Fauquier County Rural Lands Plan Draft

Fauquier County
Rural Lands Plan

DRAFT for Public Discussion – 5/10/18
Fauquier County Department of Community Development

Please direct comments to Kimberley.Fogle@fauquiercounty.gov
FAUQUIER COUNTY DRAFT RURAL LANDS PLAN
CHAPTER 8. RURAL LANDS

Contents
PART 1. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Demographics .................................................................................................................................. 4
Existing Pattern of Development ...................................................................................................... 5
Development Potential ..................................................................................................................... 5
Land Conservation Trends ............................................................................................................... 6
Agricultural Trends ........................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter Outline ................................................................................................................................ 9
PART 2. RURAL CHARACTER ......................................................................................................... 11
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 11
Policy Framework........................................................................................................................... 11
Zoning and Subdivision .................................................................................................................. 12
Background ................................................................................................................................ 12
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 12
Land Use Taxation ......................................................................................................................... 13
Background ................................................................................................................................ 13
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 13
Purchase of Development Rights Program .................................................................................... 13
Background ................................................................................................................................ 13
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 13
Agricultural and Forestal Districts ................................................................................................... 14
Background ................................................................................................................................ 14
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 14
Viewshed Protection ...................................................................................................................... 14
Background ................................................................................................................................ 14
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 14
Rural Settlements and Settlement Edges ....................................................................................... 15
Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 1

Background ................................................................................................................................ 15
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Rural Historic Resources................................................................................................................ 16
Background ................................................................................................................................ 16
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Water Resources and Groundwater Protection .............................................................................. 17
Background ................................................................................................................................ 17
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 17
Septic and Wastewater Management ............................................................................................. 18
Background ................................................................................................................................ 18
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Transportation and Roadway Design ............................................................................................. 19
Background ................................................................................................................................ 19
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 20
Rural Architectural Character ......................................................................................................... 20
Background ................................................................................................................................ 20
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 21
Dark Sky Protection ....................................................................................................................... 22
Background ................................................................................................................................ 22
Policies ....................................................................................................................................... 22
PART 3. RURAL ECONOMY ............................................................................................................. 23
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 23
General Rural Economy ................................................................................................................. 24
General Policies ......................................................................................................................... 24
A. Agriculture ................................................................................................................................ 24
Traditional Farming ..................................................................................................................... 24
On Farm/Value Added Activities ................................................................................................. 25
Wayside Farm Stands ................................................................................................................ 26
Equipment and Supplies ............................................................................................................. 27
Aggregation Facilities ................................................................................................................. 27
Equine and Other Animal Activities ............................................................................................. 27
Transportation ............................................................................................................................ 29
B. Rural Tourism ............................................................................................................................ 30
General Tourism Policies ............................................................................................................ 31

Agritourism ................................................................................................................................. 31
Eco Tourism ............................................................................................................................... 32
Heritage Tourism ........................................................................................................................ 33
Services and Promotion.............................................................................................................. 34
C. Rural Businesses....................................................................................................................... 35
Background ................................................................................................................................ 35
Rural Businesses and Services .................................................................................................. 37
Wineries/Breweries/Distilleries/Cideries ...................................................................................... 39

PART 1. BACKGROUND
Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to address land use in the rural areas of the County and to outline the
County’s policies and plans to protect and preserve farmland, historic sites and open space. Fauquier
County has a long history of preserving its rural landscape, and recognizing the importance of its
agricultural uses, historic sites and unique open spaces. This Chapter addresses the County’s rural
areas. This Rural Lands Plan serves as an integral part of the Comprehensive Plan in conjunction
with and the County’s eight Service District Plans (Chapter 6), and the Rural Settlements Chapter
(Chapter 7) which also outlines the provisions for growth and development of the County’s villages,
hamlets and settlements.
Since approval of the County’s first Comprehensive Plan in 1967, the County has had a vision of
directing growth and development into the County’s Service Districts and preserving the County’s
rural areas. Preservation and enhancement of the rural areas and preservation of the agricultural
economy in Fauquier County have consistently been major goals of the County. The Comprehensive
Plan’s Vision Statement references the County’s agricultural heritage and rural landscape before
identifying a number of principles and policies aimed at safeguarding the rural lands and augmenting
the rural economy.
Chapter 8 was revised in 1986, partly to address growing concerns about the amount of rural lands
being developed. At this time, the County also instituted the sliding scale standards to establish the
by-right density of minor residential development in the rural agricultural and rural conservation zoning
districts. The latest complete review of the Comprehensive Plan was started in 1992 and approved by
the Board of Supervisors in September of 1994. This reflects the first comprehensive update of the
Rural Lands chapter in more than 20 years.
Demographics
In 2010, Fauquier County was home to 65,203 people with approximately half residing in the rural
areas. By 2016, the County grew by an additional 3,866 people. Based on counts of new housing,
approximately 1,200, or 30%, of these new residents have moved to the rural area. Population growth
in the rural areas has slowed as the Service Districts accommodate a growing share of the County’s
new residents.
Given Fauquier’s proximity to Washington, D.C., the rural areas of the County have not experienced
the challenges typical of rural areas throughout the country. The median household income in the
rural areas is close to $95,500 and is slightly higher than that of the County as a whole. An estimated
6.1% of the population in the rural areas lives below the poverty line, a rate slightly higher than the
County as a whole, but lower than surrounding rural localities (e.g. Rappahannock, 9.9%; Clarke,
11.1%; Culpeper, 9.3%). Overall the residents of the rural areas have benefitted from close ties with
and proximity to the more built-up portion of the metropolitan area.
Within the rural lands, the northern and southern halves of the County diverge somewhat in terms of
demographics. According to 2017 estimates, the southern half of the County’s rural lands has nearly

22,000 residents compared to 15,700 in the northern half. In general, the population in the northern
half of the County is slightly less diverse with nearly 89% of the population identifying as white
compared to 84% in the southern half of the County. While more populous, the southern half of the
County is slightly less affluent, with a median household income of $92,000, compared with just over
$100,000 in the north. In part, this is likely due to the fact that only 27% of adult residents in the
southern half of the County have a bachelor’s degree compared to 40% in the northern half.
Additionally, the population in the southern half of the County is generally younger than the northern
half, suggesting many residents have not hit their peak earnings level. Another factor likely influencing
this difference in household income is the more convenient proximity to the job centers of Northern
Virginia.
By comparison, the median household income in the urban areas, the towns and Service Districts, is
over $94,500. An estimated 5.4% of residents in the urban areas live below the poverty line. An
estimated 37% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher which is higher than the rural areas as
a whole. Approximately 81% of residents are white, 9% are black, and 9% are Latino. On the whole,
the urban areas are slightly more educated and more diverse than the rural areas in the County.
Existing Pattern of Development

The demographic split in the rural area is reflected in the character of development in the northern
and southern halves of the County. The northern half of the County is largely shaped by the Loudoun
Valley with the Bull Run Mountains in the east, the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, and the Broken
Hills to the south. Closer to Warrenton, farms and homes dot the smaller valleys in between the
Broken Hills. In general, the northern half of the County is more established and more rural. There is
only one Service District (Marshall) and a single town (The Plains) in the north. A number of small
communities existed during the Colonial era and many existing rural communities, like Upperville,
Paris or Hume, date from the early Federal period. The farms in the rural areas are generally well-
established, with stone walls, board fences and tree-lined lanes a common sight. The vast majority of
the conservation easements in the County are found in this half of the County, particularly in the
northeast, ensuring that the existing character will continue into the future.
The southern half of the County is flat and more suited to both agriculture and development. This area
was home to the first European settlements in the County. Despite this legacy, development in the
southern half tends to be more recent. Post-war, ranch-style homes abound. Ribbon development
along major roads has led to a suburban feel in many parts. Most of the Service Districts are located
in this half of the County and largely developed in the last 50 years, adding to the more suburban
character. The existing rural communities tend to be less well-defined, even those as historic as their
northern counterparts. In the southeastern corner of the County, forests cover much of the former
agricultural lands. The two halves of the County have different characters, which are reflected in their
respective patterns of development.
Development Potential
With a growing, affluent population, the rural area of Fauquier County has continued to see new
development though at a significantly lower rate than the County’s Service Districts. According to real
estate assessment data, between 2010 and 2016, 327 housing units were built in the rural lands and
villages. By comparison, the towns and Service Districts added 716 new homes over the same time
window. This split, with approximately 31% of new residences being built in the rural areas, is

consistent with the trend in the 2000s. During that decade, approximately 36% of new residences
were built in the rural area, though with a lower number of persons per household. This trend stands
in stark contrast to the 1980s and 1990s during which over 50% of new construction took place in the
rural lands. This shift suggests the Service Districts are functioning as intended and absorbing the
majority of the County’s population growth.
New Residential Construction

80%
70%
Percent of New Residences
60%
50%
40%
Urban
30% Rural
20%
10%
0%
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Decade
Estimating residential build-out for the rural zoning districts is difficult without a full subdivision history
of each lot; however, staff estimates that current zoning in the rural area allows for between 7,800 and
14,900 new dwelling units1. As there are currently over 12,400 dwellings, the rural area is between
45% and 61% built out. Ensuring compatibility of new development with the existing rural character
will help to mitigate the potential impacts of any new development that occurs.
Land Conservation Trends

The most important tool in rural land preservation is the County’s Zoning Ordinance. The majority of
the rural land in Fauquier is zoned Rural Agricultural (RA) or Rural Conservation (RC). These zoning
districts make use of a sliding scale approach to permitted density and require 85% of the parent
parcel be conserved in one open space parcel for parcels over thirty acres in size. These
requirements have helped to preserve large farms intact and generally prevented sprawling residential
1Estimate generated by examining parcel data containing acreages, Zoning Districts and environmental
constraints such as floodplains, steep slopes and bodies of water.

development from destroying the countryside. Since its inception, approximately 12,800 acres have
been conserved in non-common open space easements.
Sliding Scale
Size of Parcel (acres) Number of Lots Permitted
0 – 9.99 1
10 – 19.99 2
20 – 34.99 3
35 – 54.99 4
55 – 79.99 5
80 – 104.99 6
105 – 129.99 7
130 – 154.99 8
155 – 179.99 9
180 – 204.99 10
205 and above 11 plus one additional lot for each additional 50 acres
Over 30 acres, one parcel needs to be at least 85% of the overall parcel size, with the remaining allowable lots clustered on
15% of the land. The 85% parcel is subject to a non-common open space easement.
In addition to zoning and the creation of non-common open space parcels, the rural areas of the
County are protected through several preservation programs. There are two permanent preservation
programs - conservation easements and the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program. In a
conservation easement program, a landowner voluntarily agrees to forego some or all of the
development potential of the property in perpetuity in exchange for tax benefits. A variety of
organizations—including the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, the Land Trust
of Virginia, as well as the County itself—hold easements in the County. Through the County’s PDR
program, Fauquier is directly involved in purchasing development rights to preserve active farms in
the County. The PDR program was initiated in 2002, and in 2004, the Conservation Easement Service
District was approved as the funding mechanism, dedicating real estate tax revenue as the primary
funding source. To date, nearly $6 million in grant funding has been secured to augment County
funding. Currently ranked first in Virginia among PDR programs, the County has preserved over
12,600 acres of land (2018) through the program. Large blocks of contiguous preserved farmland (in
excess of 2,000 acres in several locations) help to reduce conflicts with non-agricultural land uses. In
all, approximately 107,000 acres, or 25% of the land in the County, is protected via some form of
easement.

