Graphic courtesy of Botetourt Co.
By Matt de Simone
Last Tuesday, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a request by the Planning Commission to take action on amending the designations of two parcels of land in Daleville from “Medium Density” to “Conservation,” placing the property into a conservation easement.
The two adjacent land parcels total 73.24 acres bisected by a rail line and Tinker Creek. Both properties are split zoned – with portions on Catawba Road-side of the railroad (R-1) and on the Carvins Cove-side zoned A-1. The wooded property abuts Tinker Mountain. The property close to Catawba Road is fielded and also contains the home of the Lee family, who stated that 22 acres of the property is farmed for hay locally.
The property is screened from view at the road by dense vegetation and access is provided via a gravel drive on Catawba Road. The applicants asserted that there is a variety of wildlife found on the property. In addition to the wildlife and Tinker Creek, there a spring-fed pond. The middle portion of the property contains a 100-year floodplain.
The applicant requests the Comprehensive Plan Amendment to change the future land use designation from “Medium Density Residential” to “Conservation.” The applicant, William Calvin Lee, requested the amendment in order to place the property in a conservation easement with Blue Ridge Land Conservancy on their two properties, which is a state code requirement and it is the responsibility of the holder of the easement to ensure conformance.
Lee noted in his letter of intent dated March 21, 2024, that his family offers “this gift unto Botetourt County, to the State of Virginia, and to the benefit of the wildlife and woodland creatures who rely on our open land and natural water sources for the sanctuary and survival.”
According to the county, conservation easements are a private agreement between a landowner and an easement-holding organization. The organization holding the easement is responsible for ensuring that development of the property is done in accordance with the legal agreement.
State code requires conservation easements to be in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. A portion of the applicant’s property is within the “Medium Density” Future Land Use category, thus requiring a change to the future land use map to establish a conservation easement on the property.
A public water main and gravity sewer are located on the property, according to county records. An easement on the applicant’s property would prohibit nearly 75 acres from being developed as housing. County staff encouraged careful consideration of the impacts a conservation easement would have on the long-term development of the county.
