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Before taking a vote during Monday’s meeting, planning commission members just wanted to make sure everything was in order. The proposed building supply store is being planned for a piece of land in Dillwyn. However, the operator doesn’t own the land yet. 

“If we push this thing forward, does that present a problem?” planning commission member Pete Kapuscinski asked. 

Planning commission chairman John Bickford said no, that before getting a building permit, the land would have to be bought. 

The discussion is about a new home for Buckingham Building Supply. For the last several months, Daniel Fisher has operated the business out of Town’s Edge Hardware.  But as the business continues to grow, he’s looking to expand and move into his own space. Fisher said he helped Town’s Edge Hardware get started back in May of 2023.

By March of this year, he added Buckingham Building Supply, renting from the hardware company. But the business had been doing so well, he wanted to split it off. He told the board on Monday that he’s looking to buy four acres of property, located at 18340 E. James Anderson Highway. Currently, the plan is just to move dirt and build a 12,000 square foot building on one acre. But if the business needs to expand after that, the extra land would give him that ability. 

The property and surrounding area is zoned A-1 (Agriculture), which means a building supply store couldn’t just be assembled. It requires a county conditional use permit. Fisher pointed out that as his new operation gets going, it would benefit the county on an economic level, as it would give an opportunity for more jobs.

“He’s discussed this with me in detail,” said Ivan Price Davis Jr. He spoke before the planning commission on Monday, Oct. 28, representing his family business Whetstone Farm Davis Properties LLC. Fisher would be purchasing from them. 

“I think he’s got a good business plan and I think it’s something that would be good for the community and my family thinks it’s something that’s needed and would be an asset to everybody,” Davis said.  

What about the Dillwyn location?

As that property is right at James Anderson Highway, commission members didn’t have any concern about tractor trailers coming in. Fisher said at the commission’s September meeting that he expects roughly three to four a week, based on his current business. He also told the commission that he’s reached out to the Virginia Department of Transportation, to make sure he wouldn’t need to make any changes other than simply building an access road so that customers could get to the shop from the highway. 

To date, VDOT has had no concerns about the Dillwyn property. Neither did the commission, which unanimously agreed to send the project to county supervisors for a vote. That’ll take place during the supervisors’ meeting on Monday, Nov. 12.