Comments on: County Supervisors Get Earful on Zoning Ordinance

By: Craig Richardson

Craig Richardson — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 07:22:09 +0000

The Board of Supervisors needs to eliminate the Agricultural and Forestal Districts program immediately! For a county that is so much in debt, and struggling to find any type of way to get revenue, is it really good business to continue a program that costs the county tax dollars? The people that are putting their land in this program are doing it ONLY to get out of paying the taxes — period! I would argue that the majority of the land in the program already couldn’t even be used for anything. Plus, who would buy marshland anyway? You can’t build on it. And look at the two or three half-finished housing developments in the county now — what an eyesore! Eliminate the Agricultural and Forestal Districts, and remove the seaside from the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act!

By: Ron Harlow

Ron Harlow — Thu, 15 May 2014 23:42:59 +0000

I have a lot of tough questions for the folks and elected officials in our wonderful county.

First, how do you fund all the needs we have? You can’t! Not enough tax base. Bringing and creating new businesses here should be the top priority! More businesses means more jobs, more taxes, and more money for the county.

Second, job training through our schools, mentor programs, internships, and volunteering means more prosperity for our people. We must help our young people and anyone who wants to better themselves.

Tourism should be high on the list, which will also bring in more jobs and more tax dollars. I have heard stories and rumors about people wanting to start a business and can’t because of building codes, zoning codes, fees, etc. Let’s stop wasting time and money in this county and get together and solve the problems.

I propose weekly town hall meetings so people can voice their opinions, but more importantly, get together to solve and provide solutions. I want to protect the shore as much as anybody, but I also want to see prosperity for all of us here.

I challenge each citizen of Northampton County to come up with solutions to problems that will be acceptable to all of us and our economic prosperity.

I may not know all the good things going on in the county, but obviously, it’s only working in a small sector. How do we fix it?

By: Colin Cowling

Colin Cowling — Thu, 15 May 2014 14:47:08 +0000

It should be noted that of the BOS who voted in the current zoning only one remains, Larry Trala, and he was the lone vote against it. So where do you think the majority of the voters in Northampton stand on zoning?

By: David Kabler

David Kabler — Thu, 15 May 2014 12:57:44 +0000

It’s tough times like this that require bold action, and thank God we live in a country where we can combat those forces that threaten our freedoms and rights. Mr. Hogg said he would support demands for withdrawal of the ordinance, gave it a try, and now vacillates on his commitment. He is one supervisor who is listening to the people and needs more than ever our support to give him the strength and standing to firmly resist his colleagues stalwart, but misguided, defense of this outrageous zoning proposal. Underneath all is the land, and our land use codes are the only rules we have to protect and conserve it for future generations. Once you build it, the mark on the land is done and it’s left to our children to deal with, good or bad. It should not be a simple matter to pave and build and sprawl, it should be regulated and well planned to reduce its impact on the natural resources we depend on for life.

By: Pamela Parris

Pamela Parris — Thu, 15 May 2014 11:43:52 +0000

The economic problems Northampton County is having should start by comparing state-wide comps based on population. I know for a fact, that the salaries paid are close to equal for employees in Virginia Beach. We are talking a population of 12,226 versus 447,021, or more importantly giving versus earning. There is no way Northampton County employees have the workload that Virginia Beach employees have. The salaries need to be scaled back to meet the population! As the population grows, so then should the salaries as the pay is earned.

The BOS should be working towards finding investors to back the building of a hospital. No one is going to live in an area in which the closest hospital is almost an hour’s drive away. Retirees look for that incentive, as well as families. Emergency Care centers may be a more economical route until the population growth can support the building of a hospital.

A strong school system is another major plus for appealing to families. When I was attending the county schools, we had great schools in the ’70’s & early ’80’s. What in world has happened to Northampton County?

Taking away people’s businesses, restricting land and shoreline use, increasing taxes, ignoring the school system and any other “punishment” placed on the backs of the residents is NOT the way to grow or better a place to live. The first place to start is to decrease the county salaries!

Obviously, the BOS cannot see the forest for the trees, or the $$$ in their pockets!

By: Roger L. Munz

Roger L. Munz — Thu, 15 May 2014 10:07:41 +0000

There is clear opposition to this zoning change — what i don’t get is why the flip-flop position. For years the county did everything to prevent business and further land development. Now they are so committed to the idea, they will scrap the underpinnings that have been enacted over the years. This should not be done, and is not necessary. There is another zoning tool that could easily be implemented — A BUSINESS OVERLAY DISTRICT — that could allow a more lenient control of proposed new business development in certain areas as designated by the overlay map. This would then allow the existing zoning to remain intact, and still promote additional development in the county.

Please don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. If the Board of Supervisors continues this reckless pursuit to destroy the current zoning ordnance in such a haphazard way, then I believe they have something else in mind they are not disclosing. This does not appear to be good government.