[1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL]
[00:00:10]
ORDER. I'M GOING TO ASK IF EVERYONE WOULD STAND AS WE RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO OUR FLAG.
IF EVERYONE WOULD REMAIN STANDING AND MR. MANN WILL LEAD US IN A BRIEF INVOCATION.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO PRAY WITH US, PLEASE.
OUR KIND AND GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY WHICH YOU'VE BLESSED US WITH, AND PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE WITH US DURING THIS MEETING, AND GUIDE AND DIRECT US IN THE DECISIONS WE MAKE FOR THIS COUNTY, AND BE WITH US IN THIS COMING YEAR.
WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL HELP US TO STOP AND TAKE TIME THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON TO REALIZE WHAT WHAT YOU GAVE US, THE LIFE THAT YOU YOU HAVE SPARED AND YOUR LIFE THAT YOU SHARED WITH US, AND PRAY THAT WE WILL REALIZE THAT WHAT THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT.
WE PRAY NOW THAT YOU WILL LOOK.
LOOK AFTER US AS WE TRAVEL HOME AFTER THIS MEETING.
WE ASK THESE THINGS IN YOUR NAME.
AS THE CHAIRMAN WELCOME OUR GUEST TONIGHT AND OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE, AND I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM MR. RANDALL.
HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING, J? NO, WE HAVE NOT.
SOMETIMES HE'S A LITTLE BIT LATE.
HE SAID HE WAS. SO WE'LL LET IT BE NOTED THAT AT THE PRESENT THAT MR. RANDALL AND COMMITTEE BEFORE HE GETS HERE.
NO, WE WOULDN'T DO THAT, AND MR. LUCAS ARE NOT IN ATTENDANCE AS OF YET, BUT MAYBE THEY'LL COME IN A LITTLE BIT LATER.
WE DON'T HAVE A FULL AGENDA TONIGHT, BUT WE WILL HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD HERE SHORTLY.
IF ANYBODY GOT ANYTHING THEY WANT TO SAY, AND I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN OUR PACKETS, THAT J HAS HAD SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WE MAY WANT TO JUST MENTION TONIGHT, MAY FOLLOW UP ON A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT ANYWAY, THAT BEING SAID THE SECOND ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER
[2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES, AND I SEE EVERYBODY GOT A PACKET IN FRONT OF THEM, AND NOW I'M GOING TO ASK AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES AS THEY WERE PRESENTED? I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS COMMENT.IT MADE THE POINTS OF EVERYTHING WE COVERED, BUT IT KIND OF KEPT OUT A LOT OF THE I KNOW I ADD A LOT TO THE PICTURE SOMETIMES THAT SOMETIMES IT RELATES TO THE SUBJECT MATTER, SOMETIMES MAYBE NOT, BUT I THOUGHT THE MINUTES WERE KIND OF CONDENSED, BUT YET AND STILL, I THINK IT COVERED EVERYTHING THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE, AND I KNOW MISS LEWIS MENTIONED THIS A WHILE BACK WHEN SHE WAS HERE, THAT WE WERE DOING THE MINUTES AS EVERY, EVERY WORD WE SAID, EVERY GESTURE, EVERY WORD, BUT SOMETIMES IT GETS A LITTLE MONOTONOUS.
IT TAKES A WHILE TO READ THROUGH IT, BUT DO YOU ALL LIKE, DID YOU ALL LIKE THE FORMAT OF THE MINUTES THAT WE HAVE PRESENTED TONIGHT? DID Y'ALL LIKE THAT? YES. SO WE CAN CONTINUE ON.
OKAY, THAT'D BE OKAY, AND OF COURSE, I THINK THERE IS A RECORDING COPY, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S A WRITTEN COPY OR NOT, BUT IF WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOMETHING MORE IN DETAIL, WE CAN CERTAINLY GO BACK AND REVIEW THAT.
OKAY. SO ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THEM AS PRESENTED.
I HAVE A PROPER MOTION A PROPER SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I CALL FOR THE VOTE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? LIKE SIGN. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
SO ITEM NUMBER THREE IS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
[3. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD]
SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO OPEN THE FLOOR.[00:05:01]
SO I GUESS THEY'RE GOING TO COME UP AND SPEAK ALL THAT.ALL WE ASK IS THAT WHEN YOU COME FORWARD AND YOU CAN COME AT THE SAME TIME, OR JUST ONE AT A TIME, IF YOU'LL GIVE YOUR NAME AND MAYBE YOUR ADDRESS WHERE YOU'RE FROM AND WE'LL AND WE'LL, WE'LL LISTEN TO YOU.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS VERONICA.
I'M NERVOUS. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME COMING TO A MEETING, SO I APOLOGIZE IF I STUTTER OR SAY UM A LOT.
YOU ARE FINE. WE'RE FROM FRANKLIN.
MY BUSINESS PARTNER AND I, WE REPRESENT SERENITY ACRES HOMESTEAD.
WE ARE WANTING TO OPEN A MICRO-PROCESSING FACILITY HERE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.
THAT WOULD BE USDA, AND WE HAVE HIT A FEW WALLS AND DISAGREEMENTS ON WHAT THE CODE WOULD BE.
CURRENTLY, THE ONLY CODE THAT THERE IS IS UNDER M-2, WHICH IS INDUSTRIAL, THAT WE FEEL WE WOULD NOT FIT UNDER, AND WE HAD REQUESTED WHEN THE INTERIM BART NUCKOLS WAS IN AS TO BEING A ZTA FOR US BEING UNDER AG ONE.
THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE WE WOULD BE COMPLETELY SERVICE BASED.
WE DO NOT SELL MEAT, WE DO NOT WANT TO SELL MEAT.
WE JUST WANT TO OFFER A SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY TO PROCESS THEIR ANIMALS AND WE WILL NOT HAVE LIKE MAJOR CORPORATIONS OR BIG COMPANIES THAT WE WILL HAVE CONTRACTS WITH.
IT WILL JUST BE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FOR THEIR ANIMALS, SO PEOPLE CAN FILL THEIR FREEZERS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL THREE HOURS AWAY TO TAKE THEIR ANIMALS TO BE HUMANELY PROCESSED. WE CURRENTLY PROCESS FOR HUNTERS FOR THE HUNGRY WITH DEER, AND WE AREN'T ABLE TO FILL THEIR NEEDS BECAUSE WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING OUT OF OUR KITCHEN. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IS WHEN WE OPEN THIS FACILITY IS TO SHUT DOWN FROM NOVEMBER TO JANUARY AND JUST PROCESS FOR THEM.
WE WANT TO HELP BRING PROCESSING BACK, BUT ON A MANAGEABLE LEVEL, AND I HAVE A STACK OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.
MAYBE J, YOU CAN GET A COPY OF THOSE AT SOME POINT AND HE CAN COPY THEM AND GET THEM BACK TO US.
YEAH. YOU CAN KEEP THOSE BECAUSE I HAVE.
THAT'S FINE. OKAY. SO I WAS MAKING SOME NOTES, BUT IS IT, IS IT PRIMARILY DEER OR.
IT WILL ALSO BE RED MEAT WHICH IS CATTLE, SHEEP, PIGS AND GOATS.
SO, YOU WOULD BE RUNNING THIS BUSINESS LIKE A FOR HIRE BUSINESS, BUT THE MEAT WOULD GO BACK TO THE OWNER, THE OWNER, BUT WE WOULD BE UNDER FIVE EMPLOYEES. IT WOULD BE MYSELF AND MY BUSINESS PARTNER.
WE CAN PREVENT ANY OF THESE ISSUES YOU SEE WITH MAJOR GROCERY STORES.
1065. THIS IS THE NUMBERS PERSON.
SAME WEEK FOR SMALLER ANIMALS, ANYTHING OVER 800 POUNDS WOULD BE A HANGING WEIGHT OF 10 DAYS FOR COWS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD BE WITHIN THREE DAYS. OKAY.
DO YOU. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE HIDES? DO YOU TAN THEM? YES, MA'AM. WE ACTUALLY DO TAN SOME OF THE HIDES, AND WE'RE WORKING ON ACTUALLY WORKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO DO IT AS WELL.
SO THAT WAY THERE'S A FACILITY HERE FOR IT.
VERY GOOD. WILL THIS BE CERTIFIED BEEF, OR IS IT CUSTOM FOR THE.
IT COULD BE CUSTOM TO WHAT CUTS YOU WANT, BUT IT WILL BE USDA.
WE WILL HAVE AN INSPECTOR THERE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM SINCE WE STARTED THE IDEA OF WANTING TO START UP ONE.
SO WE KNOW WHAT OUR BLUEPRINTS ARE, HOW SMALL WE CAN BE, WHAT THEY REQUIRE, THE FLOOR PLANS.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THE ZONING FIGURED OUT SO THEY'LL BE INSPECTING THE RED MEAT.
YES, BECAUSE DEER IS NOT INSPECTED.
OKAY. SO YOU SAID SMITHS FERRY ROAD.
SO WHERE IS THE LOCATION GOING TO BE? LIKE, WHERE IS THE EXACT LOCATION? 34574 SMITHS FERRY ROAD.
[00:10:05]
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WANTING TO BE.WHEN BART NUCKOLS WAS THE INTERIM, HE SAID THAT WE COULD QUALIFY UNDER AG 1 AS WORK FROM HOME BECAUSE THIS IS AN AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY THAT IS BASICALLY JUST ADDING VALUE TO AGRICULTURE.
SO THAT WAY WE COULD OPERATE UNDER THAT.
COULD YOU GIVE ME I KNOW WHERE SMITHS FERRY ROAD IS.
