CUMBERLAND — “March’s board meeting will be just public hearings,” County Administrator and Attorney Vivian Giles said with a chuckle when reviewing the board’s docket with planning commissioners last week.

With six hearings scheduled, supervisors have opened themselves up to an earful during their March 10 meeting. They are set to vote on three conditional use permits (CUP) and three code amendments after hearing from the public. If not all of the meeting, the hearings will certainly make up a good portion.

The hearings are scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Cumberland County Circuit Courtroom A. Keep reading for a breakdown.

CUP: High Bridge Cabins

Wilmer Mast has requested a conditional use permit to place 10 rental cabins on his property, which is adjacent to High Bridge Trail State Park and accessible from River Road. (See the February 6 edition of The Herald for more details.) During a public hearing held by the planning commission on February 23, the commission altered the permit to require a 50-foot wooded buffer along the trail, upon the request of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. They also added that the property owner must collaborate with the state park in regard to trails that abut High Bridge Trail.

The planning commission unanimously recommended the permit.

Code Amendment: Rental Cabins

The amendment would allow rental cabins in Agricultural-2 district as a conditional use, requiring supervisor approval. Rental cabins had not previously been included in the County’s zoning ordinance. The planning commission unanimously supported the amendment during their February 23 meeting.

CUP: Cobbs Creek Reservoir Tower

The tower would allow communications from Cobbs Creek Reservoir to Henrico County. The planning commission recommended the permit request during their February 23 meeting. The tower will provide a means for officials in Henrico to communicate with the pump station and other equipment at the reservoir site. It will also include space for Cumberland to use, if desired, for emergency services’ transmissions, as well as other carriers.

Amend Building Fee Language

“In practice and in the International Building Code, a tower requires a commercial permit which has a minimum fee associated with it,” wrote Planning Director Sara Carter in a memo to the board. “The current layout on the fee schedule makes this hard to understand.”

In the current fee schedule, the tower fee is listed as “$7 per $1,000 of contract value.” The new language states: “$100 minimum or $7 per $1,000 of contract value (whichever is greater).”

Utilities Ordinance Amendment

Requested by utility staff, the amendment would clarify the standards to be used when constructing on the water and sewer system. “The County has a manual that lists the specifications and methods for utilities improvements within the County,” wrote Carter in a memo to the board. “The department would like these to be adopted by reference into the Utilities Ordinance to ensure compliance with County standards.”

The following language would be added to the code:

“Unless otherwise specified by the Director of Utilities, all construction on the public water and wastewater system shall follow the standards in the most recently approved ‘Cumberland County Department of Public Works Water And Sanitary Sewer Standards’ manual.”

CUP: Bonbrook Road

After her land was resurveyed, a property owner on Bonbrook Creek Road found that she actually only owned 0.95 acres, instead of one full acre, the amount required by County Code to build a residence. The conditional use permit, which was unanimously recommended by the planning commission, would correct lot deficiencies, so she could build a home on the property.