Amherst planners seek new members

By Justin Faulconer

Published: July 30, 2008

Amherst County officials are looking to fill two seats on the Planning Commission.

Members Bonnie Limbrick and Jim Fulcher have said they will step down when their terms expire in August.

To send an application, email or write to:
—County Administrator’s Office
—P.O. Box 390
—Amherst, Virginia 24521

“We need to have someone appointed by the first meeting in September,” said Jeremy Bryant, director of planning.

Limbrick serves as chair of the seven-member commission, which is appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

The two bodies hold joint public hearings each month on zoning and land use matters; The commission recommends, and the board adopts.

Planning commissioners are appointed from the county at large rather than by district, but Supervisor Ray Vandall recently suggested the expirations present a fitting time to align the other five seats by district. The county has five election districts, which supervisors represent.

Bryant said any new members would undergo training to get acquainted with issues facing the county. They should have a good understanding of ordinances in place and the county’s new comprehensive plan adopted last year, he said.

Revising the county’s zoning ordinance to align with the new plan is a strategy Bryant said the commission is set to undertake, along with looking at possible zoning changes.