YES, SIR. IT'S QUITE A LONG STRETCH.
SO ARE YOU CLOSE TO THE FRANKLIN AREA OR DOWN TOWARD THE BRIDGE WHERE THE OLD ZOO.
IN THE RIVERDALE? YES, WE'RE RIGHT PAST RIVERDALE.
OKAY. IT'S ACTUALLY YEAH YOU CAN THROW A ROCK AND HIT THE STATE LINE.
YES, SIR. I GUESS YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A HEARING.
I'M GLAD, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING FORWARD.
WE'D LIKE THIS TO GET THE PROCESS STARTED AND FIGURE OUT WHERE WE GO.
I GUESS JUST HEARING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BY THE WAY.
I THINK ONE CONCERN I MIGHT HAVE IS GOING INTO A TO AN A-1 DISTRICT.
THERE WOULD BE THERE COULD BE SITUATIONS WHERE.
BECAUSE, SEE, WE ONCE WE GRANT THIS AND J, PLEASE STEP IN ANYTIME AND CORRECT ME IF I'M THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, BUT THE TYPE OF FACILITY.
OKAY. IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING THAT I LIVE IN AN A-1 DISTRICT, IF MY NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR TO ME OR SAY IF YOU WERE NEXT RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME WITH NO BUFFER, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM SPACE BETWEEN US, I MIGHT NOT I MIGHT NOT FIND THAT DESIRABLE. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE CLOSE NEIGHBORS.
OKAY, SO THAT WOULD BE A PLUS, BUT YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YES, SIR. IF YOU.
THIS IS KIND OF, I'M GONNA SAY THIS KIND OF SOMETHING NEW FOR US.
ANYBODY AWARE OF ANOTHER FACILITY THAT DOES THIS IN A TRADITIONAL BUTCHER SHOP, YOU KNOW, I KNOW OF NORTH CAROLINA, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT AND I WAS GOING TO GET TO THAT.
THERE IS SOME PLACE IN NORTH CAROLINA I THINK IT'S A PLACE IN [INAUDIBLE].
IS THAT RIGHT, MIKE? I DON'T THINK IT'S. I THINK IT'S MORE TOWARDS MARTINSVILLE.
OKAY, BUT I DON'T THINK HE DOES ANY INSPECTIONS.
I THINK HE PACKAGES IT, AND YOU BRING YOUR STUFF IN.
IT'S A GOOD WAY TO KIND OF MITIGATE THAT FROM JUST ANYBODY BEING ABLE TO DO IT.
IS REQUIRING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT THAT REQUIRES IT TO BE USDA.
YOU CANNOT BE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
THERE HAS TO BE CERTAIN THINGS IN AN INSPECTOR.
THERE WILL KEEP SMELLS DOWN BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE SMELLS.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE GUNS.
WE HAVE TO USE A CAPTIVE BOLT WHICH HAS NO NOISE.
IT'S JUST STUNS THE ANIMAL FOR AN EVISCERATION IF YOU REQUIRE IT TO BE DONE ONLY AS USDA, YOU PUT A RESTRICTION ONTO THAT TO WHERE THERE ARE BOUNDS AND HOOPS THAT THE USDA ALREADY HAS IN PLACE THAT WOULD PREVENT JUST YOUR NEIGHBOR OR ANYBODY THAT'S A-1 FROM BEING ABLE TO OPEN.
I CAN TELL YOU'VE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK.
YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION BECAUSE I'M LEARNING AS I GO.
SO IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION. YEAH, AND WE USED TO HAVE FOLKS IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY THAT USED TO DO THIS, AND MAYBE THIS IS NOT ALLOWED, BUT DEER SEASON IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS A VERY BIG THING.
YES, SIR. A VERY ECONOMICALLY PROSPEROUS VENTURE, AND A LOT OF OTHER LOCALITIES DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE OR EVEN LEGAL, AND I ASK THIS QUESTION CAREFULLY FOR PROCESSING OF DEER MEAT, BUT IT IS A NON-INSPECTED ANIMAL, JUST LIKE CHICKENS, UP TO 999 RABBITS AND CERTAIN LIKE BUFFALO THEY'RE ALL CONSIDERED NON-INSPECTED, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY ARE NOT INSPECTED BY THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE.
[00:15:04]
OUR KITCHEN NOW, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNGER HUNTING WITH NEWSOMS HUNT CLUB, THERE WAS SEVERAL LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT YOU WOULD DROP YOUR DEER OFF FOR A FEE, OF COURSE, AND THEY WOULD PACKAGE IT, FREEZE IT AND PROCESS IT INTO HAMBURGER, WHERE IT WAS MUCH MORE DESIRABLE, AND THOSE PLACES HAVE ABSOLUTELY DISAPPEARED LOCALLY.THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ABSOLUTELY IS NEEDED FOR THE LOCAL HUNT CLUBS, THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT. COULD IT MEET? YOU KNOW, I DON'T HUNT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DEER ON MY FARM THAT I.
I HATE TO SEE THE ANIMALS GO TO WASTE? YES, SIR, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE WANTING TO START.
CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? SURE. I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT. NO, GO AHEAD.
AM I BRINGING UP SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED? I MEAN, IS THAT KIND OF IN THE BUSINESS PLAN? YES, THAT IS IN OUR BUSINESS PLAN.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I MEAN, WE USED TO HAVE 15 YEARS, TEN, MAYBE TEN YEARS AGO.
I KNOW THAT NEWSOMS HAD SEVERAL FOLKS THAT DID BUSINESSES, AND THEN THE BUSINESSES HAVE KIND OF SHUT DOWN, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE AND ESPECIALLY THE LOCATION, IT'S A FAIRLY CENTRAL LOCATION THAT WOULD BE USED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER UNTIL THE FIRST, AND THAT'S WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IS TO SHUT DOWN THE USDA PART TO DO DEER, BECAUSE IT IS NEEDED HERE.
WHO RUNS? WHAT IS HIS OFFICIAL TITLE? OUR "PRODUCT SOURCER." PRODUCT SOURCER, WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH HIM DIRECTLY.
HE WAS GOING TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT HE'S ACTUALLY SICK.
WHAT ARE THE REGULATIONS FOR CHECKING FOR WASTING DISEASE OR HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE IN DEER? IT HAS TO BE REPORTED WE CANNOT TAKE DEERS THAT ARE NOT THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TAGGED, AND IF IT COMES FROM AN AREA THAT IS NOT LOCAL, WE DON'T TAKE THEM BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY HOTSPOTS THAT ARE NOT CLOSE, BUT THEY'RE OVER FOUR HOURS AWAY, BUT WE WON'T TAKE ANYTHING THAT'S NOT LOCAL.
WE'RE ONLY GOING TO DO DEER THAT ARE HERE, THAT ARE LOCAL, SO WE CAN AVOID BOTH OF THOSE.
YES, SIR. ACTUALLY, MY QUESTION IS FOR MR. RANDOLPH. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU GET YOUR TURNOVER FROM MR. NUCKOLS, SINCE HE HAD KIND OF STARTED THIS THING, WHAT RESEARCH, IF ANY, HAD HE HAD DONE ON IT OR WHERE DO YOU STAND AS FAR AS THE ZONING PART OF IT? WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER TURNER.
I NOT ONLY SERVE AS THE SECRETARY TO THIS PLANNING COMMISSION, I ALSO SERVE AS THE PLANNING DIRECTOR FOR GENERAL PLANNING ISSUES, BUT I ALSO SERVE AS THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE COUNTY AS WELL.
SO AS IT KIND OF GOES FORWARD, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE A-1 PERMITTED USES, YOU KNOW, GENERAL AGRICULTURE, FARMING, FORESTRY, TILLING OF THE SOIL, RAISING OF CROPS, AND IT GOES ON AND THEN IT ENDS BUT NOT COMMERCIAL SLAUGHTERING OR PROCESSING OF ANIMALS OR POULTRY.
THAT'S THE WAY OUR ORDINANCE IS SET UP.
AS OF TODAY, THE ONLY AVENUE FOR ANIMAL PROCESSING IS CONTAINED IN THE M-2 GENERAL INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY DOES NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE SMITHFIELD FOODS PROCESSING FACILITY AND POTENTIAL MICRO FACILITY. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE QUANDARY AS FAR AS WHAT THE COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE STATES.
I BELIEVE THE INTERIM DIRECTOR HAD GUIDED MISS PROVOST TO REQUEST THE ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT JUST WILL SIMPLY CHANGE THE A-1 AND ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
WELL, THAT CAN HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
AS DISCUSSED EARLIER, WHEN YOU JUST START CHANGING JUST A FEW WORDS OR A SENTENCE OR TWO IN THE ORDINANCE, THAT CAN HAVE A LOT OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS ZONED A-1 AGRICULTURE.
SO I HAD A NICE LONG DISCUSSION WITH MISS PROVOST ABOUT THIS THING AND HAD SUGGESTED THAT SHE COME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION AND HELP PUT THIS ISSUE OUT IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION SO Y'ALL CAN HELP GUIDE AS TO HOW YOU WISH SHOULD YOU WISH TO
[00:20:09]
ADDRESS THIS.WE DON'T HAVE MAJOR PROCESSING AND MICRO-PROCESSING.
SO MR. NUCKOLS'S INTERPRETATION WAS TO SIMPLY FILE TO ALLOW THIS AN A-1 WITH THE CONDITIONAL USE AND PUT THAT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
GET THAT ON THE BOOKS AND THEN GO WITH IT FROM THAT DIRECTION.
I TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER VIEW OF THE SITUATION VERSUS JUST A POTENTIAL SINGLE APPLICATION AS TO WHAT THOSE ISSUES MIGHT BE AND I DID BRING UP THEN THAT YOU COULD DO IT AS A USDA IN THERE WITH THE CONDITIONAL USE TO HELP MITIGATE THAT, BECAUSE TO GO THROUGH THE USDA IS NOT EASY.
THEY DO NOT JUST HAND OUT AND INSPECT AND ALLOW YOU TO SET UP ANYWHERE.
THEY ARE VERY RIGOROUS ON WHAT THEY REQUIRE, AND THE PACKET IS OVER THIS THICK OF WHAT THEY TELL YOU, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH, AND IT'S VERY GENERAL, AND THEN THEY COME IN AND THEY SCRUTINIZE YOU AND TELL YOU NO OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL IT'S THE WAY THEY WANT IT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I BROUGHT THAT UP, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, BECAUSE WE COULD NOT COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.
HOW MUCH? AND I'M PROCESSING WHAT MR. RANDOLPH SAID ABOUT THE M-1 VERSUS THE CONDITIONAL USE OR POSSIBLY AMENDING A-1 USES.
HOW MUCH ACREAGE? WELL, LET'S SAY HYPOTHETICALLY, YOU GO TO THE M-1 DIRECTION, AND I'M JUST ASKING.
I'M TRYING TO THINK IT THROUGH.
SO WOULD IT BE, LIKE, AN ACRE? I MEAN, IT WOULDN'T BE THE ENTIRE FARM.
IT WOULD JUST BE THE PROCESSING FACILITY.
SO YOU'RE TALKING LIKE AN ACRE OR LESS THAN AN ACRE? YEAH. IT'S NOT EVEN MAYBE A QUARTER OF AN ACRE.
OKAY, AND, MR. RANDOLPH, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE SLIGHTLY LARGER, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HALF ACRE TO A QUARTER OF AN ACRE FOR THE ACTUAL WHOLE FACILITY AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR COUNTY CODE, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE OF UPDATING IT, BUT DOCTOR EDWARDS WAS TALKING ABOUT HE LIKES THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT BECAUSE WE HAVE CONTROL.
YES, AND I THINK THAT'S THE OVERALL I THINK WE AGREE ON THAT TO SOME EXTENT.
SO HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO SKIN THAT CAT? WELL, AND I KNOW YOU PUT SOME THOUGHT.
I KNOW YOU PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO IT AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A POTENTIAL REZONING, THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED R-2 ACTUALLY.
OKAY. HOW IT GOT TO R-2, I DON'T KNOW.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A GUEST QUARTERS ON THE HOME, SO IT MAY HAVE MAY HAVE BEEN.
SO IT SEEMS KIND OF STRANGE WHEN MOST PROPERTIES KIND OF OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE ARE ZONED A-1.
SO I HAVEN'T DONE THE RESEARCH AS TO THE HISTORY AS TO HOW THE PROPERTY, BUT ALL THAT BEING SAID, WHEN YOU LOOK AT REZONINGS, IF THEY WERE TO APPLY FOR THE M-2 REZONING FOR, SAY, THREE QUARTERS OF AN ACRE OF THEIR PROPERTY, SOME PEOPLE MAY VIEW THAT AS WELL.
OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOESN'T HAVE A LITTLE RED DOT ON THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO ZONE IT TO INDUSTRIAL, IT'S GOING TO BE SPOT ZONING.
YOU HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE BROADER CONTEXT.
I WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING LESS THAN AN ACRE, AND BECAUSE IT DOES REQUIRE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT UNDER THE M-2 ZONING CHANGE, IT WOULD GIVE IT BROAD DISCRETION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR CONDITIONS TO BE ATTACHED TO THAT.
IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO WHEN YOU LOOK AT BORROW PITS, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY AN INDUSTRIAL USE, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE LOCATED IN OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRIDORS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. THEY'RE GOING TO BE KIND OF OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE WHERE THE SAND MAY BE.
TYPICALLY THEY'RE GOING TO BE ZONED TO AN INDUSTRIAL ZONING CLASSIFICATION, EVEN THOUGH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, YOU KNOW, HAS A BROAD SWATH OF RURAL, AGRICULTURAL, OPEN SPACE, INDUSTRIAL DOESN'T NEATLY FIT IN THAT, BUT WE CAN'T MICRO PLAN IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, ALL 602MI² OF THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE TO KIND OF BE A LITTLE BROADER STROKE ON THAT.
IT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD GIVE CONSIDERATION DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE REQUEST AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THE CONDITIONAL USE AUTHORITY THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO IMPOSE CONDITIONS AS TO THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS TO BE DONE, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, HOURS OF OPERATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
[00:25:01]
THE SITE IS RELATIVELY GOOD IN THE SENSE OF THERE'S ONLY ONE HOUSE WITHIN, I DON'T KNOW, 2500FT OF THAT PROPERTY.THERE'S LITERALLY JUST ONE HOME, NOTHING ELSE OTHER THAN FIELDS AND FOREST.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A COST BENEFIT.
YOU'RE DOING AN ANALYSIS WEIGHING BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO REALLY MESS WITH A-1, I DON'T THINK.
SO I LIKE HIS IDEA BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HYPOTHETICALLY FOR SOME, I GUESS LOWER LEVEL INDUSTRIAL USE OUT THERE LIKE SOME TYPE OF SIGNIFICANT FARMING OPERATION, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE STEPS UP. BECAUSE I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION AND I THINK IT'S A NEED FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND , I MEAN, WE USED TO HAVE THESE IN OUR, YOU KNOW, I THE BUTCHER, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SO MANY BUTCHERS AND NEWSOMS THAT HAVE AND THEY WOULD PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, AND THE SMALL TOWN KIND OF LOCAL CATERING NEWSOMS HAS SHUT DOWN AND THIS WOULD RE-ENERGIZE THAT AND IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR SMALL BUSINESS, AND I THINK IF THERE'S RESTRICTIONS ON THE M-1, IT COULD CONTROLLABLE.
WHERE IT COULDN'T GROW TO SOMETHING THAT'S UNSIGHTLY, BUT I THINK THE COMMUNITY SERVICE PART OF IT AND OBVIOUSLY TO MAKE A PROFIT BECAUSE WE WANT PROFITABLE BUSINESSES TO PAY TAXES AND THEN THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE A VIABLE PLAN TO ME.
IS THERE A WAY WE CAN DO A VARIANCE UNDER THE CURRENT M-2 FOR? THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THE M-2 IS GOING TO MAKE IT WHERE WE HAVE TO RAISE ALL OF OUR PRICES TO WHERE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GO ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA LINES EVEN WITH THAT DRIVE AND GAS ADDED INTO IT, AND BE CHEAPER THAN WHAT WE CAN BE.
BEING UNDER AN INDUSTRIAL LIKE LABEL, WE CAN'T GIVE ADVICE.
I WOULD JUST SAY LISTEN CLOSELY TO MR. RANDOLPH'S COUNSEL AND THEN PRESENT DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND MAYBE COME BACK FOR ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I THINK SHE'S JUST ALLUDING TO THAT.
IF THE PROPERTY WERE SUCCESSFULLY REZONED TO M-2 WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, THE TAX ASSESSMENT IS GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN IF IT WAS JUST THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M SORRY IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT CORRECTLY.
THAT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERED AN INDUSTRIAL USE AND IT WILL BE TAXED AS SUCH.
OR THE ASSESSMENT WOULD BE BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME TRADE OFFS SOMEWHERE.
THAT'S RIGHT, AND I THINK IT'S A GIVE AND TAKE AND WE HAVE OUR BOARDS FOR ANY UNJUST TAX WHERE YOU COULD COME TO THEM.
I MEAN, THERE'S REMEDIES FOR THAT.
SO BUT I WOULDN'T FORESEE IT BEING TOO HIGH.
I WOULDN'T THINK THREE QUARTERS OF AN ACRE.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY IS JUST DO THE BARE MINIMUM, IN MY EXPERIENCE, HAS BEEN WITH THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION IS THEREA RE SOME THAT ARE TOO LOW AND SOME THAT ARE TOO HIGH, AND THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION TO KIND OF PLEAD YOUR CASE TO COME TO IT.
SO AND I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'M ALSO SAYING THAT IT MAY NOT HAPPEN ALSO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DID ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SPEAK? PUBLIC. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS STILL OPEN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT.
SO, AND I AM JUST HONORED TO BE IN FRONT OF THIS GROUP.
I GET TO TALK IN FRONT OF FRANKLIN ALL THE TIME.
IT'S NICE. I AM TERRI ZURFLUH.
I AM A PROUD COUNTY RESIDENT DOWN IN DARDEN POINT, DARDEN MILL RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM I KNEW I RECOGNIZED YOU, YEAH, I WASN'T PLACING IT--ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS.
YEAH. SO I AM HERE TONIGHT REPRESENTING THE FOOD BANK THAT RESIDES RIGHT IN FRANKLIN, VIRGINIA.
WAS BUILT IN THIS COUNTY AND IN THIS IN FRANKLIN CITY VERY DELIBERATELY.
THAT'S MY HOME MOTHERSHIP BASED IN NORFOLK.
WE ARE THE WESTERN TIDEWATER BRANCH AND LOCATED ON SOUTH STREET.
NOT PROFIT, NOT YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN FINANCIAL GAIN.
