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Child Care Centers Recommended For A-T District
Licensed preschool/child care centers would be allowed with special exception permits in Rockbridge County’s agriculture-transition (A-T) district by a proposed zoning text amendment recommended last Wednesday, Sept. 13, by the Planning Commission.
Such facilities are already allowed with special exception permits in the county’s agricultural and general uses (A-2) district but not in the A-T district. Chris Slaydon, the county’s director of community development, told the Commission that he’d had two inquiries recently from people who may be interested in establishing child care centers in the A-T district.
A child care center is defined in the county’s land development regulations as “any facility operated for the purpose of providing care, protection and guidance to a group [five or more] of children separated from their parents or guardians during part of the day only, and meeting the licensing requirements for child care centers [by the code of Virginia].” In the county’s residential districts, day care may be provided for four or fewer children in a single-family dwelling.
The Board of Supervisors will consider the zoning text amendment at its Sept. 25 meeting.
Solar Arrays Proposed
Proposals for two utilityscale solar arrays will be considered at next month’s (Oct. 11) meeting of the Rockbridge County Planning Commission. Prior to the meeting, Commission members will hold a work session to discuss solar projects.
A 5 megawatts solar array is proposed for a farm off of Moores Trail and Steeles Fort Road in northern Rockbridge County. A 3 megawatts solar array is also planned for land off of Gilmores Mill Road near Natural Bridge.
The most recent solar array to be approved in the county – a 5 megawatts facility approved for a farm across U.S. 11 from Fairfield Elementary School – is currently under construction.
New Office Building Planned
The Stella-Jones Corporation is replacing its offices building at its Goshen facility. The planned new one-story, 6,300-square-foot building is to hold administrative offices, a reception area, kitchen, locker room/showers and and a break area.
A commercial site plan for the new offices building was approved last Wednesday, Sept. 13, by the Rockbridge County Planning Commission. Stella-Jones, a producer of industrial pressure-treated wood products, is located at the intersection of Brattons Run Road (Va. 780) and Maury River Road (Va. 39).
Bonds Authorized For RCHS Work
Rockbridge County is set to borrow up to $18.7 million through the Virginia Public School Authority’s fall bond issuance to finance renovations/ expansion of the Rockbridge Innovation Center, formerly the Floyd S. Kay Career and Technical Education Center.
The Board of Supervisors on Sept. 11 adopted a resolution authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for the construction project. The VPSA bond sale is to take place in mid-to-late October, and the funds are to be available by the middle of November.
The actual amount to be borrowed is likely to be less than $18.7 million. The contractor for the project, KNA Contracting LLC, submitted a low bid of $14,879,196. The county was awarded a $2,409,570 School Construction Assistance Program grant from the Virginia Department of Education. Also, the Board of Supervisors agreed to cover the county’s share of contingencies with the county schools’ capital escrow funds.
Grant Application Supported
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution Sept. 11 in support of a regional application for a federal Economic Development Administration Recompete grant. Twenty grants of between $250,000 and $750,000 are to be awarded to develop comprehensive strategies to address low labor force participation rates among prime-age workers (25-54 years) in the grant areas.
Rockbridge, Bath and Highland counties and the cities of Buena Vista, and Lexington qualify for this grant opportunity because federal data indicates that they have a high rate of prime-age workers that have likely stopped looking for jobs and have left the labor force. The grant application, which is being prepared by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, is due Oct. 5.
Comstock Named To BZA
Carroll Comstock has been appointed to serve on the Rockbridge County Board of Zoning Appeals. Comstock is taking the place of Joseph Clemmer, whose current term expires Sept. 26. Comstock is to represent the Buffalo District.
