eThe Stafford County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 20 unanimously approved a rezoning allowing James River Equipment to expand its facility in the Falmouth District.The board approved the change from B-3 Office Zoning District to M-2 Heavy Industrial on about 9.5 acres (parcels 38-83D and 38-83) at the northeast corner of Wyche Road and Venture Drive. The site already holds the company’s existing roughly 10,000-square-foot facility on the southern parcel; the northern parcel is used for outdoor storage. The rezoning permits a new approximately 35,000-square-foot building that will include office, shop, showroom and parts space, plus a wash bay. The existing building will remain.
M-2 zoning is required because it is the only district that allows the equipment wash bay for the machinery the company sells, services and rents. The applicant proffered a list of prohibited uses, including data centers, hotels, convenience stores, truck terminals and commercial kennels. Daily traffic is capped at 355 vehicles. The plan also includes 55 parking spaces with access from both roads, 10-foot street buffers, 35-foot transitional buffers, right-of-way dedication consistent with the comprehensive plan, and architectural standards matching the submitted renderings.
Staff told the board the request is consistent with the comprehensive plan. The property sits inside the urban services area and the Courthouse Targeted Development Area, which designates the location for business and industrial uses. The Planning Commission recommended approval 7-0 on Sept. 9 after citing the comprehensive-plan consistency, the prohibited-use proffers and the absence of negative aspects.
Attorney Charlie Payne, representing James River Equipment, said the company is a John Deere dealer that has operated since 1977 and maintains about 50 locations across five states. He described the expansion as a low-density project that will clean up existing outdoor storage. Payne estimated roughly $117,000 a year in real-estate taxes, 40 to 50 full-time jobs at build-out across both buildings, and potential rental-tax revenue of about $10,000 for every $1 million in rental sales.
Public comment was brief. One Falmouth resident said she was happy to see the John Deere dealer expand in the neighborhood. Another speaker raised questions about application documents and proximity to a hospital. The board had no extended discussion before the vote.
The motion to approve passed unanimously. Construction has not started; the approval clears the zoning for the expansion.
