Board tables ACP floodplain
Published 8:57 pm Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Members of the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors voted to table the request of floodplain variances for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) during its Jan. 14 meeting.
Rebecca Carter
County Administrator Rebecca Carter gave a report about the floodplain, saying that the committee established for the floodplain variance could not yet make a determination on the proposed variance.
Carter said the committee hopes to have a presentation and recommendation available at the board’s February meeting.
The ACP is seeking variance from the Buckingham County Floodplain Ordinance to construct in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) identified floodplains.
“ACP has identified 6 locations that include 2 miles of pipeline construction and 1.2 miles of access roads in floodplains of the James River, North River, Slate River, Willis River, and Little Willis River,” a past meeting board packet cited.
The pipeline would cross approximately 27 miles in Buckingham County.
The floodplain variance was initially tabled during the board’s December meeting. The committee was established after it was announced that County Planning and Zoning Administrator Rebecca Cobb had a potential conflict of interest.
When asked about the conflict in a past report, Carter said that Cobb notified the county attorney that her husband accepted a full-time job with the ACP Compressor Station on Nov. 28.
“The board decided that it is in the best interest of the county that Mrs. Cobb not work with any ACP projects,” Carter said.
“The board and planning commission has worked to remain transparent (with) all ACP issues and the board felt this could be perceived as a conflict of interest,” Carter said. “I have reviewed many of Mrs. Cobb’s ACP files and worked close with Mrs. Cobb on much of the ACP zoning issues. To my knowledge I do not know of any special exceptions being given to any ACP projects or applications.”
The committee, she said during the December meeting, includes herself, District Four Supervisor Morgan Dunnavant, District Two Supervisor Donnie Bryan, County Attorney E.M. Wright, County Finance Director Karl Carter and ACP representatives not yet determined.
