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Reidsville council opens debate on relaxing clear‑cutting buffer rules, proposes bonds to protect future replanting
Summary
Staff proposed reducing perimeter buffers from 50 to 25 feet for many undeveloped lots and allowing full clearing if development approval is obtained in a specified window (residential: 3 years; commercial: 5 years) with a bond to cover replanting if development does not occur; council members and public raised concerns about bond calculation, enforcement and legal risk.
Planning staff returned to council with a proposed amendment to the city's clear‑cutting ordinance on Jan. 13 that would reduce required perimeter buffers and allow developers or owners to clear sites more aggressively provided they obtain development approval within a set timeframe and post a bond to guarantee replanting if development does not proceed.
Under the staff proposal, undeveloped residential parcels would be required to leave a 25‑foot tree buffer along property boundaries and rights‑of‑way; however, the ordinance would allow a property to be cleared entirely if the owner obtains development approval within three years of the clear‑cutting permit issuance. To secure that exemption, the applicant would provide a bond equal…
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