Questions for the Planning Commission

(The following is from Karen B. Maute, a well-known local environmentalist and SCC affiliate)

Existing Land Use is R-1
Proposed Land Use by Southside Cattle Company, LC
According to the Application for Special Use Permit, the applicant is asking that 3 acres of an 8.17 R-1 (Residential ) be granted a SUP for a proposed land use of:
1. Portable buildings for office, equipment and material storage.
2. Accessory use to #1 such as wells for water and septic field for sewer.
3. Storage yard for drilling, construction and related equipment.
No concept plan, no site development plan was offered.
#1
Portable buildings- Define a "portable building." How many portable buildings for offices, for equipment, for material storage?
office-Sec. 35-40-A room or building in which a person transacts his business or carries on his stated occupation.
Professional offices- The office of a person engaged in any occupation, vocation or calling, not purely commercial,, mechanical or agricultural, in which a knowledge or skill in some science or area of learning is used in its practical application to the affairs of others, either advising or guiding them in serving their interests or welfare through the practice of an act founded thereon.
equipment- what kinds of equipment, for what purpose will they be used?
material storage -what types of material will be stored and how will it be stored?
#2
Accessory use (to # 1)
Accessory Use Sec. 35-40 -A use incidental to, and customarily associated with, the principal use of the lot
Use, Accessory- A subordinate use, customarily incidental to and located upon the same lot occupied by the main use. Examples of accessory uses are private garages, storage sheds, playhouses and swimming pools.
(Such as) wells for water- This is not an accessory use according to definitions in zoning ordinance. How many wells, locations, amount of water to be drawn from wells?
septic field (for sewer) This is not considered an accessory use according to the zoning Ordinance.
On-site Sewerage System requires Health Department approval. Is the cattle company requesting an individual on-site sewerage system or mass drainfield on-site sewerage?
If permitting of such systems is determined by the Health Dept. why would the cattle company ask you to grant well and septic as accessory use (which it isn't anyway)?
#3
Storage yard (for)
drilling- What does that mean? Drilling for water for cows? What will be stored and how will it be stored? In the open, in a portable building, in a permanent structure?
construction- What types of construction equipment? What will be constructed? Perhaps the permanent structures to house the drilling equipment?
related equipment- what does this mean? Related to what?
More information is required to determine if a Special Use Permit is appropriate for this case. Even if we didn't know that Southside Cattle Co, (Virginia Uranium,) is in the process of exploratory drilling and are lobbying legislators to further their goal of mining Uranium just 6 miles from where we meet tonight, the information supplied by this company falls far short of what is needed to consider the granting of a SUP.
Southside Cattle Company is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. The cattle company is trying to fit a residential SUP square peg into a Heavy Industry (M-2) rezoning hole. A special use permit, especially as vague as this request, on residentially zoned land is a poor fit. They are requesting M-2 uses disguised as a Special Use Permit..
In fact, their current on site activity should be halted by out Board of Supervisors. 1) How can they conduct any type of business or U drilling activity on this property without a certificate of Zoning Compliance? 2) How is it that they are allowed to violate Sec. 35-140 Solid Waste Disposal? Mr. Sleeper advised me that a legal opinion regarding compliance VUI's on-site waste management activities has been requested. Your recommendation tonight should take into account VUI's waste practices and the requirements of Pittsylvania County's Waste ordinance as outlined in the County's Zoning Ordinance. Yes, the state granted a Uranium Exploratory permit to VUI. I am not aware that this permit exempts VUI from complying with our local ordinances. If that were the case, we would not be here tonight.
Southside Cattle Company, VUI, whatever they wish to be called is dangerous. Their threat is not limited to human health and the environment.
*Promises of safe mining and milling yet no science presented to verify the claim,
*Promises of a proposed tax revenue from mining and milling to fill local county coffers.
*Promises of using part of that tax revenue for school debt, roads, environmental and conservation,
*Offering to pay for the General Assembly's study regarding U-mining and Milling safety;
Is Mr. Coles running for public office or simply replacing our system of elected and appointed officials?
It has been hinted that if citizens of Pittslvania County oppose VUI's U mining that the Commonwealth of VA, even the federal government, can exercise their powers to deprive us of the use of our local laws. BRING 'UM ON! I'd rather them try to force us than be sold out by our local elected and appointed officials.
Deny this special use permit.

Karen B. Maute