County planner seeks change to subdivision rules to allow phased building permits

Clermont County Senior Planner Drew briefed the Board of County Commissioners on April 30 about a proposed, targeted amendment to the county's subdivision regulations intended to let building permits proceed in phases under the Ohio Building Code's phased approval provision.

The proposal matters because it would let contractors and developers begin discrete, approved portions of construction sooner while protecting the county by requiring bonds or other guarantees before full occupancy is allowed.

Drew said the current subdivision regulation language reads in part, "in no instance shall any building permits be issued until the construction of all proposed water and or sanitary sewer infrastructure improvements has been completed in accordance with the approved plans." He presented revised text drafted with the prosecutor's office that would allow applications for building permits to be accepted at any time while ensuring the county receives an accepted bond and that certificates of occupancy are withheld until required infrastructure is completed. He cited the Ohio Building Code section 105.4 on phased approval as the code authority for the proposed approach.

Drew outlined the schedule the county is considering: a 30-day public notice and a June 4 commissioners' hearing to meet the statutory notice window, followed by planning commission review (the planning commission's review period requires an additional statutorily prescribed notice period). He said staff expect to bring a formal amendment for the commissioners' consideration pending final prosecutor review and planning commission action.

No formal vote was taken; commissioners asked procedural questions and confirmed the county will follow the public-notice and planning-review timelines required by statute before any change takes effect.