| 113th Year, 48th Issue | Thursday, July 11, 2002 | Sparta, North Carolina |
Despite a much-debated beginning, Alleghany County's subdivision ordinance will take effect on Monday as the grace period for land divisions ends without fanfare.
The actual date of the grace period's ending is July 13, but since that is a Saturday, the first active day of the ordinance will actually be on July 15.
"Anyone wishing to divide their land and have it grandfathered under the ordinance would have to have a plat on record by Friday," said County Planner Jack Conaway from his office on Monday. "As of Monday, anyone choosing to subdivide their land will need to go through the process of review to insure adequate lot size and the quality of road construction."
Certain divisions of land, in most circumstances, are not regulated under the ordinance due to state guidelines. Included in those exclusions are the combination or recombination of previously divided land, the division of land into parcels of greater than 10 acres if no road dedication is involved, the division of a tract of two acres or less into not more than three lots (with no new roads) and the public acquisition of land for the widening or opening of streets.
The county also allows exclusions for family subdivisions, the division of property among heirs, the division of lots into a cemetery or graveyard and plats recorded prior to the ordinance's official effective date.
"This ordinance in no way prohibits any person from giving or leaving their land to their family or heirs, it just ensures adequate lot size and minimum road construction standards," Conaway said, noting that some local residents were misinformed about the true purpose of the ordinance in the past.
The county's self-imposed 60-day grace period to give developers and others time to record plats did draw some interest here, Conaway noted.
"We have had quite a few filings during the grace period so far and we do expect a few more," he said. "As the ordinance kicks in, we'll be staying close to the office, in case we have a lot of questions." However, Conaway said he is expecting the ordinance to begin quietly.
"Most people won't even know the difference," Conaway said. "This will only affect a limited number of people who decide to build roads and develop land."
The new ordinance controls several aspects of dividing land, including adding minimum road standards for roads that serve more than five homes.
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