Equestrian Preserve Committee recommends striking section 6.8.8 from village land-use code

The Equestrian Preserve Committee on Dec. 3 voted to recommend that the Village Council strike section 6.8.8 from the Village Land Development Regulations (LDRs), a move members said would remove the explicit cluster-development allowance and revert applications to existing EOZD minimum lot-size rules.

Committee Chair opened the discussion and Tim, staff, framed the recommendation as an administratively straightforward way to remove ambiguous cluster language. Tim said, "Basically Senate Bill 180, essentially put a, a restriction on municipalities from making their land development regulations, more strict or, more restrictive until October 2027," and urged the committee to monitor any state-level changes before final council action.

Why it matters: Section 6.8.8 currently permits certain clustered or PUD-style arrangements that deviate from EOZD minimum lot sizes. Committee members warned that redrafting the section would be complex and could create additional interpretive risk; striking the section and reserving the section number would avoid a wholesale renumbering while effectively removing the cluster option. Members discussed whether to pair elimination with an express prohibition on PUD lot-size deviations so the EOZD subarea minimums (for example, the 2-acre minimum in subarea D) are clearly applied.

Procedure and timing: Tim outlined the path forward: the committee will forward the recommendation to counsel for direction; if counsel approves, staff would return an ordinance to the committee for formal action, then send it to the planning board and council for two readings. The committee also asked that counsel consider the change as a "zoning in progress" so that new applications filed while the recommendation is under consideration would be measured against the proposed change. Tim noted that zoning-in-progress designations are commonly used as a six-month stopgap while rules are adopted.

Public comment and next steps: During the public-comment period, resident Maureen Bridal asked whether the recommendation would affect applications already on the table, such as Isla Caroll; staff said existing, active applications would not be retroactively affected but that a zoning-in-progress would apply to applications filed after its adoption. The committee recorded a motion to recommend counsel strike 6.8.8 and to ensure minimum lot sizes are adhered to across the EOZD; the motion was seconded and recorded as approved by unanimous voice vote. The committee forwarded the recommendation to counsel with the request that staff return draft ordinance language and that counsel weigh the timing implications of SB 180.