Hanover amends zoning to treat contractor yards like vehicle‑and‑equipment storage; CUP required in some zones

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors on May 28 adopted a zoning ordinance amendment that consolidates contractors’ equipment storage yards with the county’s vehicle and equipment storage definition and changes where the use is permitted.

Under the amendment, “vehicle and equipment storage” explicitly includes boats, RVs, utility trailers and commercial equipment and now covers contractors’ equipment storage yards. The ordinance excludes several uses from that category — for example, accessory parking for a residential community, sales lots for RV dealers, and storage yards that are part of a contractor’s on‑site repair shop that stores one acre or less in direct association with the shop.

The amendment requires a conditional use permit for vehicle and equipment storage in the A‑1 agricultural and M‑1 districts, and for M‑2 and M‑3 properties that are not part of an existing approved industrial subdivision; the use remains permitted by right inside established industrial parks. Planning staff said the change reflects implementation experience after a 2023 ordinance that required CUPs in selected M‑2 areas and closes a regulatory gap by ensuring similar uses are regulated consistently across the county.

Planning Commission review produced no public comment and the commission recommended approval. The board voted to adopt the amendment; staff noted the ordinance will take effect immediately and that parcel‑level use and permit requirements will be enforced through the county’s standard permitting and CUP processes.