The County also uses two other preservation

programs: Agricultural and Forestal Districts
and Land Use Taxation, which are temporary.
The Agricultural and Forestal District program
allows property owners adjacent to existing
districts to put their property into voluntary
preservation. Districts are currently on eight-
year cycles and enrollment in the program
precludes major development or subdivision of
the property. Approximately 78,000 acres, or
19% of the County, are protected through this
program.
The land use taxation program allows property
owners who can demonstrate agriculture,
horticulture, forestry, or open space use of
their land to receive a reduced property tax
assessment based on the value of the land
given its current use. This program must be
applied for annually. Property owners are
required to pay back five years of the deferred
taxes if the property is developed. Over
201,000 acres, or 48% of the County,
participates in this program.
In total, approximately 296,000 acres, or 71%,
of the County has some form of protection from development through one or more of these
preservation programs, with the vast majority of this acreage in the rural areas. While these programs
have worked reasonably well in protecting rural land, the temporary nature of some of them limits their
effectiveness in the long term. Ensuring the protections in place continue to function in the face of
increased growth pressure from the D.C. area will be vital for rural preservation in the coming
decades.
Agricultural Trends
Due mainly to the land conservation programs and zoning in place, Fauquier County’s farmland has
been largely protected from conversion to development. Between 2002 and 2012, the County only lost
approximately 4% of farmed acreage. This relatively minor decrease occurred despite a 14% increase
in population over this time period. Fauquier’s success in preserving agricultural lands in the face of
intense growth pressure from the Washington area provides an example for metro-adjacent localities
nationwide.
While farmland in the County has been protected from development, traditional farming has
nonetheless declined. Between 2002 and 2012, the number of farms in the County dropped from
1,344 to 1,258, a 6% decrease. The number of full-time farmers in the County fell from 721 to 548, a
24% decrease. Adjusted for inflation, the value of agricultural production in the County fell by a little
more than 7% over this same time period. The farming population continued to age with the average

age increasing from 57.8 to 60.2 years. While full-time farming has declined, the number of part-time
farmers has increased from 623 to 710, or approximately 14%, over this same time period. This shift
toward part-time farming is reflective of broader shifts in the agricultural industry as a whole.
This shift can also be seen in the changing makeup of agricultural commodity sales. The value of
livestock sales and products has dropped across nearly all commodity groups. The value of sales of
cattle, for example, decreased by approximately 25% between 2002 and 2012 when adjusted for
inflation. The value of sales of the County’s most well-known commodity, horses, decreased by 75%
when adjusted for inflation. These reductions have been accompanied by a transition toward grain
production with the value of sales increasing by nearly 320% over this time period. As seen in the
chart below, the other commodity groups that saw an increase in the value of sales were vegetables
(27%), fruits and nuts (22%), other crops and hay (14%), hogs (2%), and other livestock (268%).2
Inflation Adjusted Change in Sales by Commodity

(2000-2012)
350%
Percent Change (Inflation Adjusted)
300%
250%
200%
150%
100%
50%
0%
-50%
-100%
Commodity Group
Chapter Outline
In this Rural Lands chapter, the character and economy of the rural area will be discussed along with
strategies to foster a thriving rural area. The first half of this chapter defines policies that will preserve
the physical beauty, historical heritage and environmental quality of the County, while growing its rural
and agricultural economy to better serve its people and protect its heritage. The second half of this
chapter identifies enterprise opportunities for the rural economy that are consistent with the vision and
character of Fauquier County, and suggests policies that can guide their development and minimize
any negative impacts on their surroundings. If managed appropriately, these activities will allow the
County’s rural lands to remain active and profitable, thus supporting the economic vibrancy of rural
2 Data taken from the 2002 and 2012 Census of Agriculture County Profile for Fauquier County, Virginia and the
inflation factors taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics utilizing the CPI-U for January 2002 and January
2012.

communities in the County and, in turn, the preservation of its valued rural landscapes for many years
to come.
The purpose of this Rural Lands chapter of the County Comprehensive Plan is to further the
vision and goals of the County’s Comprehensive Plan, especially, Guiding Principle A in the
County Vision, which states that “the County’s natural and cultural heritage are intrinsic to the
County’s character.” In addition, this chapter furthers the goals of both Chapter 2A and 2B to promote
long term planning and protection for natural and heritage resources and to support a rural economy
that both draws benefit from and protects these resources. In summary, the intent of this chapter is to
protect the county’s rural character while growing its rural and agricultural economy to better serve
its people and protect its heritage.

PART 2. RURAL CHARACTER
Introduction
For over half a century, Fauquier County has been a leader among localities in America for its rural
protection policies and implementation measures. As an early implementer of many currently
accepted state of the art rural protection strategies, such as purchase of development rights,
agricultural and forestal districts, land-use taxation programs and sliding scale rural zoning, the
County has benefitted from the steady success of these programs in maintaining the integrity of
its rural agricultural economic base and lifestyle. At the same time, the County’s rural policy
framework has been supported by its Service District approach to growth management. These
two policy pillars have worked to maintain the County’s extremely high quality of life and valued
rural character in the face of strong regional growth pressures for several decades. As the 21 st
century progresses, and an array of economic, social and technological changes bear down on
Fauquier County, it is especially important to assess, update and refine these policy frameworks
so that they can continue to serve this most treasured legacy of land, people and history that has
made Fauquier County so unique.
Fauquier County’s rural character is based on a wealth of both natural and heritage resources in
its rural lands. Chapter 2A of the Comprehensive Plan, Natural Resources, identifies the
County’s key natural assets as well as challenges to their protection. Chapter 2B, Heritage
Resources, identifies the five heritage resource types—buildings, structures, sites, objects, and
districts. It also defines key threatened heritage resources, such as historic roads, bridges, stone
walls, cemeteries, battlefields, prehistoric archaeological sites, agricultural outbuildings, general
stores, etc. These natural and heritage resources are closely related because natural and
cultural landscapes are interdependent. Historically, cultural activity was dependent on natural
resources and the pattern of human settlement was closely related to water access, available
building materials, good soils for farming, ground elevation and the development of transportation
systems.
In fact, Fauquier County’s rural character embodies the sum total of both its natural and heritage
resources, as well as the complex interplay of economy, history, culture and nature that make the
651 square miles of the County so treasured and valuable to many. While the County includes
decidedly non-rural settlements, its authentic rural character is a key aspect of its quality of life
and one that should be valued and protected into the long and distant future.
Policy Framework
Fauquier County’s rural landscape and farm economy have been preserved in the face of strong
regional development pressures through a combination of plans, policies, and zoning and other code
provisions established over the past several decades that help protect this rural character against
pressures for land conversion and sprawl development. In general, development potential and the
incremental loss of productive agricultural land will remain an issue needing continued county
monitoring and adjustment to its development regulations, conservation tools and incentives. The

following policy framework is intended to further strengthen the system of policies and controls that
can be put in place in the County to preserve its traditional rural character.
Zoning and Subdivision

Background
Fauquier County’s RA and RC zoning, and especially the standards within those zoning districts for
sliding scale densities and for preservation of 85% of a parcel in non-common open space have done
a great deal over the years to preserve large farms intact and prevent their conversion to sprawling
residential development. As these two districts represent over 90% of the County’s land area, it is
vital that the standards in these zoning districts be maintained to support the long term protection of
rural character in the County. Another key tool for protection of rural lands is in the subdivision
provisions for the County, which require central water and hydrogeologic testing for subdivisions of 7
lots or more (Sec. 18-1). This provision ensures a level of protection for the potential depletion of
groundwater resources from small subdivisions and should be maintained as a key measure of rural
protection.
The non-common open space provisions were adopted in 1986, as a key tool in protecting prime and
sensitive lands during the development process. The average size non-common open space parcel is
currently about 54 acres. Many of these parcels, particularly in the northern end of the County,
protect steep slope and floodplain areas. Prime agricultural lands encompass over 84% of the total
land in non-common open space. In evaluating the location of non-common open space, key factors
include potential agricultural benefits, based on the state-wide significance of the soils, and the
proximity and contiguousness to other agricultural activity in the area. In general, the current
standards in place are important cornerstones for the protection of rural character, rural land
resources and prime agricultural soils. The following are additional policy direction the County should
pursue in its rural zoning and subdivision framework for protecting rural character.
Policies
1. Retain the current standards for sliding scale density and non-common open space in the RA
and RC zoning districts and retain the Subdivision Ordinance requirements for hydrogeologic
testing for subdivisions of 7 lots or more to protect the character, integrity and agricultural
potential of rural lands in the county.
2. Ensure that any development adjacent to interstate interchanges and major intersections in
rural lands retains its existing rural scenic character.
3. Develop additional standards in the Zoning Ordinance for RA and RC districts, under Section
2-406.4 (Location of Non-Common Open Space) for the design and layout of the non-common
open space to ensure that viewsheds from rural roadways are protected and the agricultural
character of views from the road is maintained.
4. Encourage connectivity of non-common open space among adjacent properties wherever
feasible to locate the preservation parcel adjacent to other conservation easements, thereby
making larger blocks of connected land.
5. Develop a design manual for small subdivisions in the County to educate subdividers on good
site planning and design practices that will maintain the county’s rural character.

