Planners discuss land rules
By LAURA THORNBURG
Staff
Dan Abernathy addressed the Alleghany County Board of Commission
Monday, discussing ordinances and presenting the planning board
priorities, in search for direction from the commission. Members of
the planning board, Bill Caudill and Michelle Bedsaul, also were
present.
Abernathy reminded the commissioners he was merely talking about
subjects the planning board wants to address. The topics range from
subdivisions and developments and mobile home regulations to a
highway commercial corridor and agriculture activities.
Addressing subdivisions, he stated, "We believe this is the greatest
impact—subdividing of land—of any activity going on in the county. At
the last meeting, an issue came up about off-site advertising,
billboards. In the discussion, it was pointed out that we're talking
about