The Henry County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday, July 22, at 3 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. in the Summerlin Room of the Henry County Administration Building. The evening session includes public hearings on a proposed road abandonment, a regional solid waste management plan, and a rezoning request for a potential Airbnb-style rental.
A public hearing will be held on the proposed abandonment of a discontinued section of Virginia 57, Chatham Road. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is requesting the board consider the abandonment of a 0.08-mile section, just west of Stockton Road. This section road is located in the Iriswood District and was discontinued by VDOT in 1983.
Public hearings also are scheduled on:
*A 2025 Regional Solid Waste Management Plan Update. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), through its Waste Management Board, requires each locality to develop and maintain a Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP). The county is partnering with the City of Martinsville and the Town of Ridgeway in a regional SWMP. The plan outlines the long-term strategy and goals set by the three entities concerning solid waste management and requires review and update every five years. A public hearing is required before DEQ can accept the plan.
*A rezoning application submitted by Mark Brogan / Smith River Rentals, LLC for property located at 3775 Fairystone Park Highway, in the Reed Creek District. The applicant is requesting the rezoning of approximately 0.22-acre from Commercial District B-1 to Neighborhood Commercial District B-2. The upstairs of this building already contains two grandfathered apartments. If the rezoning is successful, the applicant has filed for the required Special Use Permit to allow for the conversion of the downstairs into an Air Bed and Breakfast (Airbnb) apartment.
At the 3 p.m. meeting, the board will:
*Consider a Resolution Honoring Public Safety Director Matt Tatum, who plans to retire July 31. Tatum’s career with the county has spanned more than over 22 years.
*County Treasurer Scott Grindstaff will provide an update on delinquent tax collection efforts.
*Mark Heath, president/CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp., will make his monthly update to the Board of Supervisors.
*Penny Hall of the West Piedmont Health District requested time on the agenda for introductions, after recently being hired as the district’s Health Director.
*Sheriff Wayne Davis is asking the board to approve two appropriations totaling $25,223 from State Asset Forfeiture funds. The first is for $13,223 to purchase departmental uniform patches. Davis said the department is in the process of transitioning to new uniforms and this appropriation will allow for the purchase of the newly designed patch for the uniforms. He is also requesting a $12,000 appropriation to support community events sponsored by and or attended by his office, with funds e used to aid in the cost of the various community engagement events and purchases for the events.
*Davis also is asking the board to appropriate $30,000 of grant funds received from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) through its Office of First Responder Wellness grant program. Davis intends to use the funds to purchase cold plunge tubs and dry saunas to install in the male and female locker rooms at the Adult Detention Center to assist in improving recovery, resilience, and overall well-being among the deputies. The grant does not require a local match.
*Commonwealth’s Attorney Andrew Nester is asking the board to approve an additional appropriation of $23,597 from State Asset Forfeiture funds. Nester said $23,000 is requested to cover fiscal year 2026 travel expenses for the office, and $597 is requested to purchase file storage shelving.
*Public Safety Director Matt Tatum is asking the board to consider an additional $30,797 appropriation for the Fieldale-Collinsville Volunteer Rescue Squad (FCVRS) to provide funding for a grant match requirement. Tatum said Public Safety staff assisted FCVRS with applying for a grant through the Rescue Squad Assistance Fund to help buy two 12-Lead Heart Monitors. The total grant awarded was $82,760.09, which requires a local match of $37,796.85. The squad has stated it intends to trade in two existing monitors to receive a $7,000 credit towards the match, leaving $30,797 needed to meet the remaining local match requirement.
*Consider meeting in closed session to discuss appointees to the Blue Ridge Regional Library Board, Patrick & Henry Community College Board, and Roanoke River Basin Association; pending legal matters, the acquisition/disposal of real estate, and as-yet unannounced industries.
* Consider a Resolution Recognizing the 75th Anniversary of the Ridgeway Ruritan Club, initially chartered in 1950.
* Hear a report from VDOT about general highway matters.