[00:30:07]
VALUE, AND THESE GUYS REALLY SHARE THE VALUE THAT I THINK IS REALLY INGRAINED IN THIS COUNTY, IN THIS CITY THAT WE'RE SURROUNDED BY WORKING TOGETHER, SERVING OUR NEIGHBORS, SOMETIMES AT THE AT THE COST OF THEMSELVES, AND THE COMING TOGETHER OF PEOPLE.THEY PROVIDE VERY HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN TO MY FOOD BANK ALREADY, AND WE ARE USDA CERTIFIED.
WE HAVE ALL THE CHRISTIAN WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.
HE HAS TO APPROVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY BRING ME, AND THEY ARE ABLE TO HELP ME SERVE THE RESIDENTS OF WESTERN TIDEWATER, WHICH IS SUFFOLK, TO SUSSEX, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
BECAUSE I'M LEARNING ABOUT THIS.
I'M NOT A HUNTER. I DON'T COME FROM A HUNTING FAMILY, BUT IT WAS SO GOOD TO HEAR MR. RANDALL'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE NEED FOR THIS AND THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING WITH HUNTERS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING JUST THIS LITTLE CORNER.
THESE THESE DON'T EXIST, AND WHAT SHE IS AND WHAT VERONICA AND SERENITY ACRES CAN DO HERE IS PROVIDE. IT'S OPENING UP A PATHWAY FOR SMALL SCALE NON-FACTORY PROCESSING.
NOT ONLY PAVES THE WAY TO FEED THOUSANDS MORE PEOPLE WITH THAT PRODUCT, THAT'S VERY, VERY SAFE, BUT AS YOU ALL AS WHO HUNT KNOW, IT UTILIZES THE MEAT.
SO DEER POPULATIONS CAN BE CONTROLLED WITH NO FEAR OF WASTE.
IT HELPS PROVIDE A REVENUE STREAM FOR THE LOCAL PROCESSORS.
ALL OF THEIR EFFORTS WILL BENEFIT THIS AREA, AND I THINK IT WILL MAKE THIS COUNTY UNIQUE IN OUR INNOVATIVE VISION, AND I SAY OUR COUNTY BECAUSE I'M FROM HERE.
REALLY UNIQUE IN THE VISION OF STABLE FARMING, INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE WAYS, NOT GETTING STUCK IN OLD WAYS OF THINKING AND REALLY LOOKING TOWARDS THE HEALTH OF OUR RESIDENTS.
I KNOW THEY WILL DO THE HOMEWORK.
THEY'VE DONE EVERY POSSIBLE BIT OF TRAINING NECESSARY.
INCREASING HEALTH TO ACCESS HEALTHY ACCESS TO HEALTHY.
INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHY AND SAFE FOOD IS WHAT I DO EVERY DAY AT THE FOOD BANK, AND IT'S A GIFT THAT I GET TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S ALSO AT THE HEART OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
I WANT TO SPEED PROPERLY THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY, HOW WE STAY COMPLIANT WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE ON THE BOOKS, BUT HOW WE MAKE IT SO IT IS NOT ONEROUS FOR THIS GROUP WHO IS JUST REALLY TRYING TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS EVERY DAY SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE THIS SERVICE.
THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FAMILIES AND PARTNERS LIKE ME THAT THEY ARE SO DEEPLY COMMITTED TO SERVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I AM PROUD TO BE A PARTNER OF SERENITY ACRES.
HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN SERVING FOOD BANK? THEY WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERS IN SOME FORM OR FASHION FOR OVER A YEAR.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT FORM SHOULD THAT BE? WHAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO LIKE, RECOGNIZE MAYBE GROUND VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE WORKED WITH US WITH PORK DONATIONS.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS AS WELL AS WE HAVE THE SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP FOOD WASTE PARTICULARLY PRODUCE WASTE OUT OF OUR DUMPSTERS AND THE STREAM.
SO WE TRY TO SAVE AND RECYCLE AND EVERYTHING.
[00:35:02]
SO THEY TAKE EVERY BIT OF PRODUCE WASTE OUT OF MY MARKET TWICE A WEEK, AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT, GO TO MY CAR.IT'S IN MY CAR RIGHT NOW TO PUT IN HER CAR TODAY.
SO IT IS A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP ON A LOT OF LEVELS, AND WHEN I AM ABLE TO PUT A BEAUTIFUL PORK CHOP IN MY MARKET AND I SAY MARKET, BUT IT'S SHOPPING WITH NO MONEY, NO MVP CARD AND PEOPLE CAN GET THIS FANTASTIC FOOD, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR FOR VENISON, FOR HUNTERS TO FIND A PLACE NOT ONLY TO PROCESS IT AND TAKE IT HOME TO THEIR OWN FAMILIES, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS THE FIRST ONE SAYING, AND IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU CAN USE OR IF YOUR HEART IS IN THIS PLACE, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LETTING US HELP THE FOOD BANK? BECAUSE WE'LL MAKE THAT.
SO A TREASURE THAT WE CAN HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND BE DIFFERENT AND SERVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND REALLY, REALLY PUSH THROUGH THAT WHOLE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, MR. RANDOLPH, WHAT'S YOUR TIMETABLE ON GETTING THIS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION? THE EARLIEST IT WOULD PROBABLY BE WOULD BE AT YOUR FEBRUARY MEETING, AND THAT'S BASED ON FINE TUNING AN APPLICATION AND MEETING ADVERTISING DEADLINES.
PRIMARILY THE ADVERTISING DEADLINES ARE VERY.
I BELIEVE IT'S ON THE 8TH OF JANUARY.
SO ESSENTIALLY, ANY ITEMS FOR YOUR JANUARY PUBLIC HEARINGS WOULD ALREADY HAVE TO BE ADVERTISED NOW.
SO YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT YOUR FEBRUARY MEETING.
IT'S ACTUALLY FOR VERONICA. DID YOU GUYS APPLY FOR THAT STARTUP, FRANKLIN? YES. YES. YES.
WE WON SECOND PLACE. I REMEMBER THE NAME RUNG A BELL.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING. SO YOU WENT THROUGH ALL THOSE CLASSES AND--YES, SIR.
DO YOU DO YOU RAISE ANY ANIMALS OUT ON THE FARM? YES YOU DO. THAT'S WHY WE WERE TRYING TO GO FOR AG BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY RAISING ANIMALS.
SHE'S THE ONE THAT TAKES CARE OF THEM.
YEAH, WE RAISED FOR OUR OWN CONSUMPTION.
OKAY. YOU KNOW, SO THEY'RE RAISED WITH LOVE.
THEY KNOW LOVE. THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, HAPPINESS AND EVERYTHING, AND IT IN TURN FEEDS US A BETTER MEAT, AND SO THE ANIMALS THAT YOU RAISE IS SOME THAT YOU'RE SHARING WITH THE FOOD BANK.
YES, I GET IT, BUT YOU WOULD DO IT SO-CALLED FOR HIRE.
IF I BOUGHT A DEER OR A PIG OR A COW OR WHATEVER.
I GOT YOU. NOW I'M GETTING IT NOW.
YEAH. WE DO IT FOR MISS TERRI AND THEM BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ALREADY RAISE A GARDEN AND WE GIVE STUFF.
WE GIVE WHATEVER WE CAN. ANYTHING EXTRA GO STRAIGHT TO MISS TERRI.
EVEN IF IT'S A LITTLE BIT I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO HELP FEED SOMEBODY.
SOMEBODY'S FAMILY CAN HAVE SOMETHING FRESH AND NOT HAVE TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEGGING FOR FOOD, BUT THEY DESERVE THAT BECAUSE NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO STRUGGLE, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHY WE'VE STARTED THIS.
RIGHT, WELL, THE WAY I ENVISION IT IS THAT SO FOR YOU RAISING YOUR ANIMALS YOU'RE JUST A FARMER LIKE I AM.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD CALL THE PRODUCTION SIDE, BUT THEN I THE PROCESSING INSIDE, I THINK WOULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK, I THINK WE CAN WORK.
I THINK WE CAN COME UP WITH A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION THAT MIGHT MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE.
SO WE WANT TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY THE DREAM COME TRUE.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT US, RIGHT? BUT I'M GOING TO SAY, AM I GETTING THE CONSENSUS? PLEASE TELL ME.
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THIS IS A PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD.
THIS IS GOOD THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT AT THIS POINT BEFORE WE COME BACK TO THE ACTUAL APPLICATION.
DO WE DO WE ASK MR. RANDOLPH TO PURSUE LOOKING AT THE M-1 AND M-2 DESIGNATION FOR THE PROCESSING PART OF IT ON THAT PARCEL AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN WE'LL COME UP WITH THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IF WE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT.
IS THAT IS THAT WHAT WE WANT TO CHALLENGE MR. RANDOLPH TO FOLLOW, I TOO AGREE.
[00:40:05]
I THINK THERE WAS A I THINK THERE WAS A DIVISION THERE.I'M SEEING SOME NODS. IF I MAY ADD TO THAT, THE M-2 HAS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF USES.
WHICH SHOULD THAT APPLICATION BE FILED FOR THE M-2 ZONING CHANGE FOR THE SMALL SECTION? ALL THE OTHER USES COULD BE PROFFERED AWAY.
SO IT WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR THAT, BUT IT DOES CONTAIN THE GLUE HIDES HAIR, RAW FUR, CARRYING, TANNING, DYEING, STORAGE, AS WELL AS THE RENDERING AND STORAGE OF DEAD ANIMALS. A FOUL GARBAGE WASTE PRODUCTS WITHOUT RENDERING.
SO THAT CATEGORY IS ALREADY COVERED.
SO IT'S ALREADY PRETTY MUCH RIGHT IN THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE PROPER WAY TO PURSUE THIS AND LADIES, WE APOLOGIZE.
