Commission debates measurement point for road setbacks; proposed reduction motion fails

Slaughterville Planning and Zoning Commissioners spent significant time Feb. 10 reviewing Ordinance No. 2026-01, which would amend Section 13-119 ("Special setback lines") to change where setback distances are measured.

The ordinance draft notes the current ordinance measures setbacks from the center of county/private roads and state highways; current setback distances cited include 75 feet for residential uses, 100 feet for commercial/industrial uses and 150 feet for properties abutting state highways. Ordinance No. 2026-01 proposed measuring setback distance from the edge of the road or highway/property line rather than the centerline, but also directed the Planning Commission to study the issue and provide a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

Commissioners debated the practical implications of different measurement start points. Concerns included changing right-of-way/property lines and the multiple widths of roads in subdivisions and residential areas. The commission reached a consensus in discussion that using the center of the road as a standardized point of reference may address variable right-of-way widths, but questions remained about rural county roads. Commissioner Thad Driever moved, and Commissioner Karen Atkins seconded, a motion to recommend to the Board of Trustees that setbacks in all areas be reduced by 25 feet and that setbacks be measured from the center of the roads for a standardized reference. Chair Edna Manning opposed changing setbacks for rural county roads and said she wanted only the highway corridor considered. The motion failed for lack of unanimous approval (YEA: Driever, Atkins; NAY: Manning).

The minutes record that additional research may be needed before making a final recommendation to the Board.