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Board to consider conference center proposal
On Monday the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors will consider a controversial application to use an 800-acre farm as a conference center.
The County Planning Commission voted 4-2 in January to back the application, but only after recommending restrictions to scale back what would be allowed on the Miller Farm property.
James "Bill" Fletcher, who owns the property in the F.T. Valley, submitted the conference application for review by the board in March. He then applied for an extension that pushed back board review until this coming Monday so he could explore "other avenues," he told the Rappahannock News in a prior interview.
Soon after in February, Fletcher informally proposed to the planning commission that he use his property to provide affordable housing. He said the commission's recommended restrictions for the conference center were too limiting.
He asked the commission members if they would prefer single-family units, duplexes or triplexes.
Earlier this month, Fletcher had a trailer placed at the edge of his property abutting F.T. Valley Road. He is using the trailer to store agricultural materials.
When asked in a prior interview with the Rappahannock News if he was going to place more trailers on his property as part of plans to provide affordable housing, he said: "That's still open. I'm just waiting to see what goes on at the next hearing."
Rappahannock's zoning code allows construction of one home per 50 acres without a permit. Fletcher could build 14 units using 700 acres of his property.
He would need a special-exception permit from the board of supervisors to put homes on 25 acre lots -- the smallest lot size allowed per unit.
The planning commission's January hearing drew more than 100 people, with the majority seeming to oppose the conference center application.
Fletcher has said that agricultural use of the Miller Farm no longer produces enough revenue to cover maintenance, taxes and renovations. He wants to lease it and the 8,000-square-foot manor house on the property to an events-booking firm to make it sustainable and keep it in his family.
The board of supervisors will have the opportunity at Monday's meeting to approve or deny Fletcher's application. The board will also decide what restrictions to impose on use of the property.
County Administrator John McCarthy said that the board typically votes in accord with the recommendations of the planning commission.
If the board denies the application, Fletcher could appeal the decision in court or submit another application in a year.
The board's hearing on the application will be held Monday at 7 p.m. in the Rappahannock High School Auditorium. It will be open to the public.
E-mail the reporter at mpelkey@timespapers.com
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