Planning commission recommends striking private centralized‑water lot reductions from new land‑division ordinance

The Floyd County Planning Commission recommended adoption of a revised land‑division ordinance but directed staff and the Board of Supervisors to remove provisions allowing reduced lot sizes tied to private centralized water and to impose a larger minimum lot size for parcels without public water.

Carla, a planning staff member, summarized a multi‑year rewrite and explained proposed changes intended to simplify the current subdivision rules and to limit the number of lots that can be created from a single road connection. She described provisions that would allow private centralized water and wastewater systems, permit shared easements for drainfields, and reduce some minimum lot sizes where public or approved private utilities are provided. Planning staff also proposed limiting divisions served by private individual water systems or private centralized systems to 10 lots per plat.

Why it matters: speakers at the public hearing — including landowners, residents and farmers — warned that the proposed reductions could enable higher‑density development across rural Floyd, strain groundwater supplies and increase demands on roads and emergency services. Planning commissioners debated those concerns and ultimately moved to remove the special allowances tied to private centralized water systems.

Most public commenters urged preserving larger minimum parcel sizes outside the Primary Service Area (PSA) or near town. Eli Schwartz Grello of Locust Grove asked, “What is our vision for the future of Floyd?” and multiple speakers linked smaller lot allowances and private centralized wells to risks for neighboring wells and long‑term infrastructure pressures. Planning staff and a county hydrology speaker discussed technical safeguards the county could adopt — for example, a minimum well depth or a required gallons‑per‑minute yield reported by the health department before reduced lot sizes would be allowed — but commissioners said the regulatory picture remained uncertain.

Discussion versus decision: the commission heard public comment and staff presentations (discussion). Commissioner (speaker 10) moved to recommend approval to the Board of Supervisors but with changes: strike provisions that reduce lot sizes tied to private centralized water and wastewater systems and impose a minimum lot size of 5 acres where no public water exists, with family divisions excepted. The motion was seconded and, after debate, passed on roll call.

Vote on the planning commission motion: Yes — Miss Bechtold; Mister Telling; Miss Baum. No — Mister Grimsley; Mister Sowers. The motion passed and the planning commission adjourned its joint hearing and transmitted the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

The board and planning staff signaled further review ahead of any final adoption. Several speakers and commissioners asked for written amendments and clear ordinance language before the Board of Supervisors votes, including specific, enforceable standards for private centralized water systems and any reduced‑lot provisions.

Ending: The planning commission’s recommendation removes the most contentious private‑water reductions from the draft and forwards the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors for consideration with the commission’s modifications; the county will still need to resolve technical questions (well yield, depth, health‑department documentation and enforcement authority) before any final change becomes county policy.