Commissioners grant several moratorium exemptions to allow property splits and minor subdivisions

The Upson County Board of Commissioners granted several exemptions from the county’s moratorium on subdivisions to allow property splits and minor subdivisions for specified parcels. Staff presented multiple citizen requests to lift the moratorium for defined parcels so owners could file plats or record splits. Items included a variety of situations: a request that would transfer a narrow strip of land to provide road frontage for existing lots on Winbrook (staff described two zoning categories across the parcel and recommended a simple split option), a request to split 31 acres to convey a rear 20-acre parcel to a neighbor with no new road frontage required, and other parcels on West Haven Road and Goshen Road where applicants demonstrated compliance with minimum frontage and AR zoning standards. Planning staff said that some requested splits were “simple splits” allowed administratively if they meet criteria; other requests required a brief review to ensure minimum frontage and zoning compliance. Commissioners asked questions about zoning, frontage and whether lots had access to water or sewer. For the parcel on Goshen Road, staff noted the plat met AR minimum frontage (200 feet) and recommended approval. Action: The board voted to grant the requested exemptions and approve the simple-split scenarios presented for the specific parcels on Winbrook Drive, West Haven Road and Goshen Road; the actions were recorded as approvals and will allow applicants to file final plats with the county property records. Why it matters: The exemptions allow landowners to record otherwise-permissible divisions in the near term rather than waiting for the moratorium period to lapse; staff said most approvals were simple splits that preserve minimum frontage and zoning requirements.