Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Subdivision Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board urges review of county subdivision rules as Bogue Field hearing is set
Summary
During discussion of a one-lot Bogue Field subdivision, board members raised long-standing concerns that the county has not consistently verified perimeter drains for single-lot subdivisions and urged updating the county subdivision ordinance, last revised in 1972; the board set a March 16 public hearing for the parcel.
The Howard County Drainage Board voted to set a public hearing for the Bogue Field (Oakfields) one-lot subdivision on March 16, and several members used the presentation to press for a review of the county’s subdivision ordinance and the board’s process for verifying outlet drains.
Brian Pierce presented the proposal and said Taylor Regional Sewer District will provide sewer service and had issued a confirming letter. Pierce requested a March 16 hearing to consider the 1.97-acre subdivision.
A long discussion followed in which board members described historical problems in which the county had accepted sites without physically verifying outlet or perimeter drains, leading in prior years to septic and flooding issues. One committee member noted the county’s subdivision ordinance has not been updated since 1972 and warned of mounting legal risk for approving subdivisions without adequate stormwater and drainage verification.
Board members and staff agreed the county should consider changes to policy and possibly the subdivision ordinance so that one-lot subdivisions and septic/perimeter-drain cases receive consistent scrutiny. Several members said short-term administrative direction might be possible without a formal ordinance change but that a formal revision should be pursued soon.
The motion to set the public hearing was made by Mr. Aubrey and seconded by Mr. Dodd; members voted in favor. The public hearing will allow the board and affected neighbors to review drainage plans and the sewer-district confirmation in full before a final decision.
Next steps: the board scheduled the March 16 hearing and recommended a staff-led review of how perimeter drains and one-lot subdivisions are evaluated, with potential ordinance updates to follow.
