The Gloucester Planning Commission recommended Thursday night that the county continue to seek information about cultural resources on applications.

Planning director Anne Ducey-Ortiz said in a report that county staff and volunteers have worked for several years "poring over legislation, compiling data, drafting several versions of a ‘cultural resources’ ordinance, and examining the real-world impact(s) of an ordinance, if adopted."

The committee, which eventually became formalized as the Historic Planning Committee, "wrestled with the desire to protect the county’s rich historic resources with the potential impact on (potential) developers," Ducey-Ortiz said. The committee is not currently recommending any changes to the county’s existing ordinances, she added.

The cultural resources matter affects what Ducey-Ortiz termed "sensitive sites," such as the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of the Hook at Hayes and a graveyard that turned up while developing Patriots Walk subdivision off Route 14.

On a separate matter, Ducey-Ortiz reviewed changes to functional classification of highways in Gloucester. The Virginia Department of Transportation hired a consultant to provide initial recommendations to the agency, then VDOT staff reviewed the roads and local comments were sought.

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