The James City County Planning Commission will consider whether to recommend protecting more than 16,000 acres of land from being developed for anything other than agricultural or forestry uses.
Of the 16,136.88 acres up for consideration, 16,019.17 acres — or 165 properties — are already marked as agricultural and forestal districts. Commissioners will decide whether to renew that status for those properties, and whether to add two properties — 22.2 acres at 4346 Centerville Road and 95.51 acres at 8557 Diascund Road — to the list of AFDs.
James City County’s 15 AFDs — spread across the county — can be used for farming, keeping livestock, and growing and harvesting trees. Individual properties must contain at least 5 acres of agricultural land or 20 acres of forestry land to be considered for inclusion.
Landowners who commit their property to AFDs may pay reduced taxes and enjoy protection from nuisance ordinances and from the pressure to develop the property.
The commission will consider the following requests at its Wednesday meeting:
- Renewing five pieces of property, totaling 769.2 acres, in the Cranston’s Pond AFD
- Renewing 21 pieces of property, totaling 1,132.9 acres, in the Croaker AFD
- Renewing 38 pieces of property, totaling 3,645.22 acres, in the Gordon Creek AFD
- Renewing nine pieces of property, totaling 1,133.69 acres, in the Gospel Spreading Church Farm AFD
- Renewing five pieces of property, totaling 568.78 acres, in the Hill Pleasant Farm AFD
- Renewing 32 pieces of property, totaling 3,107.44 acres, in the Mill Creek AFD
- Renewing 13 pieces of property, totaling 2,165.89 acres, in the Yarmouth Creek AFD
- Renewing four pieces of property, totaling 311.5 acres, in the Armistead AFD
- Renewing 30 pieces of property, totaling 1,737.06 acres, in the Barnes Swamp AFD
- Renewing three pieces of property, totaling 317.7 acres, in the Carter’s Grove AFD
- Renewing five pieces of property, totaling 1,129.79 acres, in the Christenson’s Corner AFD
- Adding 22.2 acres of property at 4346 Centerville Road to the Gordon Creek AFD
- Adding 95.51 acres of property at 8557 Diascund Road to the Mill Creek AFD
The Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Building F at 101 Mounts Bay Road. The full meeting agenda is available online. For more information about AFDs, visit the county’s website.
