Accomack Planning Commission to have public hearing Wednesday on rezoning Darby Farm for Wallops expansion

The Accomack County Planning Commission is holding a public hearing Wednesday night on a proposal to rezone roughly 369 acres west of Wallops Island Road from Agriculture to Industrial to support future aerospace operations tied to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

Filed by the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (Virginia Space) with land-use counsel John Custis, the application covers seven parcels and portions of two others totaling approximately 368.98 acres near Assawoman. A public hearing before the Accomack County Planning Commission is scheduled for Wednesday evening, October 8, where the case (REZ-000141-2025, “Virginia Space — Darby Farm”) will be heard.

According to the staff report, Virginia Space says the site was acquired to prevent residential encroachment, control the Wallops hazard arc, and reserve land for aerospace manufacturing, support, and related facilities by private companies. Because such uses are not permitted under Agriculture (“A”) zoning, the application seeks Industrial (“I”) zoning.

Staff notes the request aligns with several Comprehensive Plan objectives that promote compatible economic development around Wallops and call for designating additional industrial areas. Although the Future Land Use Map still labels the tract “Agriculture,” the report points to significant aerospace investment since the 2018 plan update and concludes the proposal would not constitute illegal spot zoning.

Four proffers accompany the request: annual emergency-response training for local volunteer fire and rescue departments; limiting primary uses to aerospace manufacturing/assembly and necessary support functions; prohibiting any industrial uses not expressly permitted by the proffers; and filing a subdivision within six months to separate rezoned portions of two large agricultural tracts. The site also lies within the Wallops Island Space Transit Overlay and includes areas subject to the Special Flood Hazard Area and an Agricultural and Forestal District; AFD acreage would be removed automatically upon rezoning.

Partner agencies offered no technical objections at this stage. VDOT and Public Safety said detailed comments may follow during site plan review; the Virginia Department of Health flagged future well/septic and potential waterworks permitting; and ANEC said it will assess electrical capacity once a developer provides load requirements. NASA maintains a sewer line along the north side of Wallops Island Road, but there is no central sewer service on the property today.

Citing consistency with economic-development goals, the Wallops-area growth strategy, and the Industrial district’s stated intent (which includes aerospace manufacturing, repair, and maintenance), staff recommends approval with proffers.