Land Use Taxation

Background
As described above, the County’s land use taxation policies are a key cornerstone of protecting rural
lands for agriculture. Fauquier County has four categories of taxing under the land use taxation
program – open space, agriculture, forestry, and horticultural. All non-common open space preserved
under the RA and RC zoning standards is taxed as Open Space, though it may be used for
agriculture, forestry or horticulture. The land use taxation program has been adopted by a large
proportion of the farms in the County and has been successful in protecting agricultural lands and
minimizing their conversion to residential uses.
Policies
1. Maintain the land use taxation program as a key tool to preserve agricultural land and potential
in the county.
2. Encourage property owners to take advantage of land use taxation program.
3. Continue to monitor the impacts of the land use taxation program on both the County tax base
and the overall preservation of the farm economy and rural character.
4. Continue to oppose the exclusion of Land Use values from calculations of the Composite
Index in the State Legislature.
Purchase of Development Rights Program

Background
The Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR) has been a major initiative of the County to
permanently preserve agricultural lands. The PDR program was initiated in 2002, and in 2004, the
Conservation Easement Service District was approved as the funding mechanism, dedicating real
estate tax revenue as the primary funding source. To date, nearly $16 million has been invested, with
nearly $6 million in grant funding secured to augment County funding. Currently ranked first in
Virginia among PDR programs, the County has preserved over 12,600 acres of land (2018) through
the program. Large blocks of contiguous preserved farmland (in excess of 2,000 acres in several
locations) help to reduce conflicts with non-agricultural land uses. The PDR program has also
assisted farm owners in the development of retail establishments marketing locally produced
products.
Policies
1. Retain the PDR program as a voluntary farmland preservation tool.
2. Maintain County funding support through the Conservation Easement Service District.
3. Continue to pursue grant funding to support the program.
4. Continue to focus easement acquisition and protection of prime agricultural soils and the
creation of large contiguous blocks of farmland.

Agricultural and Forestal Districts

Background
A major contribution to the preservation of open space has been the voluntary participation of
individual rural property owners in Agricultural and Forestal Districts. As described above, a large
percentage of the county’s rural areas are temporarily protected from conversion to residential use
due to their voluntary placement in Agricultural and Forestal Districts. Fauquier County is one of the
leaders in Virginia in adopting these districts and the program should be maintained and strengthened
where possible.
Policies
1. Retain the Agricultural and Forestal program and encourage property owner education and
use of the program to protect larger farming districts in the County.
2. Expand the term for Agricultural and Forestal districts to 10 years as the standard over the
current 8 years.
3. Encourage connectivity of Agricultural and Forestal Districts wherever feasible thereby making
larger blocks of protected land.
4. Provide education resources to District members and prospective members.
Viewshed Protection
Background
The visual landscape of Fauquier County is a mosaic of forests and fields, buildings, settlements,
villages and towns overlaying a topographic base that ranges from level ground to gently rolling hills,
to steep, mountainous terrain. This mosaic is knitted together by rivers and streams, hedgerows,
stone walls, fences, rural roads and other linear landscape elements.
As development in the rural areas occurs over time, new visual patterns with new and different
elements are introduced, and older elements are removed. This can lead to an incompatible,
discordant visual character. In general, a principle of screening and buffering new manmade
elements in the landscape and/or designing them to be compatible with the traditional rural character
should be followed. More on the design of architecturally compatible structures can be found below
under the Rural Architectural Character section.
Many new planning tools are available to assist in visual impact assessment and visual resource
management, including numerous computer programs for terrain modeling, development simulation
and viewshed analysis. The County has recently developed a model for viewshed analysis of the
county landscape. The results of this analysis should be incorporated into future policies and
geographically-specific guidelines for protecting the County’s valued views and scenic resources.
Policies
1. Maintain the scenic quality of the County’s current traditional form and settlement pattern,
including the open landscape and scenic qualities of the main roadway corridors through
zoning, subdivision and development review standards that protect important viewsheds.

2. Continue to encourage the preservation of key open space resources, such as stream valleys,
steep wooded slopes and other sensitive environmental areas as a distinct priority in the
implementation of open space protection policies.
3. Encourage better understanding and education about the value of the County’s scenic
resources through an analysis and designation of primary viewshed corridors in the County
using new GIS viewshed technology.
4. Include a thorough evaluation of the impacts on scenic viewsheds in the design phase of any
privately or publicly funded transportation, utility, communications, energy or other
infrastructure project and work with Federal, State or County agencies to ensure that these
projects include adequate safeguards for important scenic viewsheds that may be affected.
5. Work with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and other easement holders in the County to
explore the inclusion of language in future conservation easements that would protect the
viewsheds and visual resources on eased lands and surrounding scenery.
Rural Settlements and Settlement Edges

Background
In addition to towns and Service Districts, the County also has a number of villages, hamlets and
settlements that have evolved organically as outgrowths of an agricultural economy and served as the
center for farm services, socializing, mail pickup and the purchase of daily goods. Chapter 7 of the
Fauquier County Comprehensive Plan lists 41 different rural settlements in the County and
categorizes them into three groups according to their physical character and variety of land use and
activity.
In general, County zoning and subdivision regulations discourage expansions of the existing rural
settlements into the surrounding rural lands. The County should not encourage settlement extensions
or new settlements to be built in rural areas outside of Service Districts. To do so would create
competition with the Service Districts and would impede directing growth into these areas.
Another important principle is that small towns, and rural settlements need to retain a defined edge
with regard to the surrounding countryside. In general, development in rural settlements should be
directed towards adaptive reuse of existing structures (done in architecturally sensitive ways that
preserve historic character) and careful infill of vacant properties. It should be noted that both of
these building practices are needed to maintain the architectural integrity of the built fabric in each
settlement.
For rural lands around settlement edges, the County should maintain the open landscape through
locational standards for required open space if and when adjoining parcels are proposed for
development. In this manner, a permanent green belt could be created that would serve both the pre-
existing village and any new development proposed in its immediate vicinity. Chapter 7 of the
Comprehensive Plan defines both general policies for rural settlements and specific plans for each.
The following policies deal with settlement edge areas as they influence the protection of rural
character in the rural lands.

Policies
1. Development in rural settlements should maintain a hard edge, with any expansions carefully
planned to ensure the cohesiveness of the settlement.
2. County zoning and comprehensive planning should seek to maintain both the integrity of rural
settlement edges and a surrounding greenbelt of open space around the settlement edges.
3. Any new rural residential development around settlement edges should locate open spaces
and buffers so as to protect the viewsheds and open vistas around the settlement, and use
this open space to create and maintain a hard edge for the settlement.
Rural Historic Resources

Background
The County has a wealth of historic resources that have been extensively, although not exhaustively,
studied and documented. The resources include six designated rural historic districts3 (with four
others having been identified as potentially eligible for National Register designation), 12 Civil War
battlefield areas and a significant number of individual historic properties and structures, many if not
most in the rural lands (see Appendix II of the Comprehensive Plan - Fauquier County Heritage
Resources). These historic resources are a vital element of the traditional rural character of Fauquier
County and great efforts should be made to ensure their long-term protection as a key aspect of the
county’s unique “brand” and economic value. Although hard to quantify, the county’s historic resource
base along with its authentic rural landscape has enormous economic value reflected in the
desirability, high property values and attraction of life in the country to existing and new residents and
businesses alike.
The county’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) has a mission to protect against the deterioration,
destruction, and encroachment upon Fauquier County historic properties and cultural areas and to
encourage uses that lead to their continuance, conservation, and improvement. The County should
consider enhancing its focus on cultural areas, more as an historic preservation committee to address
broader landscapes and rural areas that characterize potential historic districts in Fauquier.
Policies
1. Continue to support the inventory and identification of historical and cultural resources,
including buildings, structures, archaeological sites, objects and significant cultural
landscapes, such as historic farms, rural historic districts, and battlefields.
2. Evaluate the characteristics and defining features of each of the rural historic districts and
explore site planning and design controls beneficial to the individual district.
3. Study the potential for establishing historic corridor overlays in rural historic districts and
scenic byways that establish standards to protect key design elements such as roadway
character, setbacks, screening and buffering, bordering rock walls and architectural form.
3
Districts are defined in Appendix II of Chapter 2B – Historic Resources as, “a significant concentration,
linkage, or continuity of sites, structures, or objects united historically or aesthetically by plan or physical
development. Examples include: central business areas or residential neighborhoods, towns or villages, a series
of farms or estates, transportation networks, or a series of archaeological sites associated with the same historic
event, such as a battlefield.”

4. Support residents and others in the preparation of nominations to the National Register of
Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register with a focus on village and crossroad
community historic districts, battlefields, and rural historic districts. Monitor planned road
improvements to identify any potential impacts on the character of rural roads within the rural
historic districts and along scenic byways.
Water Resources and Groundwater Protection

Background
Aside from the Warrenton reservoir providing water to Town and some adjoining properties, the
County is completely reliant on groundwater for its needs. As outlined in Chapter 9 of the
Comprehensive Plan (Public Facilities and Utilities), “Groundwater resources are the mainstay of the
County’s public water system and should be utilized to the extent that they can be maintained at a
constant level of replenishment.” At the same time, recent studies have brought out a number of
issues that relate in particular to the issues of water resource protection in rural lands, including:
Emerging capacity constraints and contamination issues in and around several Service
Districts
Challenges to understanding the extent of groundwater aquifers and availability of water in the
future
Concerns over locating public water supply wells within developing areas given the need to
protect both quantity and quality of groundwater resources, and conversely, locating supply
wells outside the Service Districts brings concern that such location will precipitate future
Service District expansion
The Countywide Water and Sewer Master Plan as well as Chapter 9 of the Comprehensive Plan
outline the general policy framework for public water supply in the county. The following policies are
intended to supplement this framework along with some protection strategies identified in Chapter 2A
with additional policy consideration for water resources in the rural lands.
Policies
1. Study the impact of groundwater withdrawals from new development and aquifer recharge and
its impact on the farm economy and irrigation needs for farming.
2. Continue to support programs for BMPs around wellheads and water sources such agricultural
BMP cost-share programs of the John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District in the
County.
3. Continue to monitor and analyze existing groundwater resource constraints in relation to the
pace of growth and consider the addition of surface water sources if needed to protect
groundwater resources from significant depletion or contamination which would harm the
agricultural sector and the County’s economy as a whole.
4. Integrate wellhead protection standards for major public water supply wells into the County’s
policy and regulatory framework to ensure adequate protection of both public water supplies
and aquifer recharge areas.
5. Develop watershed protection measures within the drainage area of the Warrenton reservoir.

