The Clarke County Board of Supervisors will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 6:30PM in the Main Meeting Room, 2nd floor, Berryville-Clarke County Government Center, 101 Chalmers Court, Berryville, Virginia to consider proposed amendments to Code of Clarke County Chapters 161 (Subdivision of Land) and 188 (Zoning). Current Chapters 161 and 188 would be repealed and replaced with new Chapter 200 (Clarke County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances) consisting of three Articles:
Article I – Zoning Ordinance
Article II – Subdivision Ordinance
Article III – Definitions
New Chapter 200 was developed in a multi-year project to review, clarify, organize, and modernize the County’s current Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances and to ensure compliance with Code of Virginia requirements. No changes are proposed to lot sizes, residential density, or scale of development; no substantive changes are proposed to the rules for allocating dwelling unit rights (DURs); and no new zoning districts or changes to the County Zoning Map are proposed. All proposed changes are consistent with the 2013 Clarke County Comprehensive Plan and implementing component plans.
Major changes include but are not limited to:
• Creation of a combined definitions section (Article III) for the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances containing terms from both current Ordinances with amendments, additions, and deletions where necessary.
• Reorganization of the Ordinances in a customer-friendly format including grouping of related provisions, use of a new section numbering system, and expanded descriptions of review processes and regulations.
• Comprehensive update of uses including changes to use terms, use regulations and definitions, and deletion of some outdated and inconsistent uses. Specific examples include modifications to the regulations for home occupations and accessory dwellings, and creation of new regulations for temporary uses including agritourism activities.
• Clarification and modernization of zoning and subdivision review processes including creation of new processes to reflect current application practices, updates to the review factors for rezoning and special use permit applications, and elimination of the preliminary plat process.
• Revisions to design criteria and development regulations including substantive changes to sign regulations, landscaping standards, and private access easement and private driveway requirements and standards.
• Mandatory revisions to the Flood Plain Overlay District regulations to comply with the requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The following documents are available for review at www.clarkecounty.gov/government/planning-zoning/zoning-subdivision-ordinance-update-project and in the Department of Planning and Clarke County Library during regular business hours:
• Current Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances
• Proposed new Chapter 200 (Clarke County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances)
• Proposed Revision of the Clarke County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances – Narrative Summary
• Summary of Proposed Changes to Current Zoning Ordinance Articles
• Changes to Zoning Ordinance Uses – County Zoning Districts
• Summary of Proposed Changes to Current Subdivision Ordinance Articles
• Summary of Proposed Changes to Current Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Definitions
• Working Draft – Guidance Manual to Clarke County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances
Any person desiring to speak on the above matter should appear at the Public Hearing on August 17.
Written copies of statements and questions are requested but not required. Clarke County does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in admission to its programs and activities.
Accommodations will be made for handicapped persons upon prior request. For more information, contact the Department of Planning (2nd floor, Berryville-Clarke County Government Center) weekdays from 8:30AM-5:00PM at (540) 955-5132.
Brandon Stidham
Director of Planning
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August 3, 2021
August 10, 2021
