Neighbors Express Concerns About Laydown Yard
BARC Electric wants to construct a warehouse at its Highland Belle property at Kerrs Creek to store equipment and materials associated with electrical utility and broadband work the cooperative does elsewhere in Rockbridge County.
The county Planning Commission last week reviewed an application BARC submitted to modify its special exception permit for utility operations in the agricultural and general uses (A-2) district. The current SEP, approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2016, provides for the current solar facility to be expanded into this area.
BARC has what was supposed to be a temporary laydown yard for which it has obtained renewals of SEPs at two-year intervals over the past eight years. The warehouse is intended to be part of a more permanent and less unsightly option for these purposes. During the 2023 extension of the temporary SEP process, BARC stated that they would work to develop long-term plans for the property prior to the end of the two-year extension.
The proposed size of the warehouse would be 150 by 100 feet and would be sited parallel to Fredericksburg Road, directly southwest of the county collection center, according to BARC CEO Bill Buchanan. The warehouse would allow BARC to park its line trucks and digger trucks under roof. A portion of the fencing would be pushed back along the southwest side of the property and a lean-to would be constructed along the fence to allow for storage of materials under roof.
“The need to have material on hand for our electric and broadband system remains a high priority for BARC and its membership,” wrote Buchanan in a letter to the county that was included with the agenda materials.
He pointed out that just in the past year BARC has received two broadband grants – one through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative and one through USDA’s Community Connect Program. The grants will enable BARC to serve Buffalo Creek, Spring Valley, Conrock and the Collierstown community (Big Hill to Effinger). In addition, the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program could potentially fund high speed fiber internet projects that might continue for the next three to five years.
Several citizens spoke against the request for the SEP amendment, saying the increasingly intensive operations amount to industrial activity that they see as inappropriate in an agricultural district.
Steve Hart decried the repeated renewals of the SEP for what was supposed to be a temporary laydown yard. It has become a de facto industrial zone, he asserted.
In expressing her opposition to the continued presence of a laydown yard, Michelle Johnson said she is “really angry about this.” It’s harmful to the nearby Kerrs Creek farmers market, she said.
Buddy Powers said the industrial nature of the activity mars the scenic views from his nearby property, where he runs a special events venue. He asked that the SEP amendment be denied or at least action on it delayed until legal issues can be sorted out.
Planning Commission member Tony Sibrizi said he felt he had “incomplete information” about the particulars of the warehouse and BARC’s long-term plans for storing equipment and materials.
The consensus of the Commission was to continue the public hearing on the proposal to the next regular meeting on April 9.