6. Revise County policies to allow the location of public water supply wells outside the Service
Districts to allow for greater wellhead protection away from developed areas. Include strict
provisions to prevent areas around these wells converting to development areas.
7. Support rainwater harvesting opportunities and grey water use to supplement water supply in
both public and private development.
8. Identify opportunities for impoundment water, such as old quarries, for use in extended
drought conditions.
Septic and Wastewater Management

Background
A key aspect of the County’s vision for protection of its rural lands hinges on the provision of adequate
water and wastewater facilities in the Service Districts to accommodate an adequate level of growth.
This serves to relieve development pressure in rural areas and supports the vision for protecting rural
character and agriculture in rural lands. The handling of wastewater is a key differentiating feature in
the policy framework for Service Districts versus rural areas and helps support the land use and
growth vision for these areas. Currently, the County has four sewage treatment facilities, located in
Marshall, Remington, Vint Hill and Warrenton owned and operated by the Fauquier County Water and
Sanitation Authority (FCWSA) and the Town of Warrenton with a fifth remediation system planned for
Catlett and Calverton that will be County-owned. Chapter 9 of the Comprehensive Plan (Public
Facilities and Utilities) outlines the general policies for wastewater treatment in the Service Districts.
In the rural areas, the County office of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and standards in the
Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances determine policies for individual septic facilities. There are a
number of properties within Catlett and Calverton that are experiencing failing septic systems and
there is a need for health remediation due to poor soils. With the aging of septic systems in older
subdivisions, this situation may become more prevalent over time. In addition, recent legislation from
the General assembly has mandated that alternative individual wastewater systems be allowed by
localities in Virginia (§ 32.1-163.5 of the Code of Virginia). Alternative on-site individual disposal
systems can be more effective at pre-treating wastewater, releasing cleaner effluent into the ground.
However, they are also more complicated to maintain, and need regular inspection, service and
oversight by trained professionals. Experience has shown that individual property owners lack the
knowledge necessary to support alternative systems.
In addition to individual on-site septic systems, a variety of options for providing wastewater treatment
facilities in rural areas have been proposed over the years, including, land application through a spray
irrigation system, community package treatment plants, mounded communal systems and various
types of bio-remediation such as constructed wetlands and peat systems. In general, the County
should maintain its current policies for individual septic systems in the rural lands and should consider
alternative systems primarily in light of addressing health issues associated with failing systems. In
addition, the following policy directions should be considered to address new needs and emerging
technologies:

Policies
1. Limit the number of individual wells and wastewater disposal systems by maintaining very low
residential densities in rural lands in order to protect the agricultural economy of the county
and to protect groundwater drinking supplies for residents and businesses.
2. Study the impact of alternative wastewater treatment options on groundwater quality to refine
policies and standards for wastewater disposal in the rural lands that will have least adverse
environmental impact on the water table.
3. Encourage the development of environmentally compatible alternative systems and communal

systems where feasible to address existing failing septic systems and to support protection of
streams and groundwater and preservation of the farm economy in rural lands.
4. Explore allowing communal systems where the system helps to improve water quality, results
in a better development design, allows for the flexibility of smaller lots on less land, does not
increase density above that possible with individual systems, and where there exists a viable
organization to ensure long-term maintenance and operation.
5. Work with VDH to develop general policies and standards for alternative wastewater systems
for individual lots that will support the twin goals of protecting groundwater and supporting the
agricultural economy.
6. Encourage FCWSA to work with communal private wastewater systems so that new ones are
built to FCWSA standards and existing ones are taken into the FCWSA system over time.
7. Study linkages between impaired streams in the County and adjacent failing septic systems to
prioritize where environmentally compatible alternative systems and communal systems may
be most beneficial in addressing water quality issues.
8. Support legislation to require real estate disclosures to home buyers of properties with
alternative wastewater systems.
Transportation and Roadway Design

Background
One of the cornerstones of the authentic rural character of Fauquier County is its rural road network.
A network of scenic roads traverse the County, some running through open farmland, others winding
their way through thickly wooded areas. These roads were originally built to serve farming
communities and many of them do not have the capacity to safely accommodate volumes of higher
speed, modern traffic associated with residential and commercial development.
Sensitivity to both the design of rural roads and the significant rural landscapes visible from public
roads is a key dimension of Fauquier County's scenic resources and historic rural character. The
following policies are intended to ensure that the County’s rural roadways are protected both as a

scenic and cultural resource in their own right and as a key component of the historic cultural
landscape of the County.
Policies:
1. Maintain the scale and character of the existing roads and protect them from incompatible
public or private improvements in the right of way or on the road frontages. Protect centuries-
old stone walls, large trees, historic structures, scenic views and environmental features along
the edges of roadways.
2. Keep Secondary Roads (numbered 600 and above) in the rural lands generally in their present
state with essential improvements to be undertaken only where required for the safety of all
users.
3. Improvements for new residential and non-residential developments along rural roads, such as
turn lanes and driveway entrances should be built by the developers of the property only as
necessary for safety, as commensurate with impacts, and consistent with the context-sensitive
design policies described in this plan.
4. Develop appropriate private road design standards that protect the character of rural roadways
and continue to permit the waiving of public road standards with special exceptions.
5. Maintain and improve the pedestrian nature of appropriate rural settlements by integrating
traffic planning with site planning and architectural designs, so that the public streets are
comfortable and safe places for pedestrians and bicycles, as well as for motor vehicles.
6. Institute compatible traffic calming measures in villages and rural settlements that are
appropriate to existing rural design character to protect areas with vehicular and
pedestrian/bicycle conflicts. These measures should enhance motor vehicle safety,
pedestrian safety and convenience, business activity and parking, and accommodate a
balance of destination and through traffic.
7. Work with VDOT to ensure that any road improvements in rural areas conform to the
community design standards established in this plan in terms of scale, character, location,
alignment, and environmental impact. Encourage VDOT to be flexible and supportive of
pedestrian sensitive and traditional street design.
8. Establish a series of rural roadway design guidelines to address preferred methods of traffic
calming, pedestrian safety, and road improvements in the rural areas.
9. Explore lowering speed limits on approaches to towns, villages and rural settlements to
provide a transition from the higher speeds of rural roads to the lower speeds in the settlement
areas.
10. Limit new residential and non-residential uses directly on rural roads that would impact safety
or change the character of the area.
Rural Architectural Character

Background
A significant scenic attraction of the County’s rural lands and one of the features of an authentic rural
landscape lies in the consistency of architectural character of homes and agricultural buildings that
have developed over almost three centuries in the County. Defining the elements of that traditional

architectural character is important so that it can be better understood, valued and maintained in new
construction and building practices.
The policies below are primarily intended to encourage the continuation of the building character and
style that exists in the County today. They attempt to establish context-sensitive design as a
fundamental policy directive of the Comprehensive Plan. The implementation recommendations
explore various ways that these policies can be realized through education, coordination and/or
review processes.
Policies
1. Infill development or renovation within established neighborhoods should be compatible with
adjacent structures and the neighborhood as a whole.
2. New development in rural areas should match the prevailing style and character of traditional
buildings in the County. The scale, massing, colors and materials of new buildings should be
traditional and compatible with the County’s historic architectural fabric4.
3. Encourage developers to discuss their building or rehabilitation plans with nearby landowners
and residents prior to and during the application review process.
4. New development should not block scenic views or vistas, particularly from public roadways.
Careful siting and design of new structures shall be used to maintain open vistas from
adjacent properties.
5. New construction should be done in a way that minimizes disruption of existing landforms and
removal of existing vegetation, particularly significant specimen trees or wooded groves in the
rural lands.
6. New development or rehabilitation of existing buildings and structures should be designed to
preserve sites of historic archaeological, historic or cultural value and their environs.
7. Consider enhancing the role of the Architectural Review Board (A.R.B.) as a historic
preservation committee focused on the broader rural and cultural landscape of the County and
how to protect rural architectural character.
8. Encourage adaptive reuse of historic structures over replacement of existing structures with
new buildings, including the preservation of the “context” of historic structures, as well as the
structures themselves – including their natural settings, outbuildings, fences, hedgerows and
other elements of the natural setting.
9. Consider the development of a pattern book of detailed architectural guidelines for compatible
new development and redevelopment within rural lands. It should include separate guidelines
for each area to accommodate their unique defining architectural and landscape features.
10. Include a thorough evaluation of the impacts on historic structures in the design phase of any
privately or publicly funded transportation, utility or streetscape project in the county and work
with Federal, State or County agencies to ensure that these projects include adequate
safeguards for important historic structures that may be affected.
11. Encourage the protection of historic structures through easements and tax credit rehabilitation
projects.
4The National Park Service’s Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Rehabilitation
can provide guidance for this, as well as outline good practices for maintaining spatial relationships
between buildings and landscape features (there are also Guidelines for maintaining setting).
https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm

Dark Sky Protection

Background
Fauquier County residents increasingly value star-filled night skies for their inspirational beauty.
However, recent research has uncovered many important reasons to protect our skies from nighttime
light pollution. The biological rhythms of wildlife and plants have evolved with the natural light cycles
for millions of years. Artificial night lighting can disrupt these patterns impacting migration, feeding,
breeding, and even seasonal foliage changes. Of particular importance to the agricultural economy
are the potential effects of excessive night lighting on plants and their pollinators. Plant species that
bloom at night depend on night pollinators such as moths and bats and can be indirectly affected if
their populations are reduced or deterred by nearby light pollution. Moreover, night lighting on trees
can encourage growth and photosynthesis beyond the time when it is safe to do so, which can make
trees more susceptible to harsh weather conditions and less likely to survive. For this reason, some
public lands are becoming certified as “Dark Sky Parks,” which are about conserving and
experiencing "Nature at Night," not just with the starry skies above, but with the nocturnal world below.
Sky Meadows State Park is being considered for certification as a Dark-Sky Park by the International
Dark Sky Association.
In order to preserve the resource of dark skies, the County should continue to encourage property
owners to install only the level of outdoor lighting necessary for safety, security, and utility purposes
while limiting light trespass onto neighboring properties. The County should maintain the existing
standards in the Zoning Ordinance for full shielding of all outdoor lighting, installation of low-pressure
sodium fixtures where necessary, and the use of other best available technologies to ensure that the
rural areas remain free from the long term effects of unwanted light pollution.
Policies
1. Continue to support and strengthen the standards in the current Zoning Ordinance to reduce
light pollution in the County caused by uplighting, excessive lighting, glare, light trespass, and
inconsistent light.
2. In cooperation with community groups and other interested parties, develop a community-
based educational program on the value of the Dark Sky and on technical lighting topics.
Target individuals in the building materials, electrical contracting, design, construction, and
associated industries, as well as individual homeowners.
Take a leadership role in protecting the Dark Skies by designing lighting in public building projects,
including playing fields and parking lots, to serve as models of appropriate and efficient lighting; by
adopting a resolution asking power companies to cease promotion of unshielded and inefficient
outdoor lighting; and by exploring the feasibility of participating in the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Green Lights Program to promote energy efficiency in building design and maintenance.
Support the Dark Sky Park5 effort at the Sky Meadows State Park in northern Fauquier and seek
opportunities for collaboration that will support commitment to protecting the Park’s night landscape.
5 The Dark Sky Park is a certification of the International Dark Sky Association.

