As Caroline County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff Black glanced at the slate of upcoming public hearings, he did a double take.
Black was alarmed that the county scheduled five public hearings for its Aug. 13 meeting.
County officials are considering an industrial park covering nearly 1,200 acres in the Carmel Church area, a holistic wellness retreat in Milford spanning 184 acres, the expansion of a wedding venue in Ruther Glen and two text amendments that would allow special use exceptions in the Planned Shopping Center District to permit automated carwashes.
Black said that is too much to consider in one meeting, so the board agreed to instruct staff to spread out the public hearings so that supervisors will have ample time to consider each one individually. The board did not decide when each public hearing will take place.
“I think that when we build the agenda for the upcoming meetings, we can make sure as staff, we do not have five public hearings at one meeting because that is completely unrealistic,” Black said.
The county’s planning commission considered each of those topics at its June 27 meeting. The commission voted to recommend approval to both text amendments and all but one of the developments.
It recommended denial of Oya New Earth’s proposed wellness retreat that bills itself as a “transformative retreat experience,” on Devils Three Jump Road. The proposal includes tiny homes, woodland cabins, “hobbit” houses, “glamping” tipis.
A representative from the company told the commission the company would generate more than $1 million in tax revenue over the next 10 years as it focuses on environmental stewardship with renewable energy, organic gardens and lavender fields.
Activities at the site would include yoga, hiking trails, ATV excursions and guided tours. There would also be educational workshops, arts and cultural events and youth development opportunities.
But Caroline’s commissioners were not sold. They said the company came forward previously with a plan that did not live up to its billing. They chided the company for scheduling events before the plan was approved by the county (Oya Earth’s representative blamed county residents for promoting events prematurely).
The supervisors can still approve the project at the conclusion of a public hearing.
The board will also hold a hearing on the approved special exception permit to allow The Barns at Mattaponi Springs, located on Penola Road, to expand the footprint of its special events facility from 6.2 acres to 24.5 acres, while also extending the hours of operation and increasing the number of attendees per event.
The planning commission recommended approval unanimously. It also voted unanimously to recommend approval of amending the comprehensive plan and designate future land use of 1,196 acres off Jericho Road, near The Carmel School and Oxford Mount Zion Baptist Church as office/industrial and permit Luck Stone Corporation to construct an industrial park. The area was previously zoned Rural Preservation, Low Density Residential, Commercial Office and Open Space/Greenways.
Luck Stone General Manager Jon Riley said the project could generate $28 million a year in tax revenue and more than $500 million at full build-out in the next 10 years.
Gary “Trey” Taylor, a deacon at Oxford Mount Zion, represented the church and spoke in favor of the project, stating that the growing congregation would benefit from the road improvements entering and exiting the area off U.S. Route 1.
In other business, the board of supervisors recognized the Value City Furniture distribution center on its 25th anniversary in the county, noting that it is a community partner that provides stable employment for Caroline residents. The board also recognized Jessie Rollins, who retired from Caroline County Public Schools, where she most recently served as the Family Engagement Coordinator at Madison Elementary.
The next planning commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday. The supervisors will meet next on Aug. 13.
