By a 5-1 margin Tuesday night, the Mathews County Planning Commission endorsed a request to rezone a 5.2-acre parcel from rural to business to allow changes to a Cobbs Creek car business. The matter is now forwarded to the board of supervisors for its consideration.

The business, Ware Towing LLC, sits on Buckley Hall Road and the operator was seeking the change to allow for more vehicles on-site as well as for the owner/operator to live offsite. In the current rural district, the business is allowed to operate provided the owner/operator lives on the property.

As the 70-day action limit was fast approaching, commissioners would need to make a decision this month.

Supervisor G.C. Morrow, the board’s liaison to the planning commission, as well as several others, were of the opinion that requiring an owner/operator to live on-site is restrictive. Morrow briefly considered throwing out that aspect of the ordinance entirely.

Danette Machen said she felt that, while the commission ...