J IS OUR THIRD SECRETARY OR PLANNING DIRECTOR THIS YEAR.
OUR REGIONAL DIRECTOR RETIRED AND WE HAD AN INTERIM.
SO YEAH, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THEM ALL.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE, TOO.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN DELAYED.
WE APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT WE'LL WE'LL EXPEDITE IT, AND IF WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, IF YOU ALL ARE WILLING TO YOU ALL SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND LET HIM GO OVER AND GET THE PROPER LANGUAGE AND THE PROPER ADVERTISEMENT, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY GET ON THIS FIRST PART OF THE YEAR.
YES, MA'AM. I KIND OF MY NAME IS CHRISTINE SULLIVAN.
I'M ACTUALLY THE OWNER OF 34574 SMITHS FERRY ROAD, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP IS LIKE, WHEN I PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, AND LIKE, WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED IT WAS A BLESSING TO COME OUT AND HAVE SOME LAND, AND, YOU KNOW, LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT I FOUND A WHOLE SLEW OF THINGS ABOUT THE PROPERTY FROM THE PAST, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD EXOTIC ANIMALS AND THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, GRIZZLY BEARS AND TIGERS AND, YOU KNOW, BLACK PANTHERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO THEY HAD ALL THESE ANIMALS ON THIS PROPERTY BUT WHEN I PURCHASED IT, I REMEMBER SPEAKING TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT WOULD BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ZONING REALLY WAS FOR THE PROPERTY, AND EVERYBODY SAT THERE AND SAID, AND THIS WAS BEFORE THE GIS CAME OUT, WAS THAT THE HOUSE IS R-2, BUT THE REST OF THE PROPERTY IS A-1.
IT'S NOT WHAT IT SHOWS IN GIS.
GIS JUST SAYS IT'S R-2, THE WHOLE WAY ACROSS WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT ALREADY ON THERE, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE SHE DID HAVE WILDLIFE THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, AND MY THING ABOUT IT IS IF SOMEONE WAS ABLE TO DO THAT AND HAVE A ZOO.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE HAVING SO MANY ROADBLOCKS WITH JUST TRYING TO DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ALREADY A STIGMA ON THAT PROPERTY ANYWAYS, YOU KNOW? WE'RE GONNA GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME.
SO, J, IS THAT PARTICULAR AREA OF SMITHS FERRY ROAD, IS THAT LAND, THAT AREA, ALL R-2 ZONING? IS IT ZONING OR IS IT LAND USE? THE R-2 IS SHOWN WHERE THE HOUSE.
I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ACTUAL PAPER MAPS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF SNAFUS IN THAT CHANGE.
SO I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND RESEARCH THAT BUT GENERALLY EVERYTHING WITHIN A MILE AROUND THERE IS ALL A2 OR A-1, EXCUSE ME.
SO IF SHE'S SAYING HER HOUSE LOCKED IS R-2 AND THEY'RE RAISING ANIMALS THAT SHOULD BE A-1.
CORRECT, AND IT VERY WELL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD IS A SPLIT ZONING.
CAN YOU KIND OF HELP US CLEAN THAT UP? MM HMM. I MEAN, LET'S GET THAT THING RIGHT BECAUSE IF THEY'RE RAISING ANIMALS, THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING I'M DOING.
THAT'S AN ERROR MADE ON OUR PART.
IS THERE ANY LAND UNDER CULTIVATION? ANY HAY OR CORN? NO? IT'S ALL PASTURE.
WHAT'S THE TOTAL ACREAGE OF YOUR PARCEL, I BELIEVE? WELL, THE GIS SHOWS MORE THAN WHAT'S ACTUALLY FENCED IN ON MY PROPERTY.
[00:45:05]
JUST AN IDEA OR ESTIMATE.WHAT'S ON YOUR SURVEY WHEN YOU BOUGHT IT? 4.78, I BELIEVE.
OKAY, SO YOU GOT ABOUT FIVE ACRES.
BECAUSE THE GIS, YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE COMPUTER LINES.
SO BUT AGAIN, I GUESS IT ALL LEADS BACK TO THE ACTUAL PROCESSING IS MORE OF AN INDUSTRIAL USE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AT A MICRO SCALE, RIGHT? BUT IT'S STILL IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FOR EVERYONE, AND THAT'S WHY I CERTAINLY WOULD RECOMMEND IT GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS NOW VERSUS CHANGING THE WHOLE WAY.
ONE ORDINANCE DEFINING MICRO-PROCESSING, SETTING UP STANDARDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST I HOPE YOU HEARD WHAT MR. TURNER SAID. GIS IS VERY INACCURATE.
SO YOU MIGHT NEED TO DIG TO THE ORIGINAL PAPER.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, WHEN WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE PROPERTY, I PURCHASED IT IN 2018, AND I WASN'T GIVEN MUCH, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WASN'T GIVEN MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, I HAD THIS LITTLE SURVEY THING AND EVERYTHING, BUT, AND, YOU KNOW, THE LISTING WAS LIKE 4.78 ACRES, AND, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF WORKED WITH, YOU KNOW, THE FENCES ARE ALREADY THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST THE POSTS ARE THERE.
I'M JUST GOING TO, YOU KNOW, FENCE IT OFF.
YOU KNOW, SO I CAN HAVE THE ANIMALS OR WHATNOT, BUT MY BIGGEST THING WAS, IS LIKE IT WAS ORIGINALLY A ONE WITH JUST THE HOUSE IS A TWO, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE HOUSE IS A-2. THERE'S NO WAY THAT TWO THEIR TWO FAMILIES COULD LIVE IN THAT HOUSE.
THERE'S ONLY A ONE AND A HALF BATHROOM WHO WASN'T SHOWERING.
SO, BUT YEAH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, AND, YOU KNOW, AND ESPECIALLY WITH COMING ACROSS ALL THESE OTHER THINGS WITH GOING ON WITH THE, THE TRYING TO GET IT TO EITHER A-2 OR M-2 AND THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS ALREADY ATTACHED TO THE PROPERTY AS IT IS, YOU KNOW, AND I DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE PURSUING THIS IF IT'S GOING TO MAKE MORE OF A HEADACHE. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CHALLENGE MR. RANDOLPH, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO COME TO A CONSENSUS THAT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO EVERYONE.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE.
ANYONE ELSE? YES, SIR. REAL QUICK.
YES, SIR. JEFF BROWN 30566 CAMP PARKWAY. I DON'T KNOW THESE LADIES, BUT I DO KNOW ABOUT THEIR STORY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.
ALL RIGHT. SO, MR. RANDOLPH, YOU UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE AT HAND? YES, SIR, I DO.
YES, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT MAY BE AS WON'T BE ANY EARLIER, PROBABLY IN FEBRUARY.
THANK YOU. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, AND YOU GOT THE PHONE NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. IF NOT, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
I'M GOING DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
THERE'S NO PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT, AND THERE WAS NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS LISTED.
[6. NEW BUSINESS]
NUMBER SIX IS NEW BUSINESS.IF YOU'LL GET YOUR PACKETS OUT AND YOU'LL SEE THE OUTLINE THAT MR. RANDOLPH HAS PASSED OUT.
MR. RANDOLPH, I'LL LET YOU GO FORWARD NOW, SIR.
WITH THE RECENT ADOPTION OF THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THAT WAS ADOPTED IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, IT IS CUSTOMARY TO BEGIN TO REVIEW OUR ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS TO HELP ENSURE THAT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION.
I PUT TOGETHER JUST A LIST OF TOPICS, AND I WAS HOPING TO SPUR A LITTLE DISCUSSION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS TO IN OUR SPARE TIME, WHEN WE'RE NOT REVIEWING ACTUAL ZONING APPLICATIONS OR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS OR OTHER ITEMS THAT COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION.
[00:50:05]
IF THERE'S ANY SUBJECTS OR AREAS OF REVIEW THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IN A LITTLE DEEPER FORM AS WE GO INTO 2025.ONE OF THE ITEMS ON HERE IS THE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES.
THAT WAS SOMETHING WE JUST PREVIOUSLY STARTED TO DISCUSS AT OUR MEETING IN NOVEMBER, AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THAT TOPIC AS WE GO INTO 2025, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GET A ROUGH IDEA FROM THE COMMISSION AS TO.
ARE THERE OTHER TOPICS OUT THERE THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, OR THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO REVIEW OR BRING TO THE COMMISSION'S ATTENTION SO WE CAN KIND OF PUT TOGETHER KIND OF A ROUGH DRAFT WORK PLAN FOR AGENDAS IN 2025.
MR. RANDOLPH, I WAS AT A CONFERENCE LAST WEEK, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT DATA CENTERS AND IT SEEMS TO BE SOME HUGE BENEFITS, BUT AGAIN, SOME PEOPLE HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND IT REALLY DIDN'T GET TO ELABORATE ON A LOT OF EITHER ONE BUT I KNOW I'VE HEARD THAT NAME MENTIONED IN LOCAL CONVERSATION AS WELL.
