Board tables special-exception request for Old Stage Road impound lot, seeks clearer limits on storage and operations

Prince George County supervisors voted to table a special-exception request (SE260001) for a vehicle impound facility at 9300 Old Stage Road to the June 23 meeting and asked staff for several clarifications.

Planning staff explained the proposal is to permit temporary storage of towed vehicles behind an existing family auto repair business and noted the Planning Commission produced two successive 3–3 tie votes, resulting in no recommendation to the board.

Several public commenters raised concerns or questions about process and public notice. William Steele asked whether the county had properly posted signs notifying neighbors; planning staff replied that a sign had been posted and that adjacent property owners had been mailed letters. Neighbors also asked how “temporary” would be defined and whether containment protocols would prevent leaks or environmental impacts; staff said the zoning ordinance contains no explicit definition of “temporary” and that DEQ/EPA rules govern hazardous-containment requirements.

The applicant and an operations representative said most stored vehicles are short term (typically 3–4 days) and that police impounds would be the primary use under the county towing agreement. Board members pressed staff for specificity on the screening/fence height, a numeric cap on how many vehicles may be stored, the lot dimensions, hours of operation and the particular state code sections governing impound time limits.

A motion to table the special exception until June 23 carried; the motion listed items staff should clarify in advance: the impound fence height, the legal basis or definition of ‘temporary,’ a recommended hard cap of vehicles, dimensions of the impound compound, hours of operation (with Major Nicholas’s recommended availability noted), and a list of currently permitted B‑1 uses.