PART 3. RURAL ECONOMY

Introduction
The successful preservation of Fauquier County’s rural character and open spaces will depend, in
part, on thoughtful land-use policies and regulations such as those discussed previously in this
chapter. However, the protection of the county’s traditional rural heritage and character depends even
more heavily on the continued success of its rural economy. The success of the rural economy and
the preservation of rural character are interdependent – one cannot exist without the other. The
county’s unique sense of place and authentic agricultural heritage draws residents, businesses and
visitors alike that appreciate the county’s authentic farming culture. At the same time, the rural
economy is changing with trends in technology, market dynamics and demographics changing the
nature of farming and the farm economy.
The County therefore needs to consider ways in which it can support this emerging economy and
business enterprises that can successfully operate in the context of the desired vision for the future.
In part, this means supporting both large and small farming operations that are currently active in the
county. The County should also be prepared to effectively respond to and leverage new rural
business and agricultural models that have been emerging in recent years. Elements of the “new rural
economy” include new agricultural techniques, value-added farm products, and on-site events, sales,
and services. These business opportunities can allow rural landowners to diversify their sources of
income and engage niche agricultural and tourism markets. Many of these strategies are especially
well suited for rural areas positioned like Fauquier County near major metropolitan areas. This
location allows rural landowners to offer urban and suburban residents convenient access to unique
recreation opportunities, fresh foods, and pastoral settings that are not typically available in the city.
Along with their economic benefits, however, these new methods and activities can also create
challenges for rural communities. The new uses may generate higher levels of traffic, noise, and
activity than do other rural properties, and consequently may strain infrastructure and produce
conflicts with surrounding landowners. These issues can be especially problematic in the absence of
a specific and coherent set of policies that are capable of responsibly regulating their development.
The intent of this section of the plan is to identify enterprise opportunities for the rural economy that
are consistent with the vision and character of Fauquier County, as well as to suggest policies that
can guide their development and minimize any negative impacts they might have on their
surroundings. If managed appropriately, these activities will allow the County’s rural lands to remain
active and profitable, thus supporting the economic vibrancy of rural communities and, in turn, the
preservation of its valued rural landscapes for many years to come.

General Rural Economy

The purpose of the following policy framework is to foster and expand the diversity and richness of the
rural economy through a variety of policy, regulatory, incentive-based, and programmatic approaches.
The policies in this section will focus on three primary facets of the rural economy:
Agriculture
Tourism
Rural Businesses
A separate sub-section addressing each is provided on the following pages. Some general policies
apply to all elements of the rural economy, however, are included below:
General Policies
1. Continue to direct development activity into towns and Service Districts. Business
development that occurs in the rural areas should be those enterprises whose success is
contingent upon a rural setting.
2. Support business uses in the rural lands that are compatible in scale and intensity with the
dominant farm use, that pose no threat to public health, safety and welfare, and that support
the preservation of farmland and/or open space and continued agricultural operations.
3. Seek development of the rural economy that above all works to preserve large areas of land
appropriate for agriculture, forestry, and viticulture.
4. Provide rural landowners reasonable flexibility in the economic use of their land in such a way
that these areas can remain profitable in their current form without the need for conversion to
incompatible uses such as residential development.
5. Continue to provide local government resources such as technical assistance, research,
educational programs, and support of committees to help promote and expand the rural
economy.
A. Agriculture
Traditional Farming
Historically, the economy and culture of Fauquier County have both been largely centered on
agriculture. However, the character of its farms has changed with time. Early orchards and field crops
were gradually replaced by livestock and pasture on many farms, and sheep and hogs were likewise
replaced by beef and dairy cattle. In more recent years, the county has experienced an increase in
small produce farms and specialty operations such as wineries. Each of these changes has led to
corresponding changes in the appearance and activities of the County’s farms, and should also be
supported by changes to the policies that govern and support them.
According to the most recent (2012) Census of Agriculture, 1,258 farms operating on over 228,000
acres were active in the County. This constitutes more than half of the county’s total land area. These
farms collectively sold almost $54 million of products—approximately 60% of which was earned
through the sale of livestock and 40% through the sale of crops. The $54 million dollars of sales

makes the county the 16th highest value producer of agricultural products out of the 95 counties in the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
One of the most essential resources for a strong agricultural economy is an abundance of
undeveloped productive land that can be used for farming and ranching. This need for agricultural
lands was one of the primary motivating factors that first led the county to create its Service District
framework as a way to guide and concentrate development to preserve its farmland resources.
In 2015, Fauquier County became the first county in Virginia to reach the milestone of 100,000 acres
dedicated to various forms of conservation easement. Included in this figure are more than 12,600
acres of farmland (2018) that have been preserved and protected through the County’s Purchase of
Development Rights (PDR) program. Fauquier is currently the leader in the State for PDR farmland
preservation.
Policies
1. Maintain active support of agricultural land uses through programs of the Agricultural
Department that provide agricultural assistance, community education, marketing strategies,
information on agricultural support businesses, and information about alternative agricultural
uses.
2. Maintain the county’s framework of policies and programs that support the preservation of the
rural land base for farming, including Land Use Taxation, Agricultural and Forestal Districts,
Purchase of Development Rights, Conservation Easements, Sliding Scale Zoning and related
policies and regulations that assist in maintaining the viability of farming in Fauquier County.
3. Explore opportunities and resources to develop an agricultural grant fund to assist farmers.
4. Utilize the existing “Fauquier Agriculture: Home Grown” logo and branding to develop and
implement a signage program building awareness for Fauquier as an agricultural community
and educate the general public about the importance of agriculture to the County economy.
5. Continue to provide education and training related to farming through the public schools, Lord
Fairfax Community College and the Fauquier Education Farm, which operates the Beginning
Farmer Training Program and the Farm Incubator Program.
6. Promote Fauquier farm product labeling “Fauquier Agriculture: Home Grown.”
7. Continue and promote the Fauquier Farm Link program, a free service to farmers and those
looking for farmland.
On Farm/Value Added Activities

Value added activities on farms include small businesses that are a logical extension of the farm use,
including farm product sales and services related to agriculture (i.e., farm co-ops, wayside stands,
welding services, farm machinery repair, rental and leasing), to provide economical and convenient
services to the rural economy, and to provide for the operation of home-based businesses that are
compatible with the rural landscape. Such uses should be compatible in scale, size, and intensity with
the primary agricultural use and the rural environment, and be subject to performance standards.
Interest in these activities is likely to grow as more people take an interest in local foods and
developing relationships with local farmers. In 2012, 143 farms in the county reported making direct
food sales to customers as part of their farm income. This figure increased over 50% from 2007, when
only 95 farms reported making such sales. Additionally, 119 farms reported producing and selling
value-added commodities.

Policies
1. Utilize a coordinated service approach to assist rural landowners in the review and
development of alternatives to preserve the agricultural potential on individual farms,
coordinate a rural design service, and assist landowners in filing applications that support
agricultural uses in the rural areas.
2. Allow a range of on-farm uses by right on working farms to allow a rural property owner access
to additional sources of income to supplement revenue from agricultural products, subject to
performance criteria.
3. Review and refine zoning regulations to streamline permitting and approval procedures so that
value-added facilities can be more easily added to farming operations.
4. Continue to promote the creation of direct marketing initiatives such as farmers markets,
regional food hubs and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)
5. Encourage and promote the production of farm products suited for local and direct sales to
regional customers, including residents, restaurants, stores, co-ops, and markets.
Wayside Farm Stands

Wayside farm stands provide an additional point of sale for agricultural goods and can supplement the
income of local farmers. They can also help enhance the agricultural identity of the county by creating
more opportunities for residents to directly connect with local farmers and consume local foods.
Current regulations limit wayside stand operators to the sale of items produced on the property. They
also require wayside stand structures to be removed during the non-growing season. With proper
regulatory safeguards, these regulations could be modified to enhance farm income without detracting
from the basic rural character and setting or overall agricultural economy in the rural lands. For
example, allowing limited sales of complementary products such as on-site refreshments and allowing
compatibly designed year-round stands can help create more sustaining income from a wayside farm
stand.
Policies
1. Consider permitting the limited sale of non-locally produced items at the stand, such as cold
beverages, that may enhance the desirability of the stands for customers.
2. Consider permitting the sale of agricultural items produced by the market operators on
properties they own in the county other than that on which the wayside stand is located (in
cases where the operator cultivates multiple, non-adjacent agricultural parcels). Additionally,
consider allowing a collection of properties located in reasonable proximity to utilize the same
wayside stand.
3. Consider allowing permanent semi-enclosed structures such as detached covered
patios/pavilions that are compatible in material, scale and architecture to the other agricultural
structures on the site.
4. Ensure that wayside market operators comply with applicable official standards regarding
quality, packaging, and labeling of products.

