hours and make it permanent. Some council members expressed a belief that many in the community think the shortened hours are still COVID related. But Farrar said the fourday schedule offers customers more hours of service due to the extended hours and message center, up to 50 hours weekly with the voicemail call back. “You can see first and foremost from this survey that there is a community preference for the alternative schedule,” Farrar said. Among other benefits, Farrar said the 4-10 schedule increases productivity but cautioned his observations on this
Ashland-Hanover Local August 25, 2021
ity to be on two GPINs,” he concluded. The proposed changes to the current ordinance are intended to clarify existing guidelines and better clarify expectations. The Planning Commission is expected to consider the proposal at next month’s meeting. “The CDC sent this to us for the sole purpose of establishing or creating a conservation lot,” Planning Commission chair Larry Leadbetter said. “The ordinance as it stands right now is very confusing… and we are trying to make it more understandable and reasonable so everybody has a clear picture
topic were anecdotal. “My personal experience has been to be able to get a lot more work done and actually sit down and block off big chunks of time in the 10-hour
see ZONING, pg. 9
Farrar recommended Council make the 4-10 schedule permanent, but some council members were not convinced. Hodges expressed sup-
Town Hall Hours Facility is open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday day versus the eight-hour day,” Farrar said. He also said the alternative schedule is a great benefit for employees. “We’re never going to be able to compete on salaries but it’s these kinds of things that make us a top workplace and able to try to compete and provide our employees benefits in a way that doesn’t increase the cost to the town, Farrar told council members. “Overwhelmingly, our staff would agree that this is something that they absolutely love and would love for us to continue.”
port for the alternative hours as a temporary measure, but did not support a permanent change in operating hours. “I have received negative comments…. at our community meetings asking what’s going on here,” Hodges said. “I’m going to need more evidence from the public that this is something they want.” Hodges said he feared that an essential segment of the community had not been reached by the Town Hall survey. He referenced that recently conducted survey and said
are either. One need not look hard to find actual examples of true injustice or heartbreaking cruelty. Children are forced into sweatshops in some parts of the world, while in other places famine or war are omnipresent threats. Ask yourself this: Would you be willing to look a Holocaust survivor in the eye and draw a comparison between what they suffered at the hands of the Nazi regime and a school division doing what it determines is best for the students it has been tasked with protecting? Masks are annoying and make for awkward social interactions and often fogged-up glasses. They are certainly not fun to wear. But “torture”? It seems perhaps
we need to take a step back. As a school board member in a neighboring county quietly pointed out during a public meeting after a particularly ferocious response to that school division’s mask decision, “Your children are watching all of this.” Is this really the behavior we want to model for them? It shouldn’t be. So, by all means, let’s keep on describing bad haircuts as “tragedies” and awkward first dates as “train wrecks.” Let’s not hold back when it comes to explaining how last night’s dinner was “a disaster of epic proportions.” When it comes to the mask debate, however, we could all probably use a dose of that one thing that is so badly needed but also so often hard to come by: a little perspective.
the sample was too small. “Without a survey of the community at large, we’re not getting a true picture of what the community thinks.” “I’m not prepared to support a four-day period tonight,” Hodges said. But Kathy Abbott voiced her support for the proposal stating, “I certainly take this presentation to heart and I think there is a tremendous amount of benefit of 4-10,” she said. “I think if we really lost anything by not being here on Friday, we would have heard about it. If there was any blowback or concern from the community, we would have heard about it by now.” Abbott said she believes people have adjusted to the fact that “we’re available (on Fridays) but the door is not open.” Council member Anita Barnhart said she heard a different message from the community. “Over and over people told me that they didn’t care what they (the employees) do because they do a great job, but it’s a building that should be open because it is paid for by the taxpayers….
and they would like to see it open. That’s what I kept hearing over and over,” Barnhart said. Daniel McGraw said he was undecided as initial discussion began, and admitted he’d been pressured by several friends in favor of five day schedule for the facility. But, he also noted the benefits of the 4-10 plan and said it represented a “perk” of sorts to employees and could be an important factor in retaining talent. Mayor Steve Trivett said he’s gone back and forth on this issue, but noted the clear benefits to employee morale and productivity of the 4-10 plan. As for the uniqueness of the policy, Trivett said Ashland is often involved in “taking the lead on a lot of things.” “I’m willing to take the knocks,” he added. Hodges and Barnhart voted nay on a motion made by Abbott to accept the town manager’s recommendation and establish a 4-10 operating schedule for Town Hall. Trivett and McGraw joined Abbott in approving the plan.
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