County staff to administratively approve plats under proposed LDC change; public questions how community will learn of filings

At a land development code public outreach meeting on Oct. 5, county Development Services staff presented a draft amendment (LDC 25.12.24) that would designate an administrative county official to approve plats and replats when they comply with state law. "This amendment will designate an administrative county official, with authority to approve plats. In this case, it's going to be the director of the Development Services Department," a Development Services staff member said.

Staff said the change responds to a state statute cited in the presentation and would make plat approval an administrative action when statutory requirements are met. "The statute was recently amended to provide that plats must be administratively approved, meaning that no further action or approval of a county's governing body is required if the plat or replat complies with the requirements of that section," the staff member said. The staff member added that the department's review steps would remain the same and that the change affects how the final approval is signed.

Resident Nancy asked how the public would learn that a planned development or parcel had moved into the platting process if the county commission chair no longer signs plats. "How is the community supposed to know if we're not gonna have the commissioners involved in the review of the plats?" she asked. The staff member said the internal review process would not change and that plats would still go through subdivision review, including a check of existing planned development approvals and entitlements. "All plats today are reviewed through the review section. ... The staff will look at the approvals in the planned development," the staff member said.

On current practice, staff said a plat traditionally is sent to the county commission chair for signature; under the proposed amendment the assigned administrative authority would sign final plats without placement on a commission agenda. "When it goes to the board, it's not like a public hearing," the staff member said. "Nothing changes. It's just that the state now requires those plat approvals to be administratively signed or [given] final approval. But, again, the process, the strict adherence to the state statute and to the land development code is still the same."

The resident pressed on how members of the public can track an application. Staff advised using the county website zoning pages or contacting zoning help and providing a folio number or site address. "If there is a current permit for a land alteration or for upcoming development, a site, or a subdivision, you should be able to receive that from staff," the staff member said. The staff member acknowledged searchability can vary and recommended residents request information through the county's zoning help link.

The presentation closed with schedule details: the three LDC amendments discussed at the outreach meeting will go to the Planning Commission for a consistency finding on Oct. 13, the first public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners will be Oct. 16 at 6 p.m., and the adoption hearing is set for Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. Staff said the drafts posted online may be updated before final adoption and encouraged public participation at the Oct. 16 hearing.

No formal commission action was taken at the outreach meeting; the item remains a draft pending the public hearings and any changes resulting from public input.