Equipment and Supplies

The County supports the development of businesses necessary to support the County’s agricultural,
equine and other farm industries, including agricultural equipment sales, rental, and repair services,
veterinary services, product storage, and seed supply.
Policies
1. Support the development of businesses necessary to support the County’s agricultural and
equine industry, including agricultural equipment sales, rental, and repair services, veterinary
services, product storage, and seed supply.
2. In select rural crossroads settlements that are not in Village zones, consider designation of
“rural agricultural support zones” with protective standards to allow services and facilities to
support the county’s agricultural and farm-related businesses, and permit light or cottage
industry type uses of a scale greater than would be permitted under RA zoning.
3. Promote the establishment and expansion of cooperative infrastructure in the rural lands such
as cold storage, processing and equipment co-ops for sales, service, rental, and sharing, and
meat and produce processing facilities, with defined standards.
Aggregation Facilities
Marketing local foods and agricultural products depends on the availability of local distribution facilities
such as warehouses and cold storage for locally grown produce and meat. When a number of value-
added and processing services are aggregated into a facility serving a whole community of farmers,
these centers are sometimes called “food hubs.” The Agricultural Department is currently
coordinating the regional Food Port Feasibility Study. These centers can help connect farms to
consumers and provide more opportunities for agricultural uses to thrive in rural areas. The County
should consider amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to help support the marketing of local food and
agricultural products with small distribution centers.
Policies
1. Change zoning regulations to permit appropriately-scaled collection and distribution facilities
for local agricultural products in the village or rural agriculture zones. Consider allowing these
uses administratively with performance standards to ensure protection of rural character.
2. Limit the size of distribution and processing centers in the rural lands to the lesser of 50,000
square feet or one percent of the total project acreage and ensure that they are limited to
supporting agricultural uses and to serving the local farming community.
3. Ensure that distribution and processing centers are located on roads that are easily
accessible, can support the additional truck traffic and do not adversely affect nearby rural
residential uses.
Equine and Other Animal Activities

Equine activities are a significant part of the rural economy the County. In 2012, 5,282 horses were
reported living on 569 farms in Fauquier County, 147 of which conducted animal sales. That year, 450
horses were sold for a value of $2,139,000 and Fauquier was ranked second in the state in terms of
horse and pony inventory.

In addition to horse farms, Fauquier County is notable in the state for its well-known equine events
such as the 3-day events, Virginia Gold Cup and the International Gold Cup steeplechase races,
hosted at Great Meadow event center in Old Tavern. These events draw tens of thousands of visitors
to the county every year. There are smaller steeplechase, point-to-point, polo and similar events held
through the County. The Upperville Colt and Horse Show is the oldest horse show in the country,
established in 1853. It now operates for two consecutive weeks in June, drawing thousands of
visitors from all over the world. The County also has a long heritage in fox hunting and at least eight
local hunts are wholly or partly in the county. The Piedmont Fox Hounds, founded in 1840, is the
oldest continuing hunt in the United States.
At the same time, many of the county’s horse operations are on small acreage farms or large
residential parcels. While equine farms, activities, and events are important elements of the rural
culture of the county, small acreage operations can also create unintended negative consequences if
they are not properly maintained. Often there are too many horses on small acreage, which can be
detrimental to the health of the horses themselves, as well as damaging grazing lands and
surrounding water resources. Improper grazing and waste/manure management techniques can
increase nutrient loads in waterways, spread harmful bacteria, and cause erosion that diminishes both
the fertility of the soil and water quality.
Other animal activities also represent a significant part of the County’s rural economy. Animal
activities include those involving alpacas, bees, cats, dogs, donkeys, goats, rabbits and sheep, to
name but a few. Some of these have impacts similar to the traditional livestock and pasture
agriculture associated with cattle, but others such as kennels have unique impacts related to noise
and potentially transportation infrastructure.
There are a number of important factors to consider in protecting environmental degradation of the
land from small animal husbandry, boarding and breeding operations. These factors to consider
include:
Size and location of animal waste piles and use of manure compost piles
Setbacks from waterways and wells for various animal facilities and activities
Location and maintenance of animal washing areas
Use of pesticides
Disposing of unused pharmaceuticals
Managing animal mortality
Grazing area per animal
Pasture management (mowing, rotation, compost fertilization)
Natural and built buffers and filter strips between pasture and water resources
Water access points for animals
Policies
1. Continue to support strong equine and animal related industries while managing potential
environmental impacts from the increase in more densely developed smaller operations.

2. Recognize both the commercial and recreational aspects of animal related industries as an
important component of the rural economy, promote its expansion and amend County
ordinances as appropriate to reflect the current practices and needs of the industry.
3. Encourage an environment supportive of the ownership and boarding of horses, for both
commercial and recreational use, by promoting land development practices that preserve large
tracts of land appropriate for grazing, growing hay, and riding horses.
4. Review county standards for equine and other animal breeding operations and consider
additional standards to protect waterways and environmental features from degradation based
on the considerations listed above.
5. Seek to educate county horse and other grazing animal operations on the suite of incentive
and funding programs available to them to help maintain environmental quality in their
operations, such as the Virginia Horse Breeder Incentive Program (Code of Virginia § 59.1-
372), the Agricultural BMP Revolving Loan Program, the Agricultural Best Management
Practices Tax Credit Program and other cost share programs available from the state.
6. Support the development of an equine quarantine facility at Dulles International Airport.
7. Support the development of businesses necessary to support the equine and other animal
industries, including equipment and supply services, and veterinary services.
8. Encourage rural development proposals and private landowners who are interested to provide
easements for the creation of an equestrian trail network.
9. Ensure that vehicle traffic associated with an animal activity is appropriate for the roads
required to access the property.
10. Require animal activities that could impact neighboring properties through noise to mitigate
their impacts to the greatest extent practicable through facility siting and noise attenuation
efforts.
Transportation
The movement of large farming equipment on roads from one farm to another, or between different
sections of the same farm, can be a challenging and dangerous task. This is especially true if other
drivers on these roads are not expecting to encounter farming equipment, do not know how to safely
pass these vehicles, or do not have proper consideration to share the road with farm vehicles. It is
therefore important that rural roads have proper signage alerting drivers to the potential of farm
equipment utilizing the roads and designs to facilitate the safe movement of the equipment in rural
areas.
Policies
1. Work with VDOT to make strategic improvements along key rural/farming roads to improve the
safety of moving farm equipment, including shoulder widenings and pullouts where possible.
2. Work with law enforcement to address the concerns and questions as well as to educate the
driving public as to traffic protocols when encountering farm vehicles.
3. Work with VDOT to install caution signage where necessary along rural roads that experience
frequent large equipment travel.
4. On roads with higher traffic volumes and frequent farm equipment travel, such as Route 28,
work with VDOT to install pull-off areas in strategic locations.

B. Rural Tourism
Fauquier County’s legacy of preservation of its rural lands has provided many practical benefits in the
realms of agriculture and natural resource conservation. The county’s relatively intact rural setting is
also valued by many people for its beauty and recreational opportunities. Drawing on this interest,
some rural landowners have begun to utilize their properties not only for production, but also as sites
to host events and activities for rural tourism.
These rural tourism activities can provide an important supplemental source of income for rural
property owners and help preserve the land from development. They can also create jobs for other
residents of these communities. The Virginia Tourism Corporation reported that tourists spent $174
million dollars in Fauquier County in 2016.6 This spending supports about 1,800 jobs in the food-
service, lodging, entertainment and recreation, retail, and transportation industries in the County. The
table below shows the growth in key measures of tourism impacts in Fauquier County.
Table 1 - Economic Impacts of Tourism in Fauquier County (source: Virginia Tourism Corporation
Economic Percent
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Impact Change
Employment 1,702 1,685 1,715 1,782 1,836 8.0%
Expenditures $160 million $156 million $162 million $168 million $174 million 8.8%
Local Tax $2.6 million $2.6 million $2.7 million $2.8 million $3.0 million 15.4%
Receipts
Payroll $30.2 million $30.1 million $31.1 million $33.0 million $34.9 million 15.6%
State Tax $7.4 million $7.2 million $7.6 million $8.1 million $8.5 million 14.9%
Receipts
While tourism has significant economic benefits for the County, it is critical that tourism related
facilities and operations do not interfere with the operations of adjacent properties, nor detract from
the rural qualities that attract people to these areas. Like other rural businesses, a tourism enterprise
should only be permitted to operate in rural areas if the attraction is directly related to and dependent
upon the existing rural context. Examples discussed in greater depth in this section include
agritourism, ecotourism, and heritage tourism activities.
All tourism enterprises should operate with the understanding that the primary uses of rural areas
remains agriculture, historic preservation and natural resource conservation. Tourism should operate
as a supporting activity for those uses, rather than an alternative to them. Conflicts that occur between
tourism and these primary uses should be settled in favor of the primary uses.
6The Virginia Tourism Corporation defines a tourist as a person that spends the night or travels more than 50
miles for a visit.

General Tourism Policies

One issue common to all rural tourism enterprises is the concern that the operation does not disrupt
the character or functionality of the rural area. Elements to consider in regard to this issue include
traffic generation, the scale and placement of buildings, frequency of events and activity, operating
hours of activities, the size and appearance of signage, and levels of noise or light produced by the
activities.
Any facilities involved in the tourism enterprise should not be distinctly different in size or appearance
than those used by other rural businesses. The approval of a tourism operation should be contingent
upon adequate infrastructure capacity, minimal interference with farming, cultural, and natural
resources, and potential impacts on adjoining properties and the surrounding community.
Policies
1. Fauquier County will protect the County’s historic, cultural, and natural resource-based
tourism activities and assets, and support and promote the wine trail, farms tours,
interpreted battlefield sites and similar tourism opportunities in the County.
2. Permanent structures that support rural tourism enterprises should support activities that
derive their value from the natural resources found on the property, such as forests, natural
water features, or agriculture. An example would be a tasting room for sampling wine,
beer, or spirits produced and bottled on the property, and that were made from agricultural
products grown on the property.
3. Permanent structures that support a rural tourism enterprise should be significantly
setback from the property boundaries, be of an appropriate size considering the
infrastructure in the County’s rural areas, not obstruct views of significant natural features
from adjacent properties or public roads, and minimize light and noise pollution.
4. The operating hours of a rural tourism enterprise should be consistent with the operating
hours of other, similar businesses permitted in the RA or RC districts.
5. Explore requiring special exceptions for events or capacity at farm breweries, cideries
(similar to those of farm wineries) and bona fide agricultural operations for over 200
persons and for other events in the rural area for over 150 persons. These special events
should promote or support agricultural production or a uniquely rural activity.
6. Event centers, resorts and similar facilities located in the rural areas should derive their
value from the historic and natural resources and agricultural nature of the County, and
contribute to their preservation and enhancement.
Agritourism
Agritourism is a term that is applied to activities that allow visitors to tour some or all of an operational
farm, participate in the cultivation or harvest of farm products, purchase and consume products grown
directly on the farm, or participate in festivals or events related to significant agricultural seasons or
events. Examples include farm tours, pick-your-own farm operations, roadside farm-stands, wineries,
or fall harvest festivals. In 2012, 36 farms reported earning income from agri-tourism activities—a
figure that more than doubled from the 2007 figure of 17 farms. These activities can often bring in
additional revenue to help sustain the farming operation.

