Commission sets April 23 work session on proposed subdivision regulations

The St. Clair County Commission voted to hold a special called work session on April 23 at 9:00 a.m. to review proposed subdivision regulations and hear public comment. Chair (Speaker 1) said the regulations had attracted a lot of attention and called the issue "literally a property rights issue," stressing the need to get the legal framework right before adopting changes.

County staff and the commission described the draft as the product of several years of work by county engineers, staff and a stakeholder committee that included builders and developers. County Attorney Kirk (Speaker 8) told commissioners he expects to circulate an "affirmed up" version of the regulations for review within about a week, and commissioners asked for time to post materials publicly so residents can review them ahead of the work session.

Commissioners said the change in public visibility had produced questions from property owners, and the work session will allow more focused discussion and public input. Chair asked Kirk to research constitutional limits and advise whether local action or legislative changes are required on specific compensation and status questions raised during the review.