Residents of F.T. Valley Road this week are getting what may be a preview of things to come at Miller Farm. On Saturday morning, the farm's owner, James W. "Bill" Fletcher, had a trailer placed on the edge of his 800-acre property.

Fletcher has an application for a conference center and events venue at the farm's 8,000-square-foot manor house pending before the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors are scheduled to consider his application for a special-exception permit on May 5.

He also told the County Planning Commission in February that he is exploring the possibility of developing affordable housing at the property.

The trailer currently on the farm is being used as an agricultural storage building for items such as fence posts, salt and animal feed. But when asked if he plans to put more trailers on the property as part of an affordable housing development, Fletcher answered, "That's still open. I'm just waiting to see what goes on at the next hearing" in May.

"A friend of mine had [the trailer] and found it for me," Fletcher said. "They found me two or three others at a reasonable price."

He said the trailer will not remain at its current location.

"It was wet on Saturday, so I didn't want to move it through the field a lot," Fletcher said.

He added that he will have to move it anyway to bring other trailers onto the property.

County Administrator John McCarthy said Fletcher obtained a county permit for the agricultural storage building.

Putting residences on the property would be more complicated. It would require Virginia Department of Transportation approval for an entrance from F.T. Valley Road, health department approval and well and septic systems.

"I've already got that pretty well lined up," Fletcher said. "I've got a place for septic systems and wells."

The county's zoning ordinance allows tenant housing to be developed on agricultural properties at the density of one unit per 50 acres. Land that includes tenant housing cannot be used for any other non-agricultural uses. Although the ordinance calls such residences "tenant housing," the renters are not required to work on the property.

In January, the planning commission voted 4-2 to recommend that the supervisors approve Fletcher's conference center. The planners attached to the recommendation a long list of restrictions on the size and number of events, hours of operation and other conditions in an attempt to appease neighbors' concerns about the conference center.

Fletcher has said agriculture at Miller Farm no longer produces enough revenue to pay for the costs of running the farm. If he wants to keep the land intact and undeveloped for future generations, he said he needs to tap alternative sources of revenue on the property.

He said the restrictions recommended by the planning commission would prevent the conference center from being economically viable.

The idea for affordable housing came from Miller Farm's neighbors who do not want to see a conference center operated at the site.

"They said they'd rather have houses there than a conference center," Fletcher said.

Fletcher did not rule out the possibility of operating a conference center at the Miller Farm while also developing affordable housing on the property.

"I'm not gonna waive any of my rights," he said. "The only right I wave is the American flag."

E-mail the reporter at kallen@timespapers.com.