ROSLYN RYAN

The Powhatan County Fair Association is one step closer this week to securing a county ordinance change that would allow the nonprofit to hold motorsports events year-round without the need to obtain special events permits for each event.

But that progress came after over an hour of back-and-forth discussion between Fair Association members and the Powhatan County Planning Commission that left both sides at times both frustrated and confused.

The issue at hand, which was raised during the workshop portion of the Planning Commission’s June 6 meeting, was a request by the Fair Association to have a portion of the property along Route 60 rezoned from its current A10 agricultural designation—which allows it to be used as a fairground provided it meets certain condi-

“If you allow fairgrounds in a Commerce Center, you open up a whole can of worms and we could end up with all kinds of crazy things.”

tions—to a commercial use designation referred to in the county code as Commerce Center.

Explaining why her organization was seeking the change, Runda Harris said that, under the current county guidelines, a space designated as a fairground is only granted permission to host motorsports events traditionally associated with county fairs—including tractor pulls, truck pulls and lawnmower races—-while the annual fair is taking place.

Any other time of year, Harris explained, the organization is required to obtain a special event permit from the county.

Not only are the permits an added burden to secure, Harris told the commissioners, but not being able to host motorsports events at their discretion has cost the organization a number of significant revenue opportunities over the years.

According to Sara Rozmus with the Powhatan County Planning Department, motorsports activities are currently only allowed in areas of the county that have been designated for industrial use. But Harris insisted last week that it is not the Fair Association’s intent to shift the use of its property away from its current activities and into a commercial enterprise.

“We are not interested, by any means, in turning our property into a highly developed motor- sports park,” said Harris, explaining that the events they intend to host are aimed at raising funds to continue to support the Fair Association and its mission to preserve and protect the property, which has been a gathering place in the county for over 100 years has been recognized by the county Board of Supervisors as Powhatan’s official county fair.

Harris said the current ordinance language “is constraining us from producing revenue because it limits us from being able to market our site for truck pulls, tractor pulls and lawnmower races.”

And while Harris insisted her organization would be willing to agree to limit the types of motorsports to only those commonly associated with county fairs, commissioners remained perplexed as to why she was requesting a zoning change to Commerce Center, a designation that not only prohibits motorsports but also fairgrounds.

As Rozmus pointed out, in order to continue operating the fair if the property was rezoned as a Commerce Center, the Fair Association would need to request that the county code be amended to allow for fairgrounds as an acceptable use in that zoning classification. It would then still need to sort out the issue of hosting motorsports, which are likewise barred from being held in a Commerce Center without a permit.

Neither of those plans would be viable, said Planning Commission chair Barbara Brown.

“If you allow fairgrounds in a Commerce Center, you open up a whole can of worms and we could end up with all kinds of crazy things,” she said, adding that it would be more likely for everyone seated on the dais to win the

For Devereaux, the love of learning is key

ROSLYN RYAN Editor

Relay For Life

Area cancer survivors take part in the annual Survivors’ Lap during last Saturday’s Relay For Life South of the James event at Powhatan High School. The beloved annual walk-a-thon—one of the largest fundraisers in the world aimed at fighting cancer—brought residents together to support and honor those currently battling cancer and to remember those taken too soon. For more photos from the event, see page 3.

BSH seniors turn prank into pie

COMMUNITY REPORT

Seniors at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot recently set up a “reverse senior prank” to aid the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of a of beloved member of the Blessed Sacrament Huguenot community. Normally this time of year the senior class presents the school with a harmless “prank.” This year, however, the senior class co-presidents Berkley Roudabush and Annie Huynh decided to turn it into a positive event. The senior class set up a raffle and convinced several teachers and peers in the senior class to get “pied” by students who won the raffle. When hearing of their plan, Head of School Tracy Hamner said he was “so incredibly proud of this class.” During the event, which was attended by all of the students and teachers in the middle and upper school, each student and teacher participating was “pied” twice with a generous helping of whipped cream. After the pie event, the senior class also sold ice pops to the entire school.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO approaches to defeating Leukemia and Lymphoma. This unfortunate disease affects over nior class to donate to this cause. —Submitted by Blessed Sacrament Huguenot

From the time she was a child, Alyssa Devereaux has always loved learning. What she has never been a fan of, however, is giving speeches. That is why several weeks ago, when she realized that she would likely be among the handful of students at the very top of Powhatan High School’s Class of 2023, Devereaux began secretly hoping she would come in third. That way, she reasoned, she would still have the satisfaction of achieving one of the top spots but would be spared the duty—typically required of the valedictorian and salutatorian—of addressing her fellow classmates. As it turns out, it might have been one of the few times in her high school career that Devereaux didn’t quite hit her target. Told that she had earned the honor of being the class salutatorian, Devereaux realized she would be speaking after all.

Deadline approaching for Farm Bureau grants

COMMUNITY REPORT