The James City County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday to hold three public hearings and the Planning Commission Policy Committee will meet Thursday. The Police Department is offering a firearm safety class and the annual Spring Cleanup is coming up; registration is ongoing. The State Board of Elections is offering campaign training and a statewide tornado drill will take place Tuesday. Read on for more.
Board of Supervisors
The James City County Board of Supervisors will host three public hearings at its Tuesday meeting.
New Zion Baptist Church applied for a special use permit to add 1,600 square feet in the form of two eco-friendly modular units to be used for the young adults’ Sunday School Program and 21 new parking spaces. Evergreen shrubs would be planted along the property line to shield the view to neighboring landowners. Read a previous article on the Planning Commission’s decision.
The owner of The Shops at Carolina Furniture has applied for a special use permit to add on about 3,000 square feet to increase the size of the store’s showroom. The entire building needs a new roof because the current roof is water-damaged from leaks. President of James River Architects Rick Moberg designed an 18th century look for the entire building as well.
County staff has also recommended the property line be erased between two properties owned by Joseph Steele II, Carolina Furniture’s owner. The two properties Steele owns are on the same section of Richmond Road as Carolina Furniture and they are connected by a small strip of land but divided by the Moose Lodge. Combining the two parcels would add a 20-foot buffer around the property which would prevent existing issues with the buffer being too small.
Read a previous article on the Planning Commission’s decision.
A public hearing on the rezoning and special use permit applications for the Jamestown Beach project will continue from the Feb. 12 board meeting. At its Feb. 26 work session, the board further discussed the project and clarified the timeline of purchasing and improving the land.
The rezoning application would bring the land into compliance with the county’s current zoning ordinances. The land is zoned as a business district and parks are not permitted uses in business districts. The special use permit would allow for any and all improvements on the land. There is a plan in place for the beach in the Shaping Our Shores Master Plan, but the county reserves the right to change and deviate from the plan in any fashion it sees fit.
James City County Planning Commission Policy Committee Meeting
The James City County Planning Commission Policy Committee will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday to discuss an update on the Coordinated Regional Comprehensive Plan process and the Planning Division Work Program.
All policy committee meetings are open to the public. The meeting will be held in Building A at 101 Mounts Bay Road in the Government Center.
The agenda is available on the county website. For more information, contact the Planning Divison at 757-253-6685 or email [email protected].
Firearm Safety Class
The James City County Police Department will offer free firearm safety classes for adults from 7 to 9 p.m. March 16 and April 9 at the Law Enforcement Center, 4600 Opportunity Way.
Basic safety, handling and storage will be covered. Hands-on training will not be included and personal firearms should be left at home in a secure location.
The class sizes are limited and pre-registration is required by calling Officer McDowell at 757-603-6026.
Grant funding was used to purchase class materials and gunlocks. Free gunlocks are available at the class or by calling Sgt. Steve Humphries at 757-603-6022.
Annual Spring Cleanup
The James City County Commission’s annual Spring Cleanup will be April 6, 13 and 20. The annual event is a litter clean up and beautification program open to James City County civic, youth and neighborhood groups and organizations.
Registered groups or organizations can take litter to the Jolly Pond Transfer station at 1204 Jolly Pond Road. Participants receive safety vests, litter bags and free disposal.
Applications are due March 25 and are available at the county’s website, at any county convenience center, or by calling the James City Clean County Commission at 757-565-3664.
Any group needing help identifying a cleanup location should contact the county’s Environmental Coordinator Dawn Olesky at 757-259-5373 or email [email protected].
Candidate and Campaign Finance Training
The State Board of Elections is offering Candidate and Campaign Finance Training in preparation for the 2013 General Election campaign. Participants will learn how to get on the ballot and comply with petition laws and regulations as well as law information on campaign finance reporting and compliance.
Training dates and locations:
- March 14- Fairfax County
- March 21- Radford
- March 22- Virginia Beach
- March 25- Richmond
- March 27- Charlottesville
For more information, visit the Voter Registrar’s website.
2013 Statewide Tornado Drill
The 2013 Statewide Tornado Drill in will take place in homes, schools and workplaces at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday.
In 2011 and 2012, 62 tornadoes struck Virginia, destroying 210 homes and 17 businesses, killing 10 and injuring more than 100.
For more information on how to conduct a drill and to register, visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Services website.
