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Commissioners direct planning board to hold public hearings on zoning text amendments, RV parks and UDO cleanups
Summary
The Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 15 to ask the planning board to hold public hearings on several proposed text amendments including consolidation of use-table entries, new definitions, permitting changes and rules for RV parks; staff recommended excluding short-term rental regulation as a land-use tool.
Person County commissioners on Sept. 15 voted to ask the planning board to hold public hearings on a set of zoning text amendments and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) clarifications. The items include consolidation of similar uses in the permitted-use table, addition of defined uses, adjustments to certain special-use permit processes and proposed standards for RV parks.
Interim Planning Director Margaret told the board the planning board reviewed the packet and wanted confirmation that the Board of Commissioners supported moving the items to public hearing because the package was complex. She recommended against regulating short-term rentals through the land-use ordinance, saying enforcement is better handled outside planning and zoning.
"My recommendation as a professional planner is that short term rentals really aren't a land use issue and really, aren't best managed through a land development ordinance," Margaret said. She recommended continuing to manage properties that clearly rise to business levels, such as bed-and-breakfasts and hotels, through existing rules.
Commissioners discussed timing and the desire to complete the work before the interim planning director leaves. Commissioner Wilburn and others said the consolidated approach will make the use table clearer for the public and for staff. Commissioner Webb moved to send the specified items to public hearing (the four bullet points in the agenda packet plus agreed clarifications); the motion was approved by voice vote.
The board asked staff to provide clear minutes or a summary of planning board public hearings when they occur so the commissioners have a record of speakers and positions. Margaret said she will group changes into bite-sized packages for public hearings so the planning board and public can more easily review them.
Why this matters: The changes would update and consolidate the county's UDO, clarifying which uses are permitted and how projects are reviewed. The revisions could affect future development approvals and the process applicants must follow.
What's next: The planning board will schedule public hearings on the approved text-amendment packages and then the Board of Commissioners will hold its own public hearing and consider final adoption at a subsequent meeting.
