Committee approves withdrawal of 127-acre parcel from Accomack County AFD to allow dwelling

The Forestville District Committee voted to approve a request to withdraw a roughly 127‑acre parcel (tax map 108‑A‑12) from the Craddockville Agriculture and Forestal District so the owner can perform a lot‑line adjustment and place a single dwelling.

Staff introduced the case on behalf of the owner, C. Arthur Rudder. "This is removal from a district," the staff member said while explaining the county process: the committee’s decision is the first step, followed by review by the planning commission and ultimately the board of supervisors. Staff told the committee the withdrawal was sought because current lot lines would not meet setback requirements for the proposed home.

The staff member told the committee that removing the parcel "would not change the applicant's ability to receive land use taxation," noting the parcel is large enough to meet land‑use tax qualifications even if removed from the district. Committee members asked questions about whether the acreage had been farmed recently and about access.

One committee member expressed concern about local roads, saying the route from U.S. 13 to the property includes "parts of those roads [that] are just absolutely awful...No shoulders," and warned that poor roads could limit the county’s ability to handle increased traffic from subdivisions. Another member said they had no objection to a single additional dwelling but would oppose large subdivisions because of road conditions.

A motion to approve the withdrawal was moved and seconded by committee members and carried by voice vote. The staff member said they would notify the planning commission and proceed with the next steps in the county review process.

The committee did not schedule any cases for April; staff said the next meeting would be called when cases are available, likely in May.