Fletcher stood up during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting to ask the commission how much affordable housing county officials want in Rappahannock, and what kind of housing is preferred.

"I have a field there that's not feasible for farming," Fletcher told the planners. He went on to say the field has plenty of frontage on F.T. Valley Road and that more roads could be built on the property at a low cost.

"If the county wants affordable housing, I'd like to do it to make the Miller Farm economical for future generations," Fletcher said. "Do you want single-family units, duplexes, triplexes?"

County Administrator John McCarthy said duplexes and triplexes are not allowed by Rappahannock's zoning code.

"Does the county want affordable housing or not?" Fletcher asked.

"In the villages, that's my response," McCarthy answered. He said the county's comprehensive plan is written that way to put any new concentrations of housing near available sewer and water systems.

Tenant housing is allowed without a permit at the ratio of one unit per 50 acres, McCarthy said. A special-exception permit is needed from the Board of Supervisors to build a subdivision with 25-acre lots.

If Fletcher wants to use 700 acres of his farm for tenant housing, he could build 14 units. The units could be clustered together, but the rest of the open acreage would not be allowed to be used for anything other than agriculture. McCarthy said anyone can rent a tenant house, even if they do not work on the property.

Fletcher said he was thinking of constructing 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom units to rent for $600 per month. He said he understands the county has decided affordable housing should be clustered around Rappahannock's main villages, but "the problem is that hasn't occurred in my lifetime."

Commissioner Robert Weinberg, who represents the Board of Zoning Appeals, asked Fletcher about his pending application for a conference center on the same property.

Fletcher said the planning commission's suggested conditions for the conference center are too restrictive. He will wait to see what the Board of Supervisors decides on it in May, but if the conference center is not approved in a way he thinks is economical, he will try something else.

"I want to make the farm economically viable for future generations, and I'm gonna do that one way or the other," Fletcher said.

Hampton District Commissioner Alvin Henry asked Fletcher how he plans to keep costs low enough to charge $600 a month for rent.

"I'm gonna do whatever's cheapest and will make my family the most money," Fletcher responded. He said that includes manufactured, modular or mobile homes.

"I think one question you'll have to answer is whether that's an appropriate place for [affordable housing]," said Stonewall-Hawthorne District Commissioner Tom Tepper.

Fletcher said he was not at the meeting to talk about the appropriateness of the location. He clarified that he was there to ask if the county wants more than 10 units of affordable housing. He said he could fit up to 40 units on the farm.

More discussion

Fletcher left the meeting after he said his piece during the public comment period. The commission had a family-apartment permit that they approved and then talked about Fletcher's questions some more before the end of the meeting.

Flint Hill resident Phil Irwin asked the commission, "To what extent have we as a county asked for affordable housing?"

McCarthy answered that county leaders have a general desire for Rappahannock to have a variety of housing. That variety includes more affordable housing, and they want most of the growth to happen around the county's existing villages and public services.

Weinberg added that the county may want to consider including a suitability requirement in the zoning ordinance for large developments.

"You can't change the ordinance in response to a pending application," Weinberg said, "but there is no pending application."

Henry responded that such a requirement could be a burden to farmers, who need to build tenant housing. He also said the expectation that affordable housing will be built around the villages is unrealistic.

"You're never going to have affordable housing around the villages because the lot prices are too high," Henry said. "Affordable housing will be scattered around the county."

McCarthy said building affordable housing around one of the villages will take a financial sacrifice. In a place with land values as high as they are in Rappahannock, affordable housing goes against the market.

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