|
On September 27, 2005, the
County received official notice of the Virginia Department
of Transportation’s (VDOT) intention to acquire through
purchase a 1.78 acre portion of the 46.69 acre property
owned by Julia P. Burton, which is located in the Southern
Fauquier Agricultural and Forestal District. The VDOT
project proposes to reconstruct two sharp curves on Route
806, and the acquisition is necessary to address one of the
curves. The primary purpose of this project is to improve
safety to the traveling public. A copy of VDOT’s proposal
is attached.
Property
The 46.69 acre Burton
property is one of 282 properties which together comprise
the 18,993 acre Southern Fauquier Agricultural and Forestal
District. The District is scheduled to expire on June 30,
2014 and this property has been in the district since 1982.
Procedure
The Code of Virginia,
Section 15.2-4313, sets forth a specific procedure which
must be followed when an agency of the Commonwealth proposes
to acquire more than one acre of land within an agricultural
and forestal district. The procedure requires that notice
be given to the County and adjoining landowners of the
acquisition, and that the Board of Supervisors determine, in
consultation with the Planning Commission and Agricultural
and Forestal Advisory Committee:
i) the effect the
action would have upon the preservation and enhancement of
agriculture and forestry and agricultural and forestal
resources within the district and the policy of this
chapter;
ii) the necessity of
the proposed action to provide service to the public in the
most economical and practical manner; and
iii) whether reasonable
alternatives to the proposed action are available that would
minimize or avoid any adverse impacts on agricultural and
forestal resources within the district
If the Board determines
that the acquisition might have an unreasonably adverse
effect upon either state or local policy it may issue an
order within 90 days (by December 26, 2005) directing VDOT
to not take action for a period of 150 days in order to have
the opportunity to hold a public hearing concerning the
proposed action.
Planning Commission and
Agricultural and Forestal Advisory Board Review
A letter requesting
comments and/or recommendations was mailed to each member on
October 19, 2005. As of this date, no responses have been
received.
|