Last month Karen Hiltz and three other Smith Mountain Lake residents filed a lawsuit against the Franklin County Board of Supervisors and developer Trey Park claiming a waterfront spa and resort, known as LakeWatch, will adversely affect property values.

This month the board appointed Hiltz to serve on the county's planning commission -- a body that's responsible for making recommendations to the board on zoning matters such as the spa and resort.

Gills Creek District Supervisor Russ Johnson, who is named as a defendant in the case, nominated Hiltz to fill a seat left vacant by the resignation of Bob Camicia.

Recognizing Hiltz's involvement in the lawsuit, Johnson said he recommended Hiltz abstain from voting if LakeWatch returns to the planning commission's table. But that wasn't made a condition of her appointment, he said.

"I said to her that if the LakeWatch project came back to be considered it would be my preference she would recuse herself from the vote," Johnson said.

When Hiltz was asked whether she planned to abstain from voting should the issue resurface, she declined to answer Wednesday.

"We will see what happens," she said.

Hiltz also declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"The board was aware that she was a plaintiff when she was nominated by Mr. Johnson, and the vote to approve her nomination was unanimous," said County Administrator Rick Huff.

Johnson said he consulted with County Attorney Jim Jefferson about Hiltz's involvement in the lawsuit before proceeding with the interview process.

"He didn't see any reason to disqualify her or make her more acceptable," Johnson said.

A call to Jefferson's office Wednesday was not returned.

Hiltz was appointed to serve the remainder of Camicia's term following a budget work session with the county's school board on Feb. 12. The term ends March 31, at which time the board of supervisors may consider appointing Hiltz to serve a full four-year term.

Hiltz and her husband have owned a home at the lake for 10 years. Before moving from Northern Virginia, she served on a land-use committee there.

"I am interested in development at the lake," she said. "I don't have a problem with development. I want to promote responsible and planned development."

Hiltz said her role as a commissioner is to look out for the community, to promote responsible development and to encourage developers to come to Franklin County. She also emphasized a "concern with what goes in around you and keeping or maintaining residential flavor."

Johnson said he considered at least three other nominees and interviewed one before recommending Hiltz to the board.

Camicia decided more than six months ago to resign but said he would stay on the commission until a replacement was chosen.

"It was nothing to do with being dissatisfied," Camicia said.

He said he wants to devote more time to other groups he is involved with, including the Smith Mountain Lake Association, the Upper Roanoke River Roundtable, the Tri-County Lake Administrative Commission and Southwest Virginia Antique Farm Days.

As for the LakeWatch lawsuit, Hiltz and the other plaintiffs -- including her husband, Charles -- filed it Jan. 18. Jefferson filed a response in Franklin County Circuit Court last week.

"The county rigorously has defended its decision, and we look forward to having a judge adjudicate those issues which reasonable people can disagree on," Huff said.

The rezoning request and associated special-use permits for LakeWatch Spa and Resort, planned for just north of the Westlake area, were approved in December following more than six months of debate among the board, discord in the community and several revisions to the plan by Park.