Plan commission schedules public hearing on state housing review under HEA 101

Monroe County’s Plan Commission, meeting April 7, set a hearing date of September 23 to comply with House Enrolled Act 101, which requires jurisdictions with a consolidated development ordinance to host a public review and report the results to legislative services.

Planning staff opened the discussion by outlining the statute’s required topics, including allowing higher‑density housing (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes) in single‑family areas, accessory dwelling units, adaptive reuse of commercial buildings for residential use, reassessing impact fee zones, streamlining permitting timelines, and considering property‑tax abatements to support mixed‑income development. “We will be required to host a hearing not later than January 1st, 2027,” a planning staff member said, noting the county will need to submit minutes and a housing study to the state after the hearing.

Commissioners generally agreed the hearing should be framed as informational — explaining what the county’s consolidated development ordinance already allows and highlighting items that might merit future text amendments — rather than as an immediate code rewrite. “I think what could happen is an informational piece for the public on each of these points regarding what is currently in our CDO and then we take public comment,” Commissioner Julie Thomas said. Commissioners and staff stressed that any formal code changes would follow the ordinary text‑amendment process and additional review by the ordinance review committee and the Board of Commissioners.

In addition to the hearing date, staff outlined follow‑ups required by HEA 101: a draft housing progress report is slated for the commission’s December agenda and the law limits fee changes after January 1, 2027, to once every five years. Staff said they will place the county’s fee schedule on the November plan commission agenda and provide a draft progress report in December so the commission can report its current practices to the state.

The commission signaled consensus on September 23 for the hearing, with October 22 held as an alternate if needed. Staff said the September–November window provides time to prepare materials and avoid major holiday and budget‑hearing conflicts. Staff also recommended preparing a concise staff report or visuals that explain, item by item, what the CDO already does to help frame public comment.

Next steps: staff will prepare the informational materials and notice for the hearing, present the fee schedule in November, and provide a draft housing progress report in December for the commission’s review. The hearing will be placed on a future regular meeting agenda for formal public notice and comment.