The Mathews Planning Commission took no action on a proposal to change private road and driveway regulations in the subdivision ordinance, following a joint public hearing with county supervisors Tuesday night.
However, commissioners voted to recommend that supervisors approve a change to the subdivision ordinance involving wetlands language on plats.
Planning director John Shaw proposed several amendments that would set standards for building new driveways that access private residences or new roadways into minor subdivisions that contain from two to five houses. The purpose of the new standards would be to ensure access for emergency vehicles, moving vans and other large trucks.
Under those proposed standards, all driveways would have to be at least 12 feet wide in a 25-foot right-of-way; driveways longer than 400 feet would have to have a turnout every 400 feet or less; and any driveway longer than 150 feet would have to be large enough at the end to accommodate emergency response vehicles. In addition, there would have to be minimum clearances from foliage of 15 feet vertically and five feet horizontally.
Private roads would have to be a minimum of 18 feet wide in a 40-foot easement under the proposed changes. Any new private road would need to be certified by a professional engineer or land surveyor to say it had been constructed according to the terms of the ordinance and that it would accommodate stormwater runoff. In addition, a dead-end road would have to have a turnaround of 90 feet in diameter, and all such roads would have to meet VDOT’s requirements for grade, horizontal and vertical alignment, drainage and slope.
Supervisors and commission members questioned the proposed changes, indicating that they would increase the cost of installing driveways and private roads.
"I’m concerned about undue financial burden," said supervisor Neena Putt.
Shaw pointed out that future development could cause some minor subdivisions to become major subdivisions that then wouldn’t have sufficient access for the heavier traffic load. He said that residents had also visited his office to express concerns about emergency vehicles currently not having adequate access in some instances.
"Is it broke?" said Putt. "Does it need to be fixed?"
"For purposes of emergency access, I think it is broken," said Shaw. He also said that, while higher standards might make building the roads more expensive for the person subdividing the property, people who buy houses could be stuck with poor access under the current standards.
Supervisor O.J. Cole said that emergency vehicles struggle on his nine-foot-wide private road. "We do need some change," he said.
Commissioner Michael Lowe agreed with Putt. "It may not be broken and it may not need to be fixed," he said. "We don’t need to go as far as Mr. Shaw recommended."
But supervisor Janine Burns cautioned commission members not to focus so much on individual problems but to consider "subdividing responsibly for the future of Mathews County."
After the public hearing, when the board of supervisors had adjourned and the planning commission had opened its regular meeting, Shaw explained to commission members that under his proposal, the required road width and the size of cul-de-sacs would actually decrease.
But he recommended that the commission defer action on the driveway and road standards until later. He said the proposal may need further consideration and that commission member Chuck Dawson, who was absent, would like to participate in the conversation. Lowe moved to table the action, and the commission concurred.
Wetlands amendment
Lowe then moved to recommend that supervisors approve a text amendment to the subdivision ordinance that would require language on all future plats indicating the possible presence of wetlands on properties in the county. The motion passed unanimously.
Data poles
The commission voted to set a public hearing to change the setback requirements for data poles for broadband internet access.
Currently, such poles have to be placed 50 feet from a public or private right-of-way. However, David Mower of Northern Neck Wireless Internet Services LLC, which has installed three such poles in the county, said that the requirement has resulted in his having to place the poles in the middle of people’s yards, where there is typically no driveway access.
Because his installation and maintenance trucks weigh up to 60 tons, this creates access problems for maintaining the poles, especially during rainy weather.
The commission voted to have the public comment on a change that would reduce the setback from a private right-of-way and from the property line of side and rear yards to just five feet. No public hearing has been scheduled yet.
Change in commission membership
Commission chair Danette Machen presented a resolution commending Admiral Donald P. Roane and thanking him for his many years of service to Mathews County. He is retiring from the commission and will be replaced by James Robinson of Mathews.