The Mathews County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of two conditional use permits and one zoning text amendment after public hearings on the matters during the March meeting Tuesday night.

In a lengthy public hearing, business owners David S. and Janice H. Jones requested a CUP to establish a retail shop in their home on Buckley Hall Road. Neighbors on both sides expressed opposition.

The Joneses’ home is currently the site of a home occupation, JB Property Development, and previously housed the now-defunct home occupation, Tri Star Builders. Janice Jones, owner of Roane’s Antiques on Main Street, is seeking to move her retail business to the home, while her husband would move his development company to the site on Main Street.

According to the staff report, the proposal is consistent with the comprehensive plan, which calls for increasing business and mixed-use development in the Mathews Court House area and "special efforts … to ensure that there are a variety of supporting businesses, services, facilities and events available to foster tourism." VDOT has rated the driveway for up to 50 cars per day.

Janice Jones explained that her business on Main Street has grown, but that it’s limited by lack of space in the small shop. With her children now grown, she said there’s room in her home for the business to expand.

However, the neighbors to the north, John and Meryl Clark, whose home is close to the Joneses and whose driveway shares a common entrance with theirs, objected to the proposal, which Mathews planner Chris Ingram said would represent a more intense business use of the property.

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