I KNOW WHAT THEY DO, BUT I'M NOT REALLY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THE WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS AND THE USAGES OF THE CENTERS ARE AND OF COURSE SIZES, I THINK, VARIES.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANY KIND OF INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, REGARDING THE DATA CENTER AND MAYBE SOME OF THE COUNTIES THAT HAVE THEM, POSSIBLY IF WE COULD SHARE CONCERNS AND BENEFITS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE INSTRUMENTAL TO OUR GROUP. MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, MA'AM? IN THE READING, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT TALK ABOUT SUBDIVISIONS AND DENSITY, HOUSING TYPES, ALL OF THAT. I'D LIKE FOR US TO SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF PLACES THAT HAVE PUT IN PLANNED COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE PLANNED HAVE MORE GREEN SPACE, HAVE MAKE THEM AREAS THAT ARE MORE SOCIAL SO THAT IT'S A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST A ROW OF HOUSES, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP US IN THINKING HOW WE ENVISION OUR COUNTY GROWING, PARTICULARLY THOSE AREAS THAT ARE SMALL TOWNS.
I THINK TO HAVE A VISION FOR WHAT WE WANT OUR COUNTY TO LOOK LIKE WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE'RE STILL IN THOSE PLANNING PARAMETERS RIGHT NOW.
WHEREAS A LOT OF COMMUNITIES EAST OF US ESPECIALLY GOT OVERCROWDED AND KIND OF OVERWHELMED, AND THEY WERE LIMITED AS TO WHAT THEY COULD DO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M A GREAT PRESERVER OF FARMLAND FOREST LAND BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT IS INEVITABLE, BUT WE WANT TO DO IT.
RIGHT, AND IAM GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON MISS ALLSTON'S COMMENT, MR. RANDOLPH. RECENTLY, I'VE MADE SEVERAL VISITS TO THE HARBORVIEW AREA OF SUFFOLK.
THERE'S A LOT OF THAT MIXED USE, LIKE MS...
THANK YOU, AND MY MIND WENT BLANK.
I KNOW. THAT MISS LEWIS HAD SOME EXAMPLES.
YOU KNOW, THAT SHE DREW UP FOR US, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BUSINESSES KIND OF IN THE FRONT PART OF SOME OF THOSE AREAS, AND YOU HAVE GOT THE WALKWAYS AND THE GREEN SPACE, BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU HAVE MULTIPLE TYPES OF HOUSES.
YOU HAVE GOT THE MULTI-STORY, THE SINGLE, BUT IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE.
RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE COME HOME.
THERE IS MORE COMMUNITY FEELING, YOU KNOW WHO YOUR NEIGHBOR IS.
RIGHT, YES, INSTEAD OF JUST LITTLE BOXES.
I DON'T LIKE ROWS. I DON'T REALLY LIKE THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WISE, THE ROW STRIPPING.
SO YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD PICK, YOU KNOW, LET ME PIGGYBACK ON MS. ALLSTON, AND MAYBE WE COULD LOOK MORE IN DEPTH TO THAT.
I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE WORD GETS OUT THAT WE WELCOME THAT TYPE, THAT MIGHT SPUR SOME INTEREST, POSSIBLY. RIGHT.
CORRECT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY ACTUAL MIXED USE PROJECTS OR DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT.
[00:55:01]
SO IT WOULD BE.WELL, I'VE GOT A DIFFERENT COMMENT.
ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD. I MEAN, WE HAVE MIXED USE, BUT.
I GUESS PRIORITIZING THE THINGS THAT ARE FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT. OKAY. MIXED USE IS PROBABLY NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ON OUR TOP 25.
ONE THING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, MR. RANDOLPH, IS TRYING TO GET THE SEWAGE PROCESSING FACILITY ABOVE 20 SOMETHING PERCENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW, BUT OBVIOUSLY NOTHING HAS HOOKED UP TO IT, AND WE CHANGED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO EDWARDS FARM BECAUSE THEY COULD, AND WE KIND OF DID THAT WITH NOT ALL THE INFORMATION.
I THINK WE KIND OF EYEBALLED IT.
I JUST THINK THAT'S A PRIORITY AS A FIDUCIARY OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY TO TRY AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING ALL THESE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE PERCENTAGES OF ALAWITE AND SUFFOLK.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE TRY TO FUNNEL ANY HOUSING TO THAT, AND I JUST THINK THAT WE'VE NOT DONE THE BEST JOB AND WE COULD MAYBE TRY TO GET SOUTHAMPTON FRANKLIN ECONOMIC FOLKS HERE, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THEY AND I MEAN, I KNOW WE CAN'T CONTROL IT AND DIRECT EVERYTHING, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB AND YOU'RE RIDING THROUGH SUFFOLK.
I'M SURE YOU SAW SOME WONDERFUL THINGS, AND TALKING ABOUT SPOT ZONING.
I MEAN IS THAT WE I MEAN, A LOT OF CITIZENS DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE INVESTED, AND I'M STARTING TO GET OLDER. I GUESS I'M NOT AS OLD AS DOCTOR EDWARDS YET, BUT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS INVESTED THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE USED TO SOME CAPACITY, AND IT HAS NOT.
SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES IN TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PUT IT IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND THAT'S THE RIGHT PLACE BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE, BUT EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO WHERE THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE.
RIGHT. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT'S GOING TO DO THAT.
I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO TO PRESERVE THAT.
THAT CORRIDOR, SO WHAT TOOLS CAN WE EXERCISE TO ENCOURAGE THAT VISION? WHAT CAN WE DO? I GUESS THE 58 CORRIDOR, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON OUR SEWER PROCESSING PLANT THAT IS AT A VERY DE MINIMIS CAPACITY, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE LABEL THAT, BUT WE DO NEED TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SYSTEMS ALREADY IN PLACE.
I CONCUR. MS. ALLSTON HAD A QUESTION.
I WAS JUST PIGGYBACKING IN FASHION THAT IF YOU HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, THAT SHOULD BE OUR PRIORITY, AND THIS IS OUR TEN YEAR PLAN, OUR TEN YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO TO ME, IF WE LOOK AT WHAT ENVISION WHAT THAT AREA COULD LOOK LIKE AS A COMMUNITY THAT IS FOCUSED, AND I GUESS MY POINT, AND I WAS NOT VERY ELOQUENT WITH IT, BUT THE ODDS OF GETTING A SMALL HOUSING PROJECT TO TIE INTO THAT SEWER SYSTEM THAT WAS LAID OUT BY OUR POLITICAL LEADERS IS FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN A MIXED USE PROJECT.
I THINK THE HOUSING IS PART OF IT, BUT ALSO HAVING A FEW AMENITIES AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR HOUSING ENVIRONMENT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND THAT WOULD BE TO ME, THAT'S PART OF THE MIXED USE.
RIGHT. IT IS MORE HOUSING, BUT HAVING A QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THOSE HOUSES, BUT I GUESS WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS THAT SOME OF THE TOWNS ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE COUNTY.
[01:00:09]
GROCERY STORE. SOME OF US DON'T HAVE THAT DOLLAR, FAMILY DOLLAR STORE, OR WHATEVER AND I GUESS I WAS THINKING MORE OF THAT OR AN EATERY.WE COULD HELP SUBSTANTIATE SOME OF THE SMALL TOWNS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE INSTEAD OF GOING OUT TO THE VACANT COUNTRY OR THE FOREST, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE DEER LIVE, YOU KNOW.
WELL, WE DO STILL HAVE FOOD DESERTS IN THIS COUNTY.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO DRIVE A LONG DISTANCE TO GET EVEN GAS AND GAS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PRIORITY AREAS, A LOT OF AVENUES WE COULD TACKLE IT FROM, AND I WANT TO MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT AND I'LL OPEN BACK UP IF ANYONE ELSE.
ANOTHER THING I'VE NOTICED IN THIS WELL, THIS WAS ACTUALLY NIGHT BEFORE LAST AT THE RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE HOSPITAL.
THERE'S A STREET BEHIND SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES THAT FUNNEL DOWN TO THE STOPLIGHT.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CAN YOU CAN PULL OFF AND GO INTO THAT BUSINESS, BUT YOU HAD TO REROUTE TO THE BACK STREET, COME OUT AT THE STOPLIGHT TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD, WHICH I THINK IS THAT WAS GOOD PLANNING.
SO I THINK ABOUT THE 58 CORRIDOR, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL ZONE POTENTIAL LAND USE ON THE 58 CORRIDOR FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL BACK TO EMPORIA, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW, MR. RANDOLPH, YOU DO THAT IN PLANNING, BUT, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF HAVING SO MANY ENTRANCES BACK ON THAT HIGHWAY, HOW COULD WE HOW DO YOU FUNNEL, LIKE A SIDE STREET OR A PARALLEL STREET DOWN TO THE NEXT INTERSECTION? AND THEN IF IT GOT SO, IF IT DID GET SO, YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEN, 15, 20 YEARS OUT.
WELL, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME 20 YEARS OUT AS IT IS TODAY.
THANK YOU, MS. ALLSTON. WHAT DO YOU DO? WHO DOES THAT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE ENCOURAGE? DO YOUR BUSINESSES PROFIT? HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU DO A SERVICE ROAD? WE TRY TO DO THAT THROUGH ACTUAL SITE PLAN DEVELOPMENT WHEN THERE'S AN ACTUAL ENTITY GETTING READY TO DEVELOP SOMETHING, AND I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH VDOT AS WELL FOR NOT THE SERVICE ROAD SIDE, BUT FOR THE ACCESS CONNECTIONS TO THE STATE HIGHWAYS.
WE'RE LOOKING YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO WORK WITH VDOT ON THE ROUTE 58 FROM THE COURTLAND OVERPASS OR THE ROUNDABOUTS OVER TOWARDS CAMP PARKWAY, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SOUTH SIDE OF THAT ROAD, THERE'S ENTRANCES SCATTERED ALL ALONG.
THAT'S A HAZARD. A LOT OF FRICTION POINTS, RIGHT? THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD IS STILL RELATIVELY UNDEVELOPED.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH VDOT AND HOW WE ADDRESS THOSE THROUGH SERVICE ROADS TO DEFINED ACCESS POINTS.
