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Commission backs ordinance to allow vacation of lot lines by deed; supporters cite mortgage hurdles
Summary
After a Nov. 17 joint public hearing, the Planning Commission recommended that the Board adopt a text amendment (Section 7.11(a)) allowing owners of adjoining lots to consolidate parcels by deed subject to protection of easements; mortgage lender and county officials spoke in support.
At a joint Nov. 17 hearing the Smyth County Planning Commission recommended the Board of Supervisors approve a proposed text amendment to the county Subdivision Ordinance (Section 7.11(a)) that would allow owners of two or more contiguous or adjoining lots to vacate interior lot lines and consolidate parcels by deed, provided no easements or utility rights‑of‑way are extinguished without consent.
County Attorney Heather Pritts clarified typographical errors in the legal advertisement. Staff summarized the proposed process: an owner must file a prepared deed of vacation and consolidation referencing the recorded plat where the lot lines were created, include a copy of the original recorded plat, complete an application and pay a $150 fee; the County Building and Subdivision Department will review completed requests and submit them to the Board or its designee for approval; the deed becomes effective upon recordation in the Circuit Court Clerk’s office. The text cites State Code § 15.2‑2275.
Representatives from First Residential Mortgage Corporation (Ryan Hall) and Commissioner of the Revenue Jeff Richardson spoke in favor, saying the amendment would remove obstacles that currently make mortgage loans difficult or impossible when interior lines remain unvacated. The Planning Commission voted to recommend adoption of the text amendment and forwarded the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
