Had the proposed ordinance been in effect and applied to that part of the county before the Colliers Hills subdivision was approved by the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, Charlie Potter would be expecting to compete for water with no more than seven new wells, not 26. Some worry that the new zoning ordinance will make the land still less affordable. That keeps the average person in Rockbridge County from ever being able to buy land. However, lots in cluster subdivisions generally cost more than lots sold individually by individual landowners, so the cost might not be the same as for isolated 2-acre lots under the current system. More profitable for the developer may well mean more costly for the resident trying to build a house.
Farmers also see some risk to their own stability in the limiting of their freedom to sell land.
The News-Gazette spoke to, as well as Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Jon Repair. But for most people to keep their land open, at some point in time there has to be an equitable payout. It would be a shame to see regulations step in and restrict the development potential of land beyond what's reasonable and not detrimental to the economic value. There may be some agreement, however, that something must be done. They better pick a happy medium and go.