Board removes 'temporary' condition from campground special-exception permit

The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors voted Nov. 25 to remove the word "temporary" from the conditions on a special-exception permit for a campground operated by Wesley Hodges, effectively allowing the campground to continue on a long-term basis under the current conditions.

McCoy, planning staff, told the joint public hearing that Hodges had previously been granted a temporary special-exception permit tied to either construction of a bed-and-breakfast or to an October 31, 2025 cutoff. McCoy said the applicant asked that the temporary designation be stricken so he could operate the campground permanently. "He's had some great success filling the ... camps there," McCoy said, explaining the change would supplement Hodges' fly-fishing business.

The Planning Commission had recommended unanimous approval. The board opened and closed the public hearing with no in-person public speakers on the matter and then moved and voted to approve the change. The motion passed.

No conditions beyond those already in the permit were removed, and no member of the public provided testimony opposing the change during the hearing. The county record shows the Planning Commission and board reviewed the site and associated conditions prior to the vote.

The board did not provide a detailed vote tally in the hearing transcript; the measure was announced as passed by the chair. Staff and the applicant may provide the record of the final ordinance language and permit conditions in the county files.