The Delaware County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 6 adopted amendments to the county subdivision regulations after a staff presentation and a public hearing with no testimony.

Scott Sanders of the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission summarized the changes at the hearing, saying the primary modification is procedural: preliminary plan approval will now include an automatic third-year extension without requiring a variance. Under the current rules, preliminary approval is valid for two years with an automatic one-year extension only upon request; additional extensions have been handled by variance. The amendment will allow applicants three years by right and provide a process to request a fourth year with written justification tied to delays "beyond the applicant's control," such as government-caused delays or significant unanticipated events, Scott Sanders said.

Sanders told commissioners the changes are intended to reduce the number of variances applicants must seek for timeline extensions and to ease administrative burden: "It helps with paperwork on our end. It's one less thing that we have to process and one less meeting that they have to attend," he said.

No written testimony was received and no members of the public offered comment during the hearing. After closing the record the board moved, seconded and approved Resolution 25-929, "In the matter of approving and adopting amendments to the subdivision regulations of Delaware County." The board recorded aye votes from President Barb Lewis, Commissioner Gary Merrill and Vice President Lehi Benton.

Regional Planning staff will post the adopted amendments and follow the department's standard implementation steps.