Commision says no to resident limit

By MELINA DOWNS
For the Stafford County Sun
Published: May 28, 2008

STAFFORD — Stafford County won’t be limiting the number of unrelated people living in a single-family residence or defining the term family anytime soon, if the planning commission has a say.

It voted to deny a recommendation to amend a zoning ordinance to limit the number of unrelated people living in a single-family home and define “family,” at a meeting May 21.

The Stafford County Planning Commission was tasked with recommending approval or denial of the amendment in response to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, which had received complaints of overcrowding from citizens through public presentations and letters to the editor published in local newspapers.

The proposed amendment would only allow three people not related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship to live in a single-family home.
“I think the effects of overcrowding are what we need to be looking at,” said commission Chairman Pete Fields. “The number of vehicles is a key impact.”

Rock Hill Commissioner Gordon Howard said, “We should look at occupancy and capacity; can that house handle that occupancy?”

Several other nearby communities have recently adopted similar ordinances, but Stafford does not currently have any type of ordinance in place or a definition for family.

“I think all of us would like to address the problems with overcrowding, but this is not the way to do it,” said Falmouth Commissioner Archer Di Peppe.

The board of supervisors was slated to consider amending the zoning ordinance to allow for only three people not related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship to live in a residential dwelling.

Melina Downs is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun.