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Chilton County to hold public meeting on proposed subdivision regulation amendments
Summary
Commissioners discussed a package of amendments to the county's subdivision regulations, including a new definition for minor subdivisions, frontage requirements, changes to family-member transfers, and enforcement authority; commissioners requested a public meeting to review the changes with residents but recorded no vote.
Commissioner Perkins told the Chilton County Commission that he and other members have drafted a set of proposed amendments to the county subdivision regulations and asked the commission to set a public meeting to explain and take questions.
“These suggested changes…have been done after many of hours of work of myself, commissioner Childress, and chair Allen Williams,” Perkins said, adding the aim is to “regulat[e] actual subdivision developments and defin[e] what is not a subdivision.”
The proposed package would, in summary as presented at the work session, (1) add a formal “minor subdivision” definition that would allow the division of parcels of 3 acres or less along an existing county- or state-maintained road into up to five single-family residential lots without new street construction; (2) require 200 feet of frontage on an existing road for certain excluded divisions; (3) expand the definition of “immediate family” to mirror commonly used legal definitions (to include spouses, parents, children, brothers, sisters, stepchildren and adopted children) and add a category for grandparents and grandchildren; and (4) add enforcement language referencing state statutory enforcement authority, including the ability to issue subsequent citations and escalating fines for repeat failures to obtain required permits.
Health-department limits and enforcement capacity were flagged as key issues. Heath, the road/engineering staff member who presented earlier material to the subdivision committee, said the health department has “concerns for any lots that are less than 3 acres” and that committee discussion would need to reflect those concerns. Perkins and other commissioners acknowledged the county does not yet have a dedicated licensed inspector but said the amendments are drafted with the expectation the county can add an inspector when funding and staffing allow.
Perkins asked the commission to schedule a public meeting or roundtable in the next 30–40 days so residents can review the proposed language, ask questions and provide input. No formal vote or adoption occurred during the work session; commissioners agreed to set a public meeting for additional public outreach and review.
What happens next: commissioners instructed staff to pick dates and publish the proposed amendments for public review ahead of the meeting. No formal action to adopt the amendments was taken at the work session.