SO THE NORTH SIDE OF THAT DOES NOT END UP LIKE THE SOUTH SIDE.
ALL THAT CONSTRUCTION ZONE FROM THE OLD JOHNSON'S NURSERY DOWN BY THE PEPSI-COLA PLANT.
IT'S JUST SO MANY ENTRANCES AND THAT'S A BUSY ROAD.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU. THAT'S A BUSY STRETCH, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE STILL DOING CONSTRUCTION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF AFTER THEY FINISHED THE CONSTRUCTION, IT'S GOING TO GET MUCH BETTER WITH THE CONGESTION, BUT WE WANT TO WE WANT TO TRY TO AVOID IT, BUT I THINK THE SERVICE ROAD, WE COULD KIND OF FIGURE OUT A WAY TO INCORPORATE THAT, BUT IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO JACK'S STATEMENT EARLIER, YOU KNOW? OKAY. SO OUR BOARD, OUR COUNTY LEADERS, WHEN THEY BUILT THAT TREATMENT PLANT, THEY WERE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY A LOT CHEAPER DOING IT THEN THAN IT IS DOING IT TODAY.
SO, BUT NOW WE WANT TO EXPEDITE THE USE OF IT SO IT'S IN PLACE.
WELL LET'S SEE IF WE CAN UTILIZE MORE OF IT.
YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF GOING ELSEWHERE, TRY TO USE THAT CORRIDOR FIRST AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL PUT LATERALS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, AS IT EXPANDS AND WE SUPPLEMENT THAT TAX.
I KNOW I'VE GOT A COUPLE BUILDINGS THAT I'LL SELL YOU RIGHT NOW.
OKAY. I KNOW. I MEAN, SO SOMEBODY IS PAYING FOR THAT.
WE ALSO PUT CLEAN WATER IN IT TO MAKE IT WORK.
THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, AND I MEAN, IT'S I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST UNDERUTILIZED SYSTEM AND IF YOU GO THROUGH THE COST TO OPERATE THAT SYSTEM, IT IS SIGNIFICANT, AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S PROBABLY AT A LOSS.
[01:05:03]
NOW IT'S AN ASSET FOR THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S A LIABILITY FOR THE TAXPAYERS.WOULD YOU. IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ONE TIME YEARS AGO, WE HAD FRANKLIN LINED UP TO COME IN ON ON THAT, AND FRANKLIN GOT SMART, AND THEY WANTED TO REVAMP THEIR FACILITY, AND THEY'RE DOING FINE NOW, SO.
YEAH. IS ANY OTHER ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, SIR, MR. J? WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE REVISIONS TO THE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SECTION, WHAT IS THAT ADDRESSING THERE? I BELIEVE THERE WAS A RECENT APPLICATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR OR JUST WITHIN THE LAST YEAR THAT CAME TO THIS, AND OUR ORDINANCE REQUIRES CERTAIN TECHNICAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS WITH THAT APPLICATION. A LOT OF THOSE TECHNICAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS ARE NO LONGER BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED.
SO WHAT OUR ORDINANCE IS A LITTLE OUTDATED ON YOU NEED TO SUBMIT X COPIES OF SUCH AND SUCH TECHNICAL DATA TO JUSTIFY THE NEED FOR THE TOWER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SOME OF THOSE RULES HAVE CHANGED AS TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED.
MOST OF OUR CELL PHONE ORDINANCE WAS PUT ON THE BOOKS ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO.
SO IT'S REALLY BRINGING THAT UP TO SPEED AS TO WHAT THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS ARE.
SO THE COUNTY ADDRESSED THAT BY GETTING THE ORDINANCES ESTABLISHED IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
YOU HAVE CELL SERVICE AND YOU HAVE GOOD CELL SERVICE.
AROUND HERE IT STINKS AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE THAT.
YOU'LL BE TALKING TO SOMEBODY AND HAVE TO CALL THEM BACK THREE AND FOUR TIMES.
IT'S INCREDIBLY INEFFICIENT FOR RUNNING A BUSINESS.
IT'S FRUSTRATING AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
THEY KEEP SAYING WE'RE PUTTING IN MORE TOWERS IN THE AREA AND SERVICE IS GETTING WORSE.
SO WHO IS IT PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TALK WITH LIKE A VERIZON TO GET THOSE FOLKS IN HERE TO SAY, WHAT ARE THE ISSUES? YOU DO YOU HAVE CELL SERVICE IN YOUR AREA? NOT IN MY HOUSE I DON'T. WE HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE OF OUR OFFICE TO TALK.
YOU GOT TO GO OUTSIDE TO TALK.
YOU CANNOT TALK IN A BUILDING.
WE HAVE GOT TO GO ALMOST A QUARTER OF A MILE.
IT'S THREE TOWERS. SERVICE AREA, BUT I GOT TO.
I'M RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THAT LITTLE VORTEX.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY IN YOUR AREA? I STILL HAVE A LANDLINE.
OKAY, YOU DO, BUT MOST PEOPLE DO.
NOT NOW, BUT THAT'S DETERIORATING RAPIDLY.
RIGHT. OKAY, SO THEY WANT TO DO AWAY WITH OUT OF TOWN? YES THEY DO. SO IT'S A EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, BUSINESS SITUATIONS.
HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THAT FOR THE CONSTITUENTS OF OUR COUNTY AS WELL AS SUSSEX AND SURROUNDING AREAS IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES? AND IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
I MEAN, OUR, OUR LOCAL SHERIFFS HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY GET THAT PRIVATE FUNDING THEN, THEN THEY USUALLY GET ON IT AND, AND IT HELPS THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IN THIS AREA.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH BANDWIDTH OUT HERE.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET MORE BANDWIDTH? I MEAN, IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND, IT'S GREAT CELL SERVICE.
WHY IS THAT? BIG, TALL BUILDINGS? YES.
BRIDGES, TUNNELS? THEY SAID TOWERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE BUILDINGS IN RICHMOND.
WHY CAN'T WE DO IT HERE? IT WOULD BE MY ONLY THOUGHT.
SO CAN WE GET A VERIZON REP IN HERE TO DISCUSS THAT WITH US? OR WE CAN CERTAINLY TRY.
WHATEVER THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION IS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT, BECAUSE I THINK THE APPLICATION PROCESS WAS THE VERIZON TOWER ON MILLFIELD, I THINK WAS WHAT WE SAW, WHAT MR. RANDOLPH WAS TALKING ABOUT ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
SO THAT'S JUST LIKE I SAID IVOR AREA, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S LONGER THAN A YEAR.
IT HAS BEEN LONGER THAN A YEAR.
SOME TIME AGO. YEAH, I THINK IT WAS VERIZON, BUT YEAH, I THINK WE NEED.
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT TOWER? THERE'S NOT MUCH ON IT.
WAS IT 4 OR 5 SPACES THAT THEY PUT THEIRS? AND THEN THEY RENT OUT THE OTHER ONES FOR OTHER PROVIDERS, LIKE RENTS DOING VERY GOOD.
I THINK THAT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE.
THEY HAD TO DO THAT IN THE CONDITION YOU PERMIT.
[01:10:01]
THEY CAN'T THEY CAN'T MAKE MONEY ON IT.THE DOLLARS ARE NOT HERE BECAUSE THE CONSTITUENTS THOSE TOWERS COST ABOUT $3 MILLION TO PUT UP.
SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PUT UP A $3 MILLION TOWER IF THEY CAN'T GET THEIR MONEY BACK BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY YOUR BILL EVERY MONTH.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE SERVICE THAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR.
EXACTLY. SO THEIR RATIONALE TO HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN HERE AND DISCUSS THAT WITH YOU, RIGHT.
YEAH. WELL, WELL, MR. RANDOLPH, LET'S LET'S SEE IF WE CAN CONTACT A COUPLE OF THE CARRIERS.
VERIZON I THINK, WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MOST POPULAR.
T-MOBILE. BECAUSE AS YOU GET FURTHER WEST, T-MOBILE BECOMES THE STRONGER.
OKAY. LET'S SEE IF THERE'S ANY ALTERNATIVES.
ANYTHING WE CAN DO. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, AND GO BACK TO THE LANDLINE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR AREA BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SUBMITTED.
IF YOU HAVE GOOD CELL SERVICE, THEY'VE GIVEN UP THEIR LANDLINE, BUT THE ONES THAT ARE STILL HAVE IT, THAT IT TAKES A PAIR OF WIRES TO MAKE A LANDLINE WORK. WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO THE LAST AVAILABLE PAYERS.
OUR LINE TERMINATES IN BOYKINS AND THE MAIN CABLE.
WHATEVER. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
IT WON'T BE ANY PAYERS LEFT, AND WE WON'T HAVE.
SO I THINK THAT IS A THAT'S A GOOD POINT, A GOOD CONCERN.
SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW IN THE COMING MEETINGS WE CAN ADDRESS THAT, HAVE SOMEONE COME TO AND MAYBE THEY CAN SHARE IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY COULD DO, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, YOU KNOW, TO GET THAT GOOD SERVICE, ALL THE WI-FI THEY'RE PUTTING INTO THE COUNTY NOW.
EXCUSE ME, MISS ALSTON. GO ON.
ALL THE WI-FI THEY'RE PUTTING IN UNDERGROUND.
RIGHT. IS THAT GOING TO BE A PHONE SERVICE AS WELL OR NOT? OR. THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY.
SPECTRUM. WONDERING IF THAT WILL BE PART OF THAT.
