Meriwether County approves 90‑day moratorium draft on R‑1 minimum lot sizes

Meriwether County commissioners directed staff to prepare a temporary, 90‑day moratorium on new R‑1 residential development applications so the county can review its minimum lot‑size rules.

Staff told the board that the current R‑1 ordinance provides a 1.5‑acre minimum when public water is available and a 1‑acre minimum where both public water and sewer are available; the draft moratorium reviewed by legal would pause processing of most new applications for 90 days while the county reviews those thresholds and related text. Staff said the draft would not affect pending applications.

Several public commenters supported pausing changes for review and urged a larger minimum. Dustin Owens, a resident who said he has been following the issue, told the board, “I support this moratorium at this time.” Another commenter who identified himself as a builder argued the county should consider a 2‑acre floor for new lots rather than 1 or 1.5 acres.

The board voted to proceed with the moratorium drafting and to set related public hearings. Staff said its draft included a 90‑day period and that legal had reviewed the language; staff noted a draft end date of Nov. 21 in one version supplied to the board. The board also discussed that the moratorium would not apply to applications filed before the moratorium’s effective date.