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Change to a county ordinance

Zoning ordinance change: § 148-150 (Piers)

  1. Planning Commission hearing (county’s record, Oct 16, p. 1)Oct 16

  2. Board hearing (county’s record, Feb 12, p. 24)Feb 12

  3. Board decides (county’s record, Feb 12, p. 22)Denied, 3-2 · Feb 12

A step the records show opens the record itself.

About the Board of Supervisors

In plain words

The county considered changes to its zoning ordinance (Chapter 148 of the Northumberland County Code) that would allow shelter roofs on private non-commercial piers.1,2 The draft said "Shelter Roofs shall not exceed 400 sq. feet, and 20 feet in height", and it added shelter roofs to the Table of Usages.2 The Planning Commission held a public hearing on October 16, 2025 and unanimously voted to recommend the revision be adopted.3 The Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to table a decision until January 8, 2026, then voted 5-0 again to table it to February 12, 2026.4,5 On February 12, 2026, the Board voted 3-2 to deny the draft revisions as presented.6,5 The Board also voted 5-0 to revisit § 148-150 in one year to see of controls can be put in place by both the State and the County.7

Summarized from the county’s records, October 23.

Where each sentence comes from
  1. “Chapter 148 of the Northumberland County Code is titled "Zoning"”Northumberland County Code · table of contents, read Oct 12, 2026
  2. “removing the prohibition of shelter roofs on private non-commercial piers” … ““Shelter Roofs shall not exceed 400 sq. feet, and 20 feet in height”” … “revise the Table of Usages, to add “Shelter Roofs””The matter as the records title it
  3. “the Planning Commission held a public hearing on October 16, 2025 and they unanimously voted to recommend the revision to be adopted”Revisions to the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance, § 148-150, Piers, B. re · full text
  4. “Motion to table a decision until next month's regular meeting on January 8, 2026”Dec 11, 2025 · Board of Supervisors · Motion carried, 5-0
  5. “Motion to table a decision to next month's regular meeting on February 12, 2026” … “regular meeting on February 12, 2026”Jan 8, 2026 · Board of Supervisors · Motion carried, 5-0
  6. “Motion to deny the draft revisions to the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance as presented”Feb 12, 2026 · Board of Supervisors · Motion carried, 3-2
  7. “Motion to revisit the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance, § 148-150 in one year to see of controls can be put in place by both the State and the County.”Feb 12, 2026 · 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 records have changed since this was written.

The official wording

Revisions to the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance, § 148-150, Piers, B. removing the prohibition of shelter roofs on private non-commercial piers, § 148-151, Boathouses to add Shelter Roofs in the title, add to… Show all

Revisions to the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance, § 148-150, Piers, B. removing the prohibition of shelter roofs on private non-commercial piers, § 148-151, Boathouses to add Shelter Roofs in the title, add to A., (1) “Shelter Roofs shall not exceed 400 sq. feet, and 20 feet in height”, add to (2), (7), and (8) “and shelter roof”. In addition, revise the Table of Usages, to add “Shelter Roofs”, as a by-right use on private non-commercial piers in all zoning districts except R-1 (Residential General) (not allowed), and as a conditional use in R-4 (Residential Recreational), and add “Shelter Roofs (with objections)” as a conditional use on private non-commercial piers in all zoning districts except R-1 (not allowed).

Zoning districts here

  • R-1 · Residential GeneralWhat the ordinance says it’s for
    “The purpose of this district is to promote and encourage a suitable environment for family life compatible with a low intensity of land use. This district is composed of low to medium concentrations of residential uses, plus certain open areas where similar development appears likely to occur. Certain commercial, public, semipublic, and institutional uses of a character that complements residential communities are permitted and encouraged insofar as they are integral to the local (or immediate) community. Cluster development and conservation design principles are encouraged.”
    Zoning Ordinance § 148-33
  • R-4 · Residential RecreationalWhat the ordinance says it’s for
    “The purpose of this district is to allow for a wide range of open space, parks, and/or other leisure-time recreational activities and their related uses in a medium-density residential development.”
    Zoning Ordinance § 148-69

What’s happened

  1. Thu12Feb

    Board of Supervisors · 2 votes

    DeniedRevisions to the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance, § 148-150, Piers, B.

    Motion to deny the draft revisions to the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance as presented. This motion is made in due consideration of the administrative record before the body,… Show all

    Moved by Fisher, seconded by Long · No: Brann and Williams

    Minutes, Feb 12, p. 22Open it in the meeting →

    CarriedRevisions to the Northumberland

    Motion to revisit the Northumberland County Zoning Ordinance, § 148-150 in one year to see of controls can be put in place by both the State and the County.

    Moved by Fisher, seconded by Long

    Minutes, Feb 12, p. 24Open it in the meeting →

  2. Thu8Jan

    Board of Supervisors · a vote

    TabledTABLED FROM THE REGULAR MEETING ON DECEMBER

    Motion to table a decision to next month's regular meeting on February 12, 2026.

    Moved by Long, seconded by Fisher

    Minutes, Jan 8, p. 21Open it in the meeting →

  3. Thu11Dec

    Board of Supervisors · a vote

    TabledThe Board’s vote

    Motion to table a decision until next month's regular meeting on January 8, 2026.

    Moved by Fisher, seconded by Long

    Minutes, Dec 11, p. 21Open it in the meeting →

  4. Thu16Oct

    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 the zoning ordinance is changed

The Board of Supervisors can't amend the zoning ordinance without first referring the change to the Planning Commission for its recommendation. If the Commission doesn't report within 100 days of its first meeting after the referral (or a shorter period the Board sets), that counts as approval.

The Planning Commission and the Board each hold an advertised public hearing. The Board makes the final decision.

The law: Va. Code § 15.2-2285 (Adoption of zoning ordinances and amendments); Va. Code § 15.2-2204 (Advertising public hearings). This describes the general process, not this decision.