Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Subdivision topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Surry planners consider 10‑acre minimum in AR zoning and rules to enable family subdivisions
Summary
A planning subcommittee recommended raising the AR district minimum lot size to 10 acres while creating a separate zoning option permitting 2–3 acre subdivisions and clarifying family‑division rules to allow smaller lots for intra‑family transfers.
The Surry County Planning Commission heard a report from a subcommittee that recommended several changes to subdivision and zoning policy, including a proposed increase in the minimum lot size for the Agricultural‑Residential (AR) district and a proposal to strengthen the county's family‑division provisions.
Mr. Wade summarized the subcommittee's work and said the group was considering a 10‑acre minimum lot size in the AR district. He said the subcommittee also discussed creating a separate zoning category that would allow subdivisions between roughly 2 and 3 acres, but that such parcels would require rezoning and a full review to give the planning commission oversight on neighborhood design.
On family divisions, Mr. Wade said the commission is considering adding exceptions that would enable owners to subdivide smaller parcels (likely 1–2 acres) for family transfers while preserving protections in the subdivision ordinance. "At this point, there's really no incentive for anyone to have a family division in Surry County," he said, and the changes aim to provide a path for families to keep younger generations in the county.
Commission conversation focused on balancing rural character, agricultural use, and young‑family housing; members asked staff and legal counsel to check statutory limits on the commission's authority and the consequences of rezoning requirements. Mr. Wade said the work would continue and that staff would return with recommended ordinance language and a schedule for bringing proposals to the Board.
Next steps: Staff to draft ordinance language and a schedule for review; commissioners expected an initial package of recommendations within a few months and anticipated some items could be ready by mid next year.
