Commissioners keep 40‑foot minimum lot width after packed public hearing on affordability

Montgomery County’s Commissioner's Court voted April 9 to reject a proposed increase in minimum residential lot width from 40 to 50 feet after an extended public hearing in which builders, developers, real‑estate brokers and residents argued the change would reduce housing attainability.

Multiple speakers quantified the impact: David Weekley representative Mark Welch said his company closed 118 lots smaller than 50 feet last year in the county and said a 10‑foot increase could add about $20,000 to lot costs — a figure builders then translated into $26,000–$27,000 higher purchase prices for comparable homes. Broker Kenna Stevenson said smaller lots and modest tax burdens help first‑time buyers find homes in Montgomery County: “If you take this away, the people that you’re hurting are the first responders, the people that work at your grocery stores…they will be forced out.” The court motioned to accept the broader regulatory package but remove the 50‑foot change; the motion carried (recorded in the transcript as three ayes and one opposed).