Acceptable agritourism enterprises in the rural lands must be incidental to and directly supportive of
the agricultural use of the property. Events and facilities should not have significant impacts on the
agricultural viability of the farm or the rural character of the area in which it is located.
Policies
1. Review existing regulations and requirements to minimize possible impediments to the
agritourism business as well as impacts onto adjoining properties and the community.
2. Limit food and/or beverages sold as part of the agritourism activity to principally those value-
added products produced from or grown on the farm or other farms in Fauquier County, unless
they are secondary and incidental to the primary agri-tourism business. In all cases, the use of
principally locally grown or produced food and/or beverages is encouraged.
3. Consider a special exception approach to allow larger farm market operations, while
maintaining farm markets focusing principally on locally produced products, to include limited
convenience and prepared foods.
4. Limit agritourism enterprises to operating farms with a defined minimum acreage of land in
active cultivation.
Eco Tourism
Ecotourism is a term that is applied to enterprises that provide equipment and/or access in order to
allow visitors to participate in outdoor recreational activities in a natural environmental setting that
feature little or no human development activity. Examples of ecotourism include hiking, mountain
biking, canoeing and kayaking, river tubing, fishing, hunting, camping, and rock climbing.
Ecotourism activities typically require, or at least benefit from, a rural setting. The demand for
ecotourism opportunities is often very high in rural areas adjacent to large metropolitan areas, whose
residents are unlikely to have easy access to these natural environmental settings in direct vicinity to
their homes.
Fauquier County sits poised between the richness of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge ecosystems that
provide ample ecological diversity and natural resources that are attractive to eco-tourism. It also
benefits from recreational amenities that complement private eco-tourism initiatives and support that
aspect of the rural economy. These include; the Appalachian Trail, the Rappahannock River, Sky
Meadows State Park, and the George Thompson and Phelps wildlife areas.
Policies
1. Identify entities providing ecotourism services, map existing ecotourism assets, and identify
and map potential assets that could be developed to support the ecotourism industry.
2. Facilitate public accessibility to recreational activities and participation in the ecotourism
industry by enhancing recreational opportunities on county parkland and lands near important
natural assets.
3. Support ecotourism in the county through partnerships with state and federal and natural lands
in the county to create compatible and ecologically sound tourism opportunities.
4. Update zoning regulations related to outdoor recreational uses to better address and permit
eco-tourism activities that should be available in the rural lands.

5. Encourage recreational uses of the Rappahannock River that do not pollute the waters,
identify river crossings where public access would support these recreational uses, and pursue
opportunities to acquire rights of way necessary to develop primitive boat landings in these
locations.
6. Pursue opportunities to develop trails and multi-use paths for recreational use, and prioritize
those that link villages and service districts.
7. Complete the development of the Rappahannock Station Battlefield Park.
Heritage Tourism
Heritage tourism activities involve the visitation and historical interpretation of structures, landscapes,
or geographic locations that possess notable cultural or historic significance. Heritage tourism
enterprises may allow visitors to participate in tours or activities that allow them to more directly
experience the historical context associated with the attractions. The purpose of these attractions,
events, or experiences should be to allow visitors to develop a better understanding and appreciation
of the local heritage and culture, which ultimately works towards the protection of the resources and
the rural and historic character of the county.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines heritage tourism as “traveling to experience the
places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and
present.” It is authenticity that adds real value and appeal to the visitor. The true story of a
destination or area is what distinguishes one area from another.
Preserving the county’s history is part of the Fauquier County Parks and Recreation Department’s
mission. Table 2 below describes the nine historical areas managed by the department that contribute
to the county’s heritage tourism potential.
Table 2 - Fauquier County Parks and Recreation Department Managed Historic Sites
Historic Site Description

Monroe Park The Gold Mining Camp Museum at Monroe Park, in Goldvein,
Virginia, celebrates Fauquier County's mining heritage.
Warrenton Branch This trail in downtown Warrenton was constructed over the original
Greenway supply line for troops during the Civil War.
Upperville Park The park located on Vineyard Hill is the site of the Battle of
Upperville in June 1863 as a lead up to the Battle of Gettysburg.
Vint Hill Village Green Built in 1942 (and closing in 1997) by the U. S. Army, Vint Hill
Farms Station was used to develop and implement highly sensitive
electronics and surveillance systems during World War II and the
Cold War.
John Marshall Birthplace John Marshall, future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was born
Park in a log cabin on September 24, 1755 on land in Germantown. The
John Marshall Birthplace Park became Fauquier County’s first
public park in the late 1970s.
Rappahannock Station Situated near a railroad and on the banks of the Rappahannock
River, the area was the site of two significant Civil War battles and
is designated for the proposed Rappahannock Station Park.
Germantown Germantown was Fauquier County’s first permanent settlement,
founded by German miners.

Historic Site Description

School House #18 One of the first “free public schools.” The Schoolhouse #18 building
was constructed in 1887 and is on the National Register of Historic
Places as a Virginia Historic Landmark.
Vint Hill Theatre The Vint Hill Theater is a rare surviving example of a venue
designed for a single-screen cinema, historically significant for both
architectural design and for its war-time association with the Vint
Hill Farms Station army base.
A 2009 study for the U.S. Cultural and Heritage Marketing Council, in conjunction with the U.S.
Department of Commerce, revealed that 78% of U.S. leisure travelers enjoy cultural and/or heritage
activities while traveling. This continues a trend identified in a 2003 study conducted by the Travel
Industry Association of America, and demonstrates the importance of heritage tourism for the County.
Heritage and cultural travelers consistently stay longer and spend more money than other types of
leisure travelers, averaging about $994 per trip. The most prevalent activities include visiting historic
sites (66%), attending historical re-enactments (64%) visiting museums and galleries (54%) and
attending fairs or festivals (45%). Heritage tourism is a powerful tool to bring preservation and
economic development together. It contributes to Fauquier County’s economy by generating revenue,
creating new jobs, and providing opportunities for small businesses. The National Trust has
developed Five Guiding Principles for a Successful Heritage Tourism Program, which could be
implemented in Fauquier. They are described in more detail in Chapter 2B.
Policies
1. Encourage adaptive reuse in historic buildings in appropriate locations such as crossroads
communities in the rural lands.
2. Promote reuse of historic structures that support agricultural and forestal uses as heritage
and rural tourism destinations subject to performance and location criteria in the rural
lands.
3. Explore strategies to encourage the adaptive reuse of historic buildings for cottage
industries, artist and craftsman residencies or galleries. Consider code updates; financial
incentives for adaptive reuse; and recruitment of developers, people, and businesses to
reuse and fill these spaces.
4. Implement the 5 Guiding Principles for Developing a Successful Heritage Tourism
Program. Work to build stronger relationships between community leaders, historic site
owners/operators, artists, business owners, and others to support heritage/cultural tourism.
5. Collaborate to develop innovative strategies that better promote heritage tourism
opportunities throughout the county.
Services and Promotion

One of the most important ways that the County can support rural tourism development is through the
continued preservation of the rural setting itself—protecting natural and agricultural lands from
development and maintaining the traditional character of rural buildings and villages.
In addition to these efforts, however, the County can also aid in the development of rural tourism
opportunities by promoting attractions and utilizing standards and policies that permit the development
of businesses and services that can support compatible rural tourism enterprises.

Policies
1. Market specialized Fauquier County products in order to support the creation and expansion of
alternative rural land based businesses and promote a diversity of agricultural products.
2. Continue to produce the Farm Fresh brochure highlighting locations offering locally grown
products as well as farm tours, farmers markets and pick-your-own operations.
3. Work with the County’s Economic Development and Agricultural Development Departments,
the Fauquier Chamber and other local entities to promote rural tourism, including: the
marketing of rural tourist businesses, the production of brochures highlighting vineyards,
farmers’ markets, wayside stands and pick-your-own operations; tourism events such as farm
tours; the promotion of historic and rural overlay districts, non-traditional and direct market
businesses for their tourism value; and the tourism efforts of the incorporated towns.
4. Facilitate the marketing of rural hospitality businesses, such as bed and breakfasts and
country inns of limited size and scale, which preserve the rural character and minimize impacts
while offering services that support rural tourism.
C. Rural Businesses
Due to the attractiveness, cost and undeveloped quality of rural land in Fauquier County, commercial
developers frequently approach the County with requests to develop businesses on rural sites.
Consistent with the approach utilized since its first comprehensive plan, the County continues to
discourage these types of developments, based on its fundamental commitment to retaining the rural
area as an essential asset of Fauquier County. Commercial uses that are not compatible with the
dominant agricultural land use pattern should be directed to locate in towns and Service Districts.
This does not mean, however, that all businesses and services are inappropriate for the rural context.
Small businesses that are consistent with the rural economy and culture can offer services to rural
residents, help farms stay economically viable and may provide valuable contributions to the vitality of
the County’s rural areas. Likewise, small home-based businesses can provide rural communities with
important alternative sources of income that contribute to the diversity and stability of the rural
economy.
The County may permit non-agriculturally related commercial uses by special exception or special
permit in the rural lands if the use is agriculturally and rurally compatible in scale and intensity; poses
no threat to public health, safety and welfare; contributes to the preservation of historically significant
structures or landscapes; and if it helps to preserve farmland and open space and continue
agricultural operations.
Background
While most jobs in the county are in the Service Districts, the rural areas also contribute significantly
to the county’s economic success. 2014 data from the US Census indicates that 4,582 jobs were in
the rural areas of Fauquier County. Almost 40% of these jobs report incomes greater than $3,333
dollars per month.

