Planning commission working session seeks changes to notice, design standards and EDZ rules

After the Sundance Solar hearing, the Elbert County Planning Commission convened a working group session to review a broad list of potential updates to county planning and zoning regulations.

Commissioners and staff reviewed a list of candidate changes that included: adopting architectural or design standards to promote development that fits Elbert County’s rural character; tightening community engagement and public-notice requirements (timing and radius for mailing and signage standards); revisiting the county’s Economic Development Zone (EDZ) rules and allowable uses; removing or revising the “concept brief” practice that allows applicants to present pre-application concepts to the Board of County Commissioners; establishing or clarifying tree-preservation and landscape-warranty language; adding or clarifying water-sufficiency checks for large subdivisions or PUDs; and improving post-approval tracking of conditions.

Commissioners described several items as near-term priorities. They agreed that the “concept brief” practice raised due-process concerns because it can result in ex parte communication with decision-makers; staff and commissioners said they would examine the prior BOCC resolution that enabled the concept-brief practice (Resolution 22-27) and bring…