Commission sends proposed Subdivision Ordinance rewrite back to Joint Ordinance Committee after public objections

The Smyth County Planning Commission voted to return a comprehensive rewrite of the county Subdivision Ordinance to the Joint Ordinance Committee after multiple commissioners and members of the public raised concerns at a Nov. 21 public hearing.

The proposed rewrite reorganized the ordinance into seven articles, added mandatory requirements from state code (including a 6‑month time limit to file a final plat and lowered construction‑cost estimate thresholds), clarified private right‑of‑way and private road rules, and updated monument and plat standards. During the hearing commissioner Charles Wassum and citizen Earl McClure raised objections to changes made between committee drafts and alleged staff inserted language without committee approval; McClure said he found errors and accused staff of "plagiarizing other jurisdictions' subdivision ordinances." Commissioners identified contradictions in the draft and expressed frustration that these issues were raised at the public hearing stage.

After extended discussion the Planning Commission voted to send the October 28 draft back to the Joint Ordinance Committee for additional review and clarification. The motion passed (vote recorded: 6 ayes, 1 absent). The committee will revisit outstanding language, conflicts with state code, and typographical errors before the ordinance is re‑noticed for public hearing.