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Council advances zoning-text change to allow dwelling units on conserved acreage
Summary
Staff proposed, and council approved first reading of, a text amendment permitting one dwelling unit per 100 acres of uplands on parcels protected by conservation easements; planning staff said The Nature Conservancy had been consulted and the Planning Commission recommended approval with an uplands-based metric.
Planning staff presented a zoning text amendment to Article 9.6 to allow more than two dwelling units on very large parcels under conservation easements by establishing a standard of one dwelling unit per 100 acres of uplands.
Hunter Smiley (planning staff) said the change mirrors existing allowances for hunt camps and seasonal accessory dwellings and that the amendment is intended to help owners of conserved properties who cannot subdivide. "One dwelling unit is allowed for every 100 acres of uplands," Smiley said. The planning commission recommended the uplands-based approach, and staff said it had consulted The Nature Conservancy regarding restrictions on the Gregory Neck Plantation property that prompted the request.
Council members asked about enforcement (affidavits and septic approvals were discussed), duration and precedent; staff said mobile-home permitting processes and septic approvals (DES/SEDES) would ensure compliance. Council approved the amendment for first reading and directed staff to bring permitting details for later readings.
