New Kent Board of Supervisors approve recommended redistricting plan

New Kent County’s Board of Supervisors approved a redistricting plan to coincide with requirements set by the state at Monday night’s regular meeting.

With a county population clocking in just over 23,000 people according to the 2020 census, supervisors followed a recommendation proposed by County Administrator Rodney Hathaway.

Changes that will take place due to the new redistricting includes District 3 losing residents on Farmer’s Drive and most of Polish Town Road (to District 5), most of the area to the southeast of Interstate 64 (with Mt. Pleasant Road serving as the boundary) transferring to District 5, Ed Allen’s Campground and a mobile home park in the area going to District 4 (while Rockahock remains in District 5), the west side of Cumberland becoming part of District 1, District 3’s boundary expanding to Old Roxbury Road, and District 2 taking over Peace Road and adding the Wood Edge’s subdivision.

Hathaway reached out to several community organizations for feedback and based the changes to prevent discrimination because of race. Districts were also readjusted to handle the loss of citizens in each area and account for growth in others. An additional factor was the use of jail population as part of the census. During this cycle, only prisoners who are from New Kent or out-of-state are counted towards the county’s population, while inmates who reside in other localities outside of New Kent but within the state of Virginia are counted towards their hometown numbers.

In other action addressed by the board:

–Deferred a decision to extend a conditional use permit (CUP) from Star. Star currently operates several mini-storage facilities in the county.

–Approved unanimously in changing the maximum height of commercial structures to 75 feet, up from 50 and 60 feet respectively.

–Denied an ordinance 4-0 (with District 1 representative Thomas Evelyn abstaining) to not allow exemptions for logging equipment, machinery, and tools tax on personal property. District 5 member John Lockwood and others worried that allowing such an exemption would allow other industries to ask for tax breaks as well.

–Unanimously approved tax exemptions for elderly, disabled, and surviving spouses of certain persons killed in the line of duty. The current exemption is written based on household income, but the proposal would allow the exemption to all who fall within the category.