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Planning commission continues subdivision-code overhaul; schedules Aug. 12 work session
Summary
The commission continued a multi-session public hearing on proposed subdivision ordinance amendments, discussed accessory-dwelling-unit (ADU) rules, lot-size and private-road changes, and set a public work session for Aug. 12 at 9 a.m. to continue drafting revisions.
The Upson County Planning and Zoning Commission continued its public hearing on broad proposed amendments to the subdivision ordinance and scheduled a work session for 9 a.m. on Aug. 12 to advance the draft.
Commissioners spent substantial time discussing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), lot-size thresholds for AR and other residential zones, and how ADU rules differ across district types. A resident raised concerns that proposed ADU language would remove a prior prohibition on renting ADUs and noted that the draft treated AR (agriculture/residential) differently from R-1 and R-2 districts — for example, the existing code roofed guest-quarters distance of 200 feet in AR was under review for reduction to 20–40 feet in some proposed edits.
Planning staff said the 200-foot provision for guest quarters in AR had produced significant public pushback and that the current draft aims to set nearer distances to make ADUs usable for elder-care or family purposes; staff also said the rental prohibition in earlier drafts was struck because enforcing a no-rent restriction is difficult in practice. Commissioners discussed other potential changes raised during a county-commission meeting, including increasing minimum lot size in AR to two to five acres, raising ADU maximum square footage to about 1,400 square feet in some cases, and linking ADU size to the principal house size.
The commission also discussed proposed changes regarding private/internal roads for subdivisions, flag lots (with the group generally favoring removing flag lots except by special exception for hardship cases), water access requirements for larger subdivisions, and limits on serial lot splits. Commissioners said they plan an in-depth work session — open to the public but with the county commission members able to attend only as audience members if a quorum is present — to refine the draft ordinance text.
The commission set a work session for Aug. 12 at 9 a.m., preferably at the New Justice Center; staff will confirm room availability and notify the public. The public hearing remains open.
