WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS REVIEW PROPOSED UPDATES TO SUBDIVISION MANUAL

  

Washington County Commissioners are considering a slate of proposed changes to the county’s subdivision rules and regulations.

During a workshop on Thursday, County Engineer Wesley Stolz walked the court through the county’s existing procedures for how it handles various housing and subdivision developments, as well as potential updates to those processes.

Stolz said the county’s intent with the revisions to the subdivision manual, originally approved in 2009, is not to be “excessive.”  He strives to find a balance between bringing the county up to date with regulations as it continues to grow and still being accommodating for new development.

Among the possible changes to the manual is the addition of a minor plat for the approval process.  The minor plat would act as a way to streamline reviews for smaller developments – between one to four single-family lots – as it would only require approval by the county engineer, rather than the commissioners court.  A related proposal would do away with preliminary plats, with Stolz arguing they are often redundant and typically do not have a bearing on if a project gets approved.

Another consideration is requiring right-of-way dedication for developments that abut an existing road and have right-of-way width that falls below the county’s minimum standards.  For very large developments with 100 lots or more, the county is seeking to necessitate a traffic impact analysis report, giving information on how the development would affect nearby roads. 

The county is also exploring fire suppression requirements, outlines for detention pond calculations, public water and wastewater design specifications, and moving toward allowing only asphalt and concrete for roads, instead of chipseal.

Stolz stressed that all of the proposals are part of a living document that is subject to change as discussion on the topic continues.  He also stated that any newly approved regulations would not be retroactive for existing infrastructure, and the county will have time to move toward its new goals.  Similarly, any official project submissions that are already in queue during the transition phase will follow the current standards.

No action was taken at Thursday’s workshop, but the item is anticipated to come back to the court for an official vote early next year. 

Click here to view the presentation from Thursday's workshop.