King George Supervisors Want to Consider Increasing Minimum Lot Sizes
Measure would be an attempt to control growth in the county.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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King George supervisors want the Planning Commission to consider recommending amendments to the county’s zoning ordinance that would increase the minimum lot size on agriculturally zoned land.
“There have been lots of discussion about growth in the county,” said Matthew Smolnik, county administrator, at the Board of Supervisors’ November 4, 2024, meeting. “We’re thinking about the cost of by-right subdivisions on the citizens as a whole. These are impacting our schools, fire and rescue, library, public services, and first responders.”
By a resolution unanimously approved at the November 4 meeting, supervisors asked the Planning Commission to consider increasing the minimum lot size in A1-zoned areas from 10 to 50 acres; in A2-zoned areas from two to 20 acres; and in A3-zoned areas from one to 10 acres. The resolution directs county staff to prepare the amendments and requires the Planning Commission to hold at least one public hearing on the amendments.
Dahlgren district representative William Davis said at the November 4 supervisors meeting that managing growth in the county has been an important issue for him.
“We have to put our hands on the spigot,” he said.
Cathy Binder, Shiloh district representative, said the county does not yet have the infrastructure it needs to support the growth that is coming.
“This would allow us to get a handle on it while we work on doing an overhaul to look at all our ordinances and zoning,” she said. “We have heard [that this is important] from high growth areas like Loudoun.”
Supervisors asked that the proposed new minimum lot sizes not apply to family subdivisions.
County planning staff presented the proposed amendments to the Planning Commission at its December 10 meeting, and commissioners met the proposal with more skepticism than supervisors.
They wanted more information about “how big of a problem this is,” and requested data showing how many existing lots would not meet the new minimum standards.
Some commissioners expressed concern about how increasing the minimum lot sizes would affect property owners.
“I’m sure counsel is aware that you can claim a right [as a property owner] if you have ever thought about subdividing, or if you had a surveyor out,” one commissioner said. “You can claim your right with really very little … I think this has downstream and upstream effects.”
Commissioner Denise Flatley, from the Shiloh district, questioned how the new required lot sizes would affect people who want to subdivide land for agricultural purposes.
“If I wanted to do something agricultural, we’re now saying I can’t do that unless I can afford 10 acres,” she said. “I don’t want to prohibit people from agricultural uses. I need to know the full effect of this change.”
The commission decided to form a subcommittee to discuss all the ramifications of the proposed ordinance amendments.
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