COURTLAND
The Southampton County Board of Supervisors gave its approval on five issues that came up in public hearings on Monday.

The first was a conditional use permit application from Virginia Electric and Power Company to build a 190-foot self-supporting lattice tower at the Boykins Substation on 31017 Meherrin Road. According to Ben Saunders, a representative of Dominion Energy Virginia, said the company wants to create a network for other substations in the county and over in Holland to communicate with one another wirelessly in order to monitor those sites. As he told the Planning Commission in July, that in turn can help “increase reliability and basically helps us to manage the electrical systems.”

There would be no commercial use by carriers for cell phones.

The microwave towers are self-supporting and have no guy wires. Were they to be damaged by a storm, for example, they would collapse in on themselves rather than falling over like trees. A light would be attached to alert any aircraft.

This had been previously recommended by the commissioners, and the supervisors also said OK.

The second hearing was to consider an ordinance vacating a portion of a plat in Sedley. The ordinance vacates four 16’ x 48’ section(s) of alley situated between lots 3 through 6 and lots 9 through 12, Block 66.

Planning Commission had also gave its recommendation for approval, and the Board followed suit.

The third hearing was requested by Robert Clarke of R.M. Clarke Farm Ivor LLC, for a zoning map amendment from A-1, Agricultural, to CRR, Conditional Rural Residential for a five-acre portion of land on which to build a single family detached residence.

The property is on the west side of Wakefield Road about 5,200 feet north of its intersection with Urquhart Quarter Road in The Berlin-Ivor District.

As before, commissioners had previously recommended approval and the Board agreed.

The fourth hearing was for the application by Lloyd A. Applewhite Jr., Gregory A. Applewhite and Lloyd Applewhite Irrevocable Trust to participate in a Voluntary Agricultural and Forestal District.

The 214.35 acres property is on the south side of Indian Woods Trail about 5,930 feet west of its intersection with Indian Town Road in the Capron District.

This is the first application for the new land conservation plan, which has been 12 years in the making. The agreement is valid for 10 years.

The supervisors also upheld the commissioners’ recommendation on this application.

The fifth hearing was an ordinance amendment to Chapter 13 of the county code as it relates to eligibility criteria and the exemption percentage schedule for the solid waste management fee. The proposal broadens the eligibility criteria to include households with a total combined household income from all sources of less than $40,300.99 and a net combined financial worth for all household residents of less than $168,501. The exemption percentage schedule ranges from 0 percent to 100 percent based upon household income.

Again the Board gave its approval.