Planning director: available lots dip slightly; rezoning on Amaville Road and Plan Rutherford public hearing scheduled

Planning Director Doug DeMasi briefed the committee on inventory and land-use items and outlined next steps for a rezoning application and Plan Rutherford.

DeMasi said available lot inventory as of March is 1,038 lots, down roughly 50 from the previous month; he said pre-application meetings remain frequent, driven in part by commercial development interest. He previewed a rezoning application for a parcel on Amaville Road (between 840 and Franklin Road/State Route 96) where the applicant seeks to rezone from RM2 (residential medium density) to light industrial to construct an office/maintenance facility with employee parking and space for dumpster storage. The planning commission recommended approval for the Amaville Road request after a public hearing and a unanimous vote at the planning commission stage.

DeMasi also summarized the planning commission’s recent consideration of Plan Rutherford: after a referral from the county commission the planning commission debated whether to increase the rural-living density from 1 unit per acre to 2 units per acre, and voted to retain the current 1-unit-per-acre language (planning commission vote roughly 6–3). A county commission public hearing on Plan Rutherford has been advertised and is scheduled for next week; the county commission may adopt the plan as-is, approve the amendment, or send it back to planning for further consideration.

DeMasi presented a planning-department budget amendment shifting internal funds (no fund-balance use) to cover legal notices, postal charges and to replace a county-inspector vehicle; the committee approved that amendment and it will be presented at the Thursday budget meeting.

What’s next: The county commission will hold its advertised public hearing next week on Plan Rutherford and will consider the Amaville Road rezoning following the planning commission’s recommendation.