Commissioners on Aug. 18 pressed county planning staff to clarify and strengthen landscaping and buffer rules intended to protect New Kent’s rural character, and staff said the upcoming development ordinance rewrite will include stakeholder work groups to address the issues.

Miss Nelson, a commissioner, used images from recent development to argue the county needs clearer definitions and consistent setbacks so new subdivisions are less visible from roadways. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” she said, adding that developers and plan drawings sometimes substitute slender trees that “are not a buffer” in the sense residents expect.

Planning staff opened the discussion by noting staff had circulated a guide to buffers and asked for commissioner input. Staff said the county enforces landscaping and buffer requirements during plan review and before release of surety or issuance of certificates of occupancy, but acknowledged limits on routine field monitoring: “we don't really have the staff to be going out there on a regular basis and monitor every subdivision in the county,” staff said, and that enforcement often proceeds after an inspection or complaint or at CO review.

Commissioners and staff discussed multiple practical questions: how buffers interact with building setbacks, whether the code should prioritize “visual” versus “dense” buffers, what plant sizes and species should be required, and how homeowners associations or individual homeowners should be expected to maintain common buffers. Ms. Bennett suggested an advisory group to help refine the rules; planning staff said the development ordinance rewrite process will likely include small stakeholder work groups on specific sections to gather targeted input.

Staff also told commissioners the planning office’s request for proposals on the development ordinance rewrite has been reviewed by the county attorney and will be posted soon, with the expectation of a multiple‑week proposal period and subsequent consultant selection.

No formal action was taken; the exchange ended with staff inviting commissioners to submit examples and participate in future stakeholder work groups as the rewrite proceeds.