WELL, YEAH, AND IT HAS A PHONE SERVICE ATTACHED TO IT IF YOU WANT IT.
RIGHT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO RUN THAT TO THEIR HOUSE AND USE THAT THOUGH.
I HAVE THE CONNECTION FOR INTERNET.
THEY OFFERED THE PHONE PART, BUT, LIKE MR. DRAKE, I HAVE A LANDLINE AND A CELL SERVICE WITH VERIZON.
RIGHT, RIGHT. YOU KNOW, AND SPECTRUM FOR INTERNET AND DISHNET FOR TV.
RIGHT? YEAH. A LOT OF THAT WAS PAID FOR BY FEDERAL GRANT MONEY THAT YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT KIND, AND I'VE HAD TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE MOVE INTO MY BUILDING, AND THESE FOLKS THAT ARE THERE NOW ARE VERY, VERY BIG COMPANY, AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT IS TO ONE DAY IT'S TO WORK LIKE CELL PHONE TOWERS AT SOME POINT, BUT NOW YOU HAVE TO CONNECT TO IT, BUT AT SOME POINT IT'LL BE LIKE THE INTERNET WHERE IT'LL BE A HOTSPOT.
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO INSTALL THROUGH THE LINES.
THAT'S THE TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAVE NOW.
YOU STILL DON'T HAVE THAT TECHNOLOGY JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE WI-FI.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE PHONE SERVICE.
CORRECT, BUT MY POINT IS THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THEY'RE PUTTING IN, WE HAVE THE TECH, WE HAVE STARLINK, THE STARLINK THAT ELON MUSK IS SENDING TO CAROLINA. SO THERE IS TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE.
IT'S JUST NOT READILY ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE YET.
YEAH, AND THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE THE BANDWIDTH UNDERGROUND AT SOME POINT, AND WHO KNOWS, FIVE YEARS, TWO YEARS, TEN YEARS, 20 YEARS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HOTSPOT IT, THAT IT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO FLOW THROUGH THE COUNTY AT SOME POINT, AND I MEAN, I HAVE NO IDEA. I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON IT WHEN THAT'S GOING TO BE, BUT THAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND THE FEDERAL GRANTS.
OKAY, AND THEY DO HAVE ANTENNAS YOU CAN PUT ON YOUR TRUCKS.
THEY'RE PROBABLY 2 OR 3 FOOT TALL.
I HAVE SEEN THOSE, AND WHEN THE SPECTRUM GUY WAS OUT THERE PUTTING A LINE IN, HE HAD THAT RIGHT, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO BE NEAR YOUR TRUCK TO TALK TO IT, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO BE. YEAH, YEAH.
RIGHT, BUT I DON'T CARRY AN ANTENNA IN THE WOODS WITH ME.
SO YEAH, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, GETTING ENGINEER FROM THE COMPANIES.
I THINK I THOUGHT WE HAD SOMEBODY THAT OVERLOOKED OUR TOWER INFORMATION AT ONE TIME THAT IT WENT TO [INAUDIBLE], BUT I FOUND A LOT OF TIMES THE BEST INFORMATION COMES FROM SOMEBODY THAT HAS A PRIVATE ENGINEERING COMPANY.
THEY'RE NOT TIED TO THE COMPANY THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A SALE, RIGHT? AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM DIFFERENT ONES IN HERE THAT WERE ENGINEERS IN THE IN THAT FIELD, AND THEY COULD BE A LITTLE MORE
[01:15:02]
FORTHCOMING WITH WHAT'S COMING, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, WHAT HAS WORKED, AND, WELL, IF YOU CHALLENGE THEIR HAND, WE GOT A PROBLEM.SO LET'S SEE IF THEY CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO HELP US OUT.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF WAY THAT WE COULD JUST, LIKE, HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT REQUEST FOR THE CITIZENS TO JUST COME IN AND INFORM US OF THEIR KNOWN DEAD ZONES THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE COUNTY AND THEN COMPILE THAT.
THEN WHEN YOU GO INTO DELIBERATIONS WITH THESE CELL PHONE COMPANIES, YOU'RE AT THE TABLE WITH POSITIVE INFORMATION WHERE YOU CAN SAY, WELL, I WOULD LIKE YOU FOR THIS, BUT IT'S BEST TO KNOW WHERE YOUR PROBLEM IS, AND IF YOU GOT A THOUSAND EYES ON THE GROUND THAT CAN REPORT BACK TO YOU AND YOU CAN DEVELOP THAT, THEN YOU ACTUALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOUR PROBLEM LIES.
THEY KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
I'D LIKE TO SAID THEY'RE NOT GOING TO INVEST MONEY UNLESS THEY CAN GET THEIR MONEY BACK.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY EVERY HOME OUT THERE.
NOT UNTIL. IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE OATH.
SEE, THEY CAN TURN THE POWER UP.
OKAY. BECAUSE I KNOW SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE TOWER AT BOYKINS MR. MANN HAD WAS DEVELOPING MORE PINGS OR WHATEVER.
WHATEVER, AND THEN WHEN THEY BUILT THE TOWER ON 258, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE THREE I'M TALKING ABOUT, THEY HAD TO LOWER THE PIPE BECAUSE IT WAS OVERLAPPED, BUT WHEN THEY OVERLAPPED THAT'S WHEN WE WERE GETTING, MY WIFE'S GETTING SERVICE, BUT THEN WHEN THEY TURNED THE POWER DOWN, THEN WE IT WASN'T REACHING US. SO THE BOY COULDN'T REACH US, AND THE ONE THAT LARRY BROWN THAT DIDN'T REACH US EITHER, BUT, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HE SAY IT'S TRAFFIC? RIGHT, BUT IT'S BANDWIDTH IS HOW MUCH YOU'RE PUTTING OUT THE USAGE OF IT, BUT IN A LOT OF THAT GOING UP AND DOWN 58, THAT'S USING THAT TRAFFIC, THE BANDWIDTH COMING THROUGH HERE.
SO THE CUSTOMERS ARE HERE RIGHT.
RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY, WELL, LET'S LET MR. RANDOLPH SEE IF HE CAN SCHEDULE.
WE'RE GOING TO GET HIM A LOT TO DO TONIGHT, BUT REMEMBER, THIS IS A 2025 LIST.
SO ANY OTHER ANY OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST.
YES, SIR. WE KEEP PUSHING TALK ABOUT TOURISM, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A DECENT PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO EAT AND STAY IF THEY'RE GOING TO COME HERE, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE.
AMEN. SO THAT'S SOMETHING MAYBE THAT WE COULD LOOK AT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S FEASIBLE.
WE DO HAVE BELMONT UP IN CAPRON.
WHERE ARE THEY GOING? BACK TO SUFFOLK.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT SPENDING MONEY HERE.
GOING TO ROSIE'S. THE NEW CHICK-FIL-A.
YEAH, YEAH, WELL, I THINK FRANKLIN HAS SOMETHING IN THE WORKS FOR HE GOT APPROVED, BUT THEY'RE JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO INVEST IN IT RIGHT THERE. THE OLD SAINT REGIS PROPERTY? YES. YEAH.
THAT WAS. THEY WENT THROUGH THEIR PLANNING COMMISSION AND GOT APPROVED.
IT'S A FRANKLIN EVENT, AND INN OR AN INN AND EVENT CENTER.
I REMEMBER A HOTEL WITH A RESTAURANT AND A CONFERENCE CONFERENCE CENTER AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. IF NOT WE'LL GO DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH WILL BE OUR MEETING
[7. MEETING SCHEDULE]
[01:20:06]
SCHEDULE. IS, OF COURSE, THE NEXT MEETING WOULD BE JANUARY THE 9TH.ARE WE STILL. ARE WE STILL GOOD? AS HE WRITES THE SCHEDULE UP FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE ARE STILL GOOD WITH THURSDAY EVENING, 7:30.
IS THAT THE TIME THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY? IS THAT A GOOD TIME? I WOULD ASK THE COMMISSION IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO CONSIDER POSSIBLY A 7:00 PM, 7:00.
MISS BAKER, YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? THAT'S FINE. THAT'D BE OKAY WITH YOU? SHERIFF, THAT'D BE OKAY WITH YOU? THAT'S FINE WITH ME. OKAY.
WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE, SIR.
I THINK THAT WOULD HELP PROVIDE A JUST EVEN THAT 30 MINUTES DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH, BUT MOVING IT UP AS WE GET INTO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ITEMS. I'M FINE WITH IT. WOULD THAT WORK WITH YOU? I THINK SEVEN, YEAH, THAT'S SEVEN IS FINE.
I JUST WOULD SAY FOR AUGUST WE MOVE IT BACK ONE SO IT DOESN'T CONFLICT BECAUSE OF THE FAIR.
YES. WE ALWAYS MOVED THE AUGUST MEETING BACK.
WE SHOULD BE EXPOSED. THAT'S FINE.
IT'S JUST I REMEMBER ONE YEAR MISS LEWIS HAD LIKE A TOPICS.
I JUST THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO GET THAT FEEDBACK, IT IS BEST TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE.
WE DID THAT ONE YEAR. MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAME TO IT WERE FROM OUT OF COUNTY.
WE'LL START TO TALK ABOUT IT AS IT GETS CLOSER, BUT OKAY.
WELL, MR. RANDOLPH, RIGHT UP TO.
OKAY, RIGHT UP TO SCHEDULE FOR 7:00.
YES, BUT YOU HAVE THAT READY TO SEND IT TO US.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, WE AIN'T DONE TOO BAD TONIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE IT, AND HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND TRAVEL SAFELY, AND I WILL ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.