FRANKLIN CO., Va. – A controversial zoning rewrite in Franklin County is facing delays after backlash from residents over proposed changes to the county’s zoning ordinance.
Members of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors announced they are effectively going back to the drawing board after criticism of the draft ordinance prepared by a third-party consultant.
“We’ve told them that what they’ve produced is totally unacceptable,” Supervisor Dan Quinn said. “We cannot adopt or approve that zoning ordinance as it stands.”
According to Quinn, county officials must now comb through the proposed rewrite to determine what changes were made and whether they are necessary. He said the process could add as much as a year to the timeline.
“I liken finding changes to finding ‘Where’s Waldo,’” Quinn said. “It’s very hard to go in there and figure out what changed.”
The zoning rewrite has drawn significant public criticism in recent months, particularly from farmers and rural landowners concerned about how the ordinance could affect agricultural operations and private property rights.
Among the concerns raised by residents were proposed rules involving land subdivision and limits on the number of farm animals allowed on certain properties.
When asked whether the money spent on the third-party report was a waste of taxpayer money, Quinn defended the county’s decision to hire a consultant for the project.
“I think that having a consultant was absolutely necessary,” Quinn said. “We have such a lean staff in the county. There’s no way the small planning department could take on a Herculean task like rewriting the zoning.”
George Karns, one of several landowners who spoke out against the proposal, said he remains concerned the ordinance could still move forward with limited public attention.
“They came up with a scheme that basically will only serve people who want to develop subdivisions,” Karns said.
Karns said he wants to see stronger protections for farmers included in any future rewrite.
“I’m still very worried that they will push this through,” he said. “It won’t take very long to have the glare of public scrutiny removed from this issue.”