Trespassing on property other than owned locally? Watch out!

Trespassing and trash will be on the Board of Supervisors’ October agenda, the Supervisors decided at the September 28, 2021 meeting.

The Board will hold a public hearing to amend the county code. They hope to adopt an ordinance that would allow corporations, individuals, and other landowners to designate the Sheriff as the “person lawfully in charge of the property for the purpose of forbidding another to go or remain upon the lands, buildings, or premises as specified in the designation.” The designation must be made in writing.

The issue came to the county’s attention as the result of multiple trespassing and trash complaints around the Exit 150 area. Certain commercial properties have been having problems with trespassing and the county has been working with commercial property owners to find a remedy, Nicole Pendleton with the County’s Community Development Office, said.

Current remedies are time and resource intensive for the County, Pendleton said. This additional ordinance seemed a better way to address trespassing and trash issues.

Supervisor Chairman Mac Scothorn noted there had recently been issues in the area around Shoney’s in particular, and upon questioning he was reassured that those problems had been addressed and resolved.

                                                                           — Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee