Dog ordinance approved
By Heather Michon
Correspondent
For the better part of a decade, Fluvanna County fire and rescue officials have pursued the goal of constructing a live fire training structure – a burn building – to give firefighters a safe, controlled space to hone their skills.
However, as time has passed and prices have risen, the project’s budget has also spiraled.
Over time, the original plan for a brick structure was replaced for what was then seen as a more cost-effective and adaptable plan to use shipping containers that can be reconfigured for different training scenarios.
How much funding they want to commit to the next phase of the fire training building was on the agenda at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday (Sept. 17).
The lowest bid the county received for the critical site work required for the facility’s installation came in last month at around $584,000, more than double the original budget.
County Administrator Eric Dahl also shared updated figures on the total costs of a four- or five-container system. Even with a $450,000 grant from the state, he estimated that the county will have to use between $493,000 and $613,000 in unassigned funds.
Fire and rescue officials made their arguments for the five-container system, which will allow them to practice high-angle rescues.
Supervisors approved a five-container plan and agreed to shift $615,000 from their unassigned funds to take the next step in the project.
Dogs running at large
Supervisors approved new ordinances regarding penalties for dogs running at large back in early 2024.
Prompted by judges at the Fluvanna County General District Court asking for clarity on penalties, County Attorney Dan Whitten presented supervisors with a tiered fine structure for repeat offenders.
Under the proposed changes, owners would face fine of $100 for the first offence, $200 for the second offence, and $500 for the third and any subsequent violations.
Animal control officers retain discretion to issue warnings, and exemptions remain in place for hunting dogs.
Supervisors agreed that the update gives officers stronger tools to deal with repeat offenders—like nuisance dogs repeatedly escaping into neighbors’ yards—while leaving flexibility for first-time mistakes.
The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0.
Data centers
Earlier this month, the Planning Commission held a work session to discuss strategies to control the development of data centers in Fluvanna County.
County ordinances currently permit data centers as a by-right use in land zones designated for industrial use.
Commissioners asked the Board of Supervisors to pass a resolution blocking data center applications and to create a joint subcommittee to develop a new set of ordinances, following the same process they had followed in the debate over solar farms in 2023.
Supervisors agreed to a moratorium on any data center applications to the county until at least January 31, 2026.
However, they questioned whether a full subcommittee was necessary, suggesting instead that the board could directly initiate a zoning text amendment to require data centers to apply through the special use permit process rather than being allowed by-right.
The matter will come back for discussion in October.
