The dispute over a Hathcock Lane property in Buckingham County (Virginia) has ended after the applicants withdrew their request for a special use permit.
Property Owners David Wimer and Phillip Sandridge informed County Administrator Karl Carter and the board of supervisors in writing that they would no longer pursue the matter.
The two had sought to use their 4.2-acre parcel along the James River as a family retreat with RVs and campers.
County officials, however, said the project required a campground permit under state and local regulations, a classification that sparked opposition from neighbors.
Wimer and Sandridge purchased the property in 1992 as a hunting site. After retiring, they began clearing the land in 2021 and placed four campers on the property. The campers are owned by Wimer, Sandridge, Wimer’s daughter, and his wife’s cousin.
At an April 28 planning commission hearing, they explained that they wanted to run septic lines to the campers. That request triggered review by the Virginia Department of Health, which determined that serving three or more campers with septic systems legally defines a property as a campground.
In a statement provided to The Herald, the Health Department said a campground is “any area on which three or more campsites are occupied or intended for occupancy, or facilities are established or maintained, wholly or in part, for the accommodation of camping units for periods of overnight or longer.”
The agency added that the definition applies regardless of whether the facility is private or public.
County staff told Wimer and Sandridge that because their plans met that definition, they needed to apply for a special use permit.
Buckingham’s zoning ordinance does not allow campgrounds as a by-right use, requiring applicants to go through the formal planning process.
That process involves securing state permits, meeting conditions imposed by the county, and addressing potential concerns raised by the Virginia Department of Transportation. For this reason, staff said, the men could not simply continue using the property without approval.