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Commissioners debate lowering agricultural lot minimum from five to three acres
Summary
Oak Hill commissioners spent the meeting weighing a change to agricultural zoning that would reduce the minimum acreage from five to three acres while allowing limited subdivision to 1-acre lots in heirs' transfers; staff were directed to draft precise language for review.
The commission opened an extended debate over the city's agricultural zoning minimums, with several members urging a rewrite that would drop the current five-acre threshold to three acres while retaining restrictions on subdivision.
A Committee member argued the older county and state rules had been misinterpreted over time and said the five-acre rule was never intended to bar single-family dwellings on remaining parcels. "It was never meant that you couldn't put a house on 5 acres," the member said, urging more flexible language. Other commissioners described a commonly used "gift to children" approach that has allowed family transfers without formal rezoning.
Supporters of the 3-acre proposal said it would reduce the need for frequent variance requests while preserving agricultural use where intended. "So let's change the minimum of our acreage in ag to 3 and solve it right there," another Committee member said, advocating an Ag-classification system that would allow a 1-acre minimum lot in specified heir-subdivision cases.
Opponents cautioned that any change must be carefully drafted to avoid unintended subdivision outcomes and to remain consistent with county and state review processes. Commissioners asked staff to redraft Policy 1.1.2 and related chapter language for the next PLDRC meeting and to flag any provisions that the county or state reviewers may return for revision.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the policy language at the session; members concluded by requesting a revised ordinance and chapter edits for the next round of review.
