Amendment, leases on agenda

Published 10:58 am Monday, December 24, 2018

Cumberland County Board of Supervisors’ January meeting is set to start the year with a number of public hearings, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. at the Cumberland County Courthouse.

The public hearings concern amending its solid waste management plan to include the Green Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility, and to consider the lease renewals of two county properties.

According to a public notice from the county, the amendment includes removing the proposed Cumberland County Development Company, LLC solid waste management facility from the plan and adding in its place Green Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility, LLC.

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The amendment would be made to the Amended Prince Edward County & Cumberland County Solid Waste Management Plan dated March 6, 2007, according to the notice. This is the county’s current solid waste management plan. The plan was approved with the cooperation of Cumberland and Prince Edward counties.

Prince Edward County Administrator Wade Bartlett, when asked whether Prince Edward would need to be involved with this solid waste management plan amendment, cited the Virginia Administrative Code.

He cited Code 9VAC20- 130-130, which states, “When the solid waste planning unit represents multiple government units, the unit submitting a major plan amendment(s) needs to conduct the above public participation requirements only in the county or locality involved in the major amendment.” This would mean that Cumberland County, because it is the county submitting the amendment, is the only county required to hold a public hearing.

Bartlett said it’s possible that Prince Edward may vote on the amendment by Cumberland at its own board of supervisors meeting if Cumberland votes to approve the amendment. But Bartlett said that it would not require a public hearing in Prince Edward.

Bartlett said that whatever the decision made concerning the Cumberland landfill, it would in no way alter Prince Edward County’s solid waste management operations. Prince Edward currently operates a landfill at 130 Trashmore Road.

The rezoning request and the conditional use permit for Green Ridge were both approved by the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors in June.

The landfill, owned by County Waste of Virginia, is expected to span 1,143 acres and be located off Route 60, at the Cumberland County and Powhatan County border.

The decision has created opposition of the landfill. Cumberland residents and residents in surrounding counties have created organizations spreading awareness of the landfill and efforts to stop its progress.

The Cumberland Board of Supervisors will also hold public hearings to consider the lease renewals of the Randolph Volunteer Fire Department at 2145 Cumberland Road and the Cumberland Community Cares Food Bank at 1550 Anderson Highway.

Deputy Clerk to the Board and (Freedom of Information Act) FOIA Officer Stephany Johnson provided the deed of leases for both the fire department and food bank. Both properties list Cumberland County as grantor, or landlord. Cumberland County Cares Food Bank and the Randolph Volunteer Fire Department are listed as the tenants.

The lease for the fire department, dated Feb. 1, 2009, concerns the 6,060 square feet of space located at 2145 Cumberland Road. The lease includes the building’s bunkhouse and office space for exclusive use, and the non-exclusive use of the building’s bays, meeting rooms, kitchen, restroom and parking area.

The fire department pays $1 of rent each year.

The food bank’s lease, dated Dec. 1, 2017, is not connected with the Virginia Tech Extension Office, which is technically located at 1548 Anderson Highway.

According to the lease, the tenant does not pay rent on the food bank facility.