The 25-acre zoning restriction for land parcels outside the villages has clearly become a defining feature of Rappahannock, one that distinguishes it as a rural oasis in a region of hyper-development. Many residents believe that strict zoning and density ordinances have slowed population growth and spared Rappahannock “the environmentally destructive growth we see in the counties around us. We take credit for comprehensive planning happening here before it was required.”Quote from Philip Irwin, founding member of the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection and the Piedmont Environmental Council, in Christopher Connell, “Foothills Forum Survey, Part Three: Frozen in time,” Rappahannock News, 28 April 2016, updated 9 July 2019
