WIRTZ, Va. – Mountain Valley Pipeline workers have been kicked off their campsite along Alean Road in the Wirtz area of Franklin County.
The Franklin County Planning Department confirmed the last RV was removed Wednesday. The workers and their families had been staying in RVs on the property with the permission of the landowner, Brandon Montgomery. Montgomery's father is the co-founder of Homestead Creamery and Brandon helps operate one of the primary supplying farms to Homestead, Stoney Brook Dairy. The property was registered under one of Brandon Montgomery's other companies, 3M Farms, LLC.
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Those against the pipeline threatened boycott of Homestead Creamery and expressed general displeasure with the campsite. The county said the entire campsite was unlawful for two reasons. First, the campsite was not an allowed usage by right under zoning, and a permit was needed to allow just the campers to be there. Second, the RVs were hardwired into electricity and none of the electrical hookups had been inspected or properly permitted by the county.
Because the Montgomery's cooperated in removing the problems, they will not be fined by the county, which the county planning department said is standard protocol.