New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 29, 2024

Truck stop permit approved, zoning law hearing extended

By Alan Chamberlain | December 17, 2008 9:30 am

A New Kent business that has been functioning illegally as a truck stop now has a county permit in hand enabling its operation to continue. But strict conditions have been tacked on, allowing county officials more clout when it comes to enforcement.

New Kent Board of Supervisors members voted 5-0 during their Dec. 8 meeting to award Pilot Travel Center a conditional use permit. The business, located on Route 106 just south of the Interstate 64 interchange, has been in violation of county zoning law due to trucks parking there overnight and indoor shower stalls that were constructed without a county building permit.

Last week’s board action brings the travel center in line with county law, but only for a period of six years. Pilot officials say plans are to move the truck stop to a more suitable location in the county before the permit’s expiration date arrives.

Earlier this year, company officials said they were considering property located at the Route 33/I-64 interchange for building a larger facility. Under terms of the permit granted last week, Pilot cannot expand beyond boundaries of its 6.8-acre site on Route 106.

“Clearly what Pilot wants to do is get a structure in place that works for both Pilot and New Kent,” company representative Jack Wilson told supervisors last week.

The county, meanwhile, has fielded public complaints over truck traffic along Route 106, particularly in front of the travel center where tractor-trailer parking spills on to the right of way. The permit now in place limits tractor-trailer parking to the 30 existing spaces on the property. Parking is prohibited along access lanes and the right of way on 106.

Pilot’s owners must also have a safety/security plan approved by county sheriff’s and fire-rescue officials within 90 days. And the owners must hire a certified engineer to conduct a traffic study within the next six months.

“The main problem has been trucks staying there on Route 106,” District 1 Supervisor Thomas Evelyn said. “If you can take care of that, it would be a help, and I hope the CUP takes care of that.”

In another matter at last week’s meeting, supervisors opted to postpone final action on the first phase of the county’s revised zoning ordinance. Board members decided to continue the meeting’s public hearing on the 116-page document in hopes of receiving more comment. The hearing is scheduled to resume during the board’s Jan. 12 meeting.

Highlights of the proposed law include scrapping five of the county’s current zoning classifications. What is zoned for now as B-1 and B-2 would become Business. The current B-3 and M-1 designations would be merged into Economic Opportunity while M-2 would be labeled Industrial.

The proposed law also includes lot requirements (lot size, building dimensions, height) for all three zones along with a table of land uses covering those permitted by right, with a conditional use permit, or as an accessory. There are changes to existing definitions for some terms and new terms added. Plus there is a revised county zoning map that reflects all changes.

County planning manager Rodney Hathaway said 467 notices have been mailed to property owners directly impacted by zoning changes as well as 775 notices sent to adjoining landowners.

But District 5 Supervisor Ray Davis said he is concerned that adjoining landowners are not having a say in the matter.

“I haven’t heard enough,” he said. “I think it’s a nice job by ZORC, but I haven’t heard enough.”

ZORC, or the county’s Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Committee, has been working on the first phase of the project since April 2006. Still to come are phases involving site development standards, hamlets and village overlay districts along with nonconforming situations and appeals, and scenic/reservoir overlay districts.

Supervisors, meanwhile, appear pleased with the committee’s work to date.

“I don’t think it’s perfect,” said District 2 Supervisor Marty Sparks, “but it’s pretty darn good.”