Backyard chicken keeping, changes to accessory apartment regulations and rezoning a section of Kingsmill will go before the James City County Planning Commission for public hearings and a vote tonight.
The Planning Commission is slated to review five items up for public hearing today at its 7 p.m. meeting. Among the hearings are a regulation to allow backyard chicken keeping in one additional residential area of the county, a change to the county’s regulation on accessory apartments and a request to rezone 3 acres of property in Kingsmill for The Cottages on the James project.
Xanterra Kingsmill LLC has submitted a request that would, if approved, allow residential development on 3 acres of land where 18 cottages are being constructed in Kingsmill. The land is now zoned for resort living, and the change would allow the owners to stay in the homes for longer than 60 days.
As part of its request, Xanterra is proposing self-imposed payments to the county to offset costs associated with schools, libraries and fire services. If approved, Xanterra would pay a total of $353,883.96 to offset the services, with the highest contribution being made for schools in the amount of $19,528.22 per cottage.
The commission will also consider a new county regulation that would allow residents of the limited residential district to keep chickens in their backyards. Currently, chicken keeping is allowed in three rural and agricultural districts that cover 49 percent of the county; if the new regulation is approved, more than 54 percent of the county would be allowed to keep chickens.
A new regulation for accessory apartments will also be put to a public hearing. The proposed regulation would define attached and detached apartments and would set separate regulations for each.
Attached apartments would be allowed in several residential areas of the county, while detached apartments would require a special use permit issued by the county’s Board of Supervisors. Detached apartments up to 400 square feet in size would be allowed in buildings at least twice as large. Any new apartment buildings would have to resemble single-family homes and entrances would be required at the side or back of the building.
In addition to the Kingsmill, chicken and accessory apartment plans, the commission will consider a microwave tower on Hampton Roads Sanitation District property at 300 Ron Springs Drive. The tower is planned as part of a system to allow HRSD to control its systems remotely during daily operations and storms.
Amerigas Propane has submitted a request to allow a 30,000-gallon propane tank at 124 Industrial Blvd. in the Hankins Industrial Park. The company currently has two 30,000-gallon propane tanks on its property, but one is not in use.
The commission will hear from the public before voting on each of the five issues. Once a commission decision is made, the information will be forwarded to the county’s Board of Supervisors for another public hearing and deciding vote.
Tonight’s meeting will be held in Building F at 101 Mounts Bay Road. The meeting will be broadcast live online and on JCC TV 48. Meetings are rebroadcast at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Fridays on Community Channel 46. The full agenda is available online.
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