Jefferson County Planning Commission to Consider Subdivision Rule Waivers and Variances

The Jefferson County Planning Commission is scheduled to convene on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 7:00 PM to address several public hearings concerning requests for waivers and variances from the county’s subdivision regulations. These discussions will impact potential development projects across various parcels in the county, potentially altering access points, lot divisions, and infrastructure requirements. Residents are invited to participate in person, with the meeting broadcast live via Zoom for viewing purposes.

The commission will first consider a public hearing on a waiver request from Section 21.102C of the Subdivision Regulations. This request, filed by Sunnyside Investment LLC, seeks to allow a subdivision of 32 lots from a 53-acre property located at the corner of Wheatland Road and Kanawha Lane in Charles Town. The primary concern is the proposal to use a single access point for all 32 lots, a deviation from the standard regulation. The property, identified by Parcel IDs 06001200120000; 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.8, 12.9, 12.10, and 12.11, is zoned Residential-Light Industrial-Commercial.

Another public hearing will focus on a waiver request from Sections 20.201A and 20.201C of the Subdivision Regulations. BDH Holding, represented by Lawrence & Alana Flynn, is seeking permission for a 30-foot access easement to their 3.102-acre property at 4893 Charles Town Road in Kearneysville. The request also pertains to allowing more than five lots to utilize an existing access easement, including the future subdivision of one lot. This property is zoned Rural.

The commission will also hold a public hearing on a variance request from Sections 8.1b and 8.1c of the 1979 Subdivision Ordinance. Leslie and George Crabill, III, are requesting to eliminate a required culvert for their 0.203-acre property at 50 Mole Court in Shepherdstown. This variance, if granted, would allow the property to be processed without a Redline Revision or Final Plat Amendment, potentially streamlining development. The property is zoned Residential-Light Industrial-Commercial.

Further public hearings will address requests from River and Trail Outfitters, Inc. John Gonano, representing the company, has submitted two separate requests. The first involves a waiver from Section 20.203.B.1 of the Subdivision Regulations for a proposed 2,400 square foot carport/pavilion structure on a 2.41-acre property at 90 Millville Road in Harpers Ferry. This request seeks to utilize the No Site Plan or Stormwater Management Plan process instead of the Limited Site Plan process. The property is zoned Rural. The second request from River and Trail Outfitters, Inc., on behalf of property owners Pamela Wagoner and Shannon Lepsic, is for a waiver from Section 8.1B of the Subdivision Regulations. This waiver would exempt the requirement of a site plan for a four-unit campground on a 1.92-acre property located at 199 Bloomery Road in Charles Town. This property is also zoned Rural.

In addition to the public hearings, the commission’s agenda includes the approval of minutes from the January 13, 2026 meeting. There will also be a discussion and possible action regarding a Zoning Determination Notice, reports from legal counsel, and a planner’s memo, which will include an update on text amendments for Historic Resources, Rural Residential, Residential Commercial, and Office Commercial zoning. The President’s Report will feature an update from Commissioner Howell on the Jefferson County Development Authority’s February meeting. The meeting will conclude with a review of actionable and nonactionable correspondence. Public participation in the meeting is permitted only in person at the County Commission Meeting Room, located in the main level of the Jefferson County Government Complex at 393 North Lawrence Street, Charles Town, WV.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Jefferson County Planning Commission

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