Skip to content
County Voice

Property request · conditional use permit

John D. Runkle: allow a commercial kennel (3150 Northumberland Highway)

  1. Planning Commission hearing (county’s record, Nov 20, p. 1)Nov 20

  2. Board hearing (county’s record, Dec 11, p. 20)Dec 11

  3. Board decides (county’s record, Dec 11, p. 20)Approved, 5-0 · Dec 11

A step the records show opens the record itself.

About the Board of Supervisors

In plain words

John D. Runkle, owner, asked for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a commercial kennel on property zoned A-1 (Agricultural), Agriculture.1 The property is Tax Map Parcel # 15-(1)100-A at 3150 Northumberland Highway.1 The request was on the Planning Commission agenda on November 20, 2025, and on the Board of Supervisors agenda on December 11, 2025.2,3 At the Board's public hearing, Mr. Runkle described the kennel and no comments were made.4 Zoning Administrator Philip Marston read suggested conditions, including a limit of ten (10) boarding pens and a permit that is non-transferable.4 On December 11, 2025, the Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the permit with the suggested conditions.5

Summarized from the county’s records, September 30.

Where each sentence comes from
  1. “Request by John D. Runkle, owner, for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a commercial kennel on property zoned A-1, Agriculture.” … “The property is shown as Tax Map Parcel # 15-(1)100-A and is located at 3150 Northumberland Highway.”The matter as the records title it
  2. “Request by John D. Runkle, owner, for a Conditional Use Permit”Nov 20, 2025 · Planning Commission · On the agenda
  3. “Request by John D. Runkle, owner, for a Conditional Use Permit”Dec 11, 2025 · Board of Supervisors · On the agenda
  4. “Mr. Runkle shared his commercial dog kennel to the Board. Public Hearing Open. No comments were made.” … “Zoning Administrator Philip Marston read the suggested conditions if approved” … “shall be limited to ten (10) boarding pens as described in the application” … “This permit shall be non-transferable.”Request by John D. Runkle, owner, for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a commer · full text
  5. “Motion to approve the Conditional Use Permit to allow a commercial kennel on property zoned A-1, Agriculture with the suggested conditions.” … “Vote 5-0: yes, James M. Long, Richard F. Haynie, James W. Brann, Chip Williams, AC Fisher, Jr.; no, none.”Dec 11, 2025 · Board of Supervisors · Motion carried, 5-0

Written automatically from the county’s records. Each sentence has to quote the record it comes from, word for word, or it’s left out. The records have the final say.

The official wording

Request by John D. Runkle, owner, for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a commercial kennel on property zoned A-1, Agriculture. The property is shown as Tax Map Parcel # 15-(1)100-A and is located at 3150 Northumberland Highway.

Zoning districts here

  • A-1 · AgriculturalWhat the ordinance says it’s for
    “This district covers the portions of the County which are occupied by various open uses, including farms, orchards, vineyards, forests, and parks. This district is established for the specific purpose of facilitating existing and future farming and forestry operations, conserving water and other natural resources, reducing soil erosion, protecting watersheds and reducing hazards from flood and fire. To ensure the success of the above goals, it is necessary to maintain as low a density of residential development as is reasonable. The character of this district should remain agricultural in nature, with residential, industry or small commercial business permitted only when it will benefit the immediate area without degrading the environment.”
    Zoning Ordinance § 148-19

Words the law defines

  • Conditional use permit

    Virginia law calls this a special exception, or special use permit:

    “‘Special exception’ means a special use that is a use not permitted in a particular district except by a special use permit granted under the provisions of this chapter and any zoning ordinances adopted herewith.”

    Code of Virginia § 15.2-2201, Chapter 22. Planning, Subdivision of Land and Zoning

What’s happened

  1. Thu11Dec

    Board of Supervisors · a vote

    ApprovedThe Board’s vote

    Motion to approve the Conditional Use Permit to allow a commercial kennel on property zoned A-1, Agriculture with the suggested conditions. This motion is made in due consideration of the… Show all

    Moved by Haynie, seconded by Brann

    Minutes, Dec 11, p. 20Open it in the meeting →

  2. Thu20Nov

    Planning Commission

Meeting by meeting, newest first, in the records’ own words. Each vote names the minutes it’s written in.

The records

Gathered from Northumberland County’s agendas, minutes and notices. Checked October 26.

Something wrong here?

If you know something on this page is wrong, say so. A person at County Voice reads each one. One that checks out is corrected here, with the date. The county’s and the state’s own records aren’t changed.

Never shown on the site, and not used for anything else.

Disagreeing with a decision isn’t a correction. To be heard on one, see what’s coming up.

How a conditional use permit is decided

Some uses of land are allowed in a zoning district only with the Board of Supervisors' permission. An owner asks for that permission with a conditional use permit.

In Northumberland, the Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the request and makes a recommendation, then the Board of Supervisors holds its own public hearing and decides, often with conditions. Each hearing must be advertised in advance.

The law: Va. Code § 15.2-2286 (What a zoning ordinance may provide, including special exceptions and conditional uses); Va. Code § 15.2-2204 (Advertising public hearings). This describes the general process, not this decision.