“The old high school, we need to decide what we’re going to do with it,” said District 3 supervisor Jim Long at last Thursday’s supervisors’ meeting.

After a closed session, the board voted to hold a public hearing at its next meeting to seek citizen input about what the county should do with the property in Heathsville, said county administrator Kenny Eades.

Based on other board action, the solution for at least part of the facility may be to get rid of it.

In open session the board voted to accept sealed bids to dispose of a 24x37-foot mobile classroom unit behind the old high school

District 4 supervisor Tommy Tomlin made the motion to advertise for bids, which was seconded by Long and approved in a 5-0 vote.

Sealed bids are to be clearly marked on the outside “Mobile Classroom Bid” and received no later than October 4 at 10 a.m. at the county administrator’s office.

“That will give us time to bring it before the board of supervisors that month to accept,” said Eades.

A request from Deborah C. Whitaker and Thomas O. Nutt Jr. to make use of old property at another site was entertained during the public hearing session. The owner and applicant requested a conditional use permit to operate a commercial aquaculture business at 861 Main Street in Reedville, property that was once used as a drugstore and grocery store.

Chairman Ronnie Jett moved to approve the request and Long provided a second. The motion carried, 5-0.

“I’m very happy to see that building being used again and I wish you every luck,” said Dick Saxer of Reedville.

The board denied a conditional use permit request from Roy and Julia Bredder to raise sheep on residential waterfront property on Cowart Road in Lottsburg based on a staff recommendation. Zoning administrator W.H Shirley said reports from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found at least eight acres of jurisdictional non-titled wetlands on the property.

“It would take an awful lot of mitigation, buffering, and I just think it would be more detriment to the jurisdictional waters than it would be benefit,” said Tomlin.

District 1 supervisor Joe Self moved to deny the request and was seconded by Long. The motion carried unanimously.

In other business during the September 13 meeting, Eades explained the results of the county’s Chesapeake Bay Act ordinance review, which concluded that five items need correction. Eades said most of these corrections could be made in-house.

“The biggest problem we’re having is we have to guarantee that we’re requiring the soil and water quality conservation assessment for any farmland. The problem that we’ve got with it is that’s confidential information and we can’t get it,” said Eades.

“They’re expecting us to do something we can’t do,” said Tomlin.

Eades noted Northumberland is one of the first bay jurisdictions to go through the review.