The top five non-agricultural industry sectors for jobs in rural areas include “Construction” (20.4%),
“Administration and Support, Waste Management and Remediation” (9.2%), Manufacturing (8.5%),
“Other Services - Excluding Public Administration” (6.7%), and “Educational Services” (6.2%).
A distinct difference exists between the types of industries located in the northern and southern halves
of the County. The table below shows the top job categories for the northern half and southern half of
the county. These job categories make up more than 65% of the total jobs in each respective half of
the county.
Northern Fauquier Southern Fauquier

Information Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Finance and Insurance Utilities
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Construction
Health Care and Social Assistance Wholesale Trade
Accommodation and Food Service
This distribution of jobs suggests the presence of small and home-based businesses for a relatively
well-educated and skilled workforce in the northern portion of the County. Meanwhile, the southern
portion of the County has a larger percentage of contractor facilities, major home occupations with
vehicles and equipment, and similar operations.
Home Occupations
One of the greatest challenges facing most rural communities is the limited availability of employment
opportunities. Residents who do not work in traditional rural professions such as agriculture or forestry
are often forced to commute long distances to find work in nearby suburban and urban areas. This
contributes to congestion on county roads, less local tax base and potentially a lesser sense of
commitment to the place one lives.
An increasingly available option for some rural residents is the possibility of working directly from their
homes. These opportunities have become more numerous as telecommuting technologies have
improved and the practice has acquired increased credibility and acceptance with employers.
Home occupations can take many forms from telecommuting to major home occupations, with a
potentially greater impact, such as small contracting businesses and auto repair garages. These
types of businesses may be attracted to rural areas by lower land prices and the potential to locate
further from neighbors, reducing the risk of nuisance complaints. However, these businesses may
operate at a larger scale than is typically allowed in rural areas, resulting in impacts to adjacent
properties.
The aging of the County population, particularly with the growing number of older “baby boomers,”
can offer a unique opportunity as this group sees a growing number of entrepreneurs. In fact, the
highest number of business start-ups in the country are created from those 55 and older. Fauquier
County should encourage both home-based occupations and telecommuting as a way to attract and
retain rural residents within the existing rural setting without the need to attract new forms and types
of development in order to serve local employment needs.

Policies
1. Continue supporting the expansion of broadband and cellular infrastructure to ensure
complete service coverage of high speed internet and cell service.
2. Manage the visual impacts of cell towers and other broadband infrastructure through
appropriate standards in the Zoning Ordinance and compatible antenna structures such as
silo-mounted flat antennas with less visual impact on the rural landscape.
3. Promote the use of the County’s “enterprise centers” to provide office space, resources, and
strategic guidance for fledgling home-based businesses.
4. Ensure that contractor and vehicle-oriented home businesses minimize visual and other
impacts on nearby properties.
Rural Businesses and Services

In addition to the lack of employment opportunities, another challenge facing our rural community is
the limited availability of stores and services providing easy access to basic needs. An
overdevelopment of businesses in the rural area could easily diminish the rural setting and character,
but too great a lack of business and services could also hurt the rural economy, leading to stagnation
or demands for new forms of development.
By facilitating the development or redevelopment of strategically located small-scale businesses, the
County can enhance the vitality and sustainability of its rural areas, while also creating additional
employment opportunities. Note that rural businesses and services are most appropriately located in
the County’s rural settlements, which were the traditional locations for the basic goods and services
available to a farm community.
The primary purpose of these businesses would be to provide essential goods and services for their
immediate area. Therefore, they should be limited in size, with carefully delineated permissible uses.
Reusing existing buildings, especially historic buildings, is preferable to building new structures. Such
existing buildings would need to be renovated and reused at a scale that is appropriate for the area
and does not require additional infrastructure. Expansions of infrastructure, such as roads, water, or
sewer, should not be provided to the types of rural settlements that are appropriate locations for these
kinds of businesses and services.
Policies
1. Consider allowing small-scale, supportive uses within the rural settlements according to their
plans. Examples of such uses are small “country” stores, small business offices, day care
facilities, plumbing services and doctor/dentist offices.
2. Consider allowing community centers and religious institutions at an appropriate scale in rural
settlements without legislative review if they reuse existing structures.
3. Explore “seeding” programs to rehabilitate and repurpose strategically located but underused
commercial structures or sites in rural areas in order to encourage purchase and reuse.
Alternative Energy Operations

While solar panels as a supplemental source of power have long been in use for residential and farm
operations, recent developments in the industry have seen the expansion of utility scale photovoltaic
energy generation facilities appearing in rural areas. Utility scale solar operations are subject to

federal and state review, which reduces the regulatory considerations of local governments. As large
scale solar farms become more common, however, the County may consider adding additional
safeguards in its regulations to ensure that these operations don’t detract from the rural character of
the county and from the traditional and emerging farm economy. Currently solar energy operations
are considered as an industrial use in the county because they are a public utility. As the industry
expands, the County should reaffirm its policy principles of ensuring that these uses do not detract
from the basic agricultural character and economy of its rural lands.
Wind energy production is another topic for the County to consider. While the industry has grown
rapidly across the United States, there are no commercial wind farms in Virginia, and only one located
in Botetourt County that is permitted. Data from the U.S. Energy Department show that Virginia has
relatively less potential wind capacity than most of the country.7 However, ridge lines tend to have
more potential, and it is along a ridge line that the Botetourt County wind farm has been proposed.
Fauquier’s ridges could attract the interest of wind farm development in the future as technologies
advance and make wind power feasible in parts of the country where it has not yet been developed.
The County may consider adding safeguards in its regulations to ensure that any future wind farm
operations do not detract from the rural character of the county and from the traditional and emerging
farm economy. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has developed model wind
ordinances for utility, community, and residential scale facilities that are a resource the County may
consider adopting in the future, with modifications to reflect local considerations.
Policies
1. Maintain the designation of photovoltaic or solar energy generating facilities as an industrial
use in the Zoning Ordinance.
2. Explore additional standards for locating solar generating facilities to ensure preservation of
environmental, cultural, and scenic resources and maintaining prime agricultural lands for
agriculture.
3. Continue to prohibit alternative energy operations from land located within the PDR program.
4. Consider specific visual screening and environmental standards for solar generating facilities
to ensure their compatibility in the rural landscape, such as setbacks and height restrictions,
visual screening, glare reduction and low-impact BMPs.
5. Consider allowing utility scale wind energy facilities by special exception permit in the rural
conservation and rural agriculture districts with standards to ensure their compatibility with the
rural landscape. These standards may address setbacks, height, lighting, shadow flicker,
separation between turbines, lot size per turbine, signage, sound, and placement of
transmission lines, as well as impacts on prime agricultural lands. Require analyses of the
impacts of proposed utility scale wind energy projects on views, sound, historic or cultural
resources, and shadow flicker.
6. Consider requiring a decommissioning plan for utility scale wind and solar energy projects that
provides information on the project’s life space, cost to decommission the wind farm, the
manner in which the wind farm will be decommissioned and the site restored, and the methods
by which funds will be available for decommissioning and restoration.
7 https://energy.gov/eere/wind/wind-resource-assessment-and-characterization

7. Consider utility scale wind and solar energy project in locations where they have minimal
impact on the natural environment, wildlife, views, and nearby land uses. They should not be
located on prime agricultural soils or require the deforestation of the property.
8. Encourage low maintenance ground cover and activities on solar facilities, such as bee
pollinating plantings, native plantings, beekeeping and sheep grazing, that provide other
ecological benefits.
Wineries/Breweries/Distilleries/Cideries
Alcohol production is a growing and vital part of many rural economies. It is also an example of a
form of farming that can be very successful on smaller parcels. Vineyards of 5 acres are very
common. Farm wineries and cideries are licensed by the Commonwealth to produce fermented
beverages from their produce, and are a growing part of the local agricultural economy. Producing
wine, cider or other fermented beverages from fruit grown on their land and on other local farms can
enable landowners to diversify the agricultural economy, particularly on small land holdings. Farm
breweries, where agricultural products such as barley, grains, hops, or fruit are processed into beer,
are also agricultural uses that could be located in the County and use local crops. At the same time,
issues resulting from high numbers of visitors including traffic and noise should be properly managed
to ensure the compatibility of winery, breweries, distillery, and cidery operations with the rural
character of the county.
Policies
1. Continue to provide support to wineries, cideries, distilleries and farm breweries as part of the
county’s agricultural support activities.
2. Develop consistent regulations for wineries, distilleries, cideries and breweries to ensure the
impact on the rural character are minimized.
3. Ensure that new winery, brewery, distillery, and cidery operations are truly compatible with the
local farm economy, relate directly to the rural lands and need a rural land location in order to
be successful. For example, this can be accomplished by ensuring that the majority of the
grapes used in the production of wine are grown on site.
4. Review the special use permits and special exception standards for events at farm wineries to
ensure they are consistent with the state code (§ 15.2-2288.3) and effectively balance the
County’s desire to preserve the rural landscape while promoting rural economic development.
Also consider extending these rules, or adopting similar rules, for events with more than 200
persons at farm breweries, distilleries, cideries and bona fide agricultural operations.
5. Consider by right standards for parking and number of events that are scaled to the winery
operation and the acreage in production. For example, setting a base number of events a year
with proportional parking allowances and then allowing additional events and parking for
additional acreages of farm land.
6. Update the winery ordinance to encompass other forms of alcohol production, such as
breweries and distilleries, and accessory use.
7. Consider approaches to limit the proximity of “event-oriented” wineries to one another,
exploring the impacts to the road network, neighborhood and other impacts.

Fauquier County Rural Lands Plan Draft

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Fauquier County

Rural Lands Plan

Fauquier County Department of Community Development

CHAPTER 8. RURAL LANDS

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 1

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 2

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 3

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 4

Existing Pattern of Development

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 5

New Residential Construction

Land Conservation Trends

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 6

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 7

The County also uses two other preservation

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 8

Inflation Adjusted Change in Sales by Commodity

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 9

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 10

PART 2. RURAL CHARACTER

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 11

Zoning and Subdivision

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 12

Land Use Taxation

Purchase of Development Rights Program

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 13

Agricultural and Forestal Districts

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 14

Rural Settlements and Settlement Edges

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 15

Rural Historic Resources

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 16

Water Resources and Groundwater Protection

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 17

Septic and Wastewater Management

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 18

3. Encourage the development of environmentally compatible alternative systems and communal

Transportation and Roadway Design

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 19

Rural Architectural Character

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 20

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 21

Dark Sky Protection

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 22

PART 3. RURAL ECONOMY

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 23

General Rural Economy

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 24

On Farm/Value Added Activities

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 25

Wayside Farm Stands

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 26

Equipment and Supplies

Equine and Other Animal Activities

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 27

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 28

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 29

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 30

General Tourism Policies

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 31

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 32

Historic Site Description

Rural Lands Plan – DRAFT May 2018 33

Historic Site Description