Marion County holds first public hearing on proposed Land Development Code amendments focusing on stormwater, flood mapping and landscaping

Marion County officials held the first of two public hearings Wednesday on proposed amendments to the county’s Land Development Code that would change stormwater management rules, update flood-mapping references and add landscaping requirements for drainage retention areas.

The package, presented by County Engineer Steven Cahoon and stormwater engineer Jason Cambry, would exempt certain single-family residences and bona fide agricultural uses from the major site plan process, add permitting steps for driveway culverts, reduce required berm widths from 12 feet to 5 feet in some cases and expand flood-related mapping to include county flood-prone data as well as FEMA maps. Cahoon said the changes also aim to improve the county’s Community Rating System, “a huge benefit to citizens that have to buy flood insurance in the county.”

Jason Cambry, the county’s stormwater engineer, summarized several technical changes: “We have added new categories to exempt single family residents and farms from the major site plan,” and he said the amendments would require an additional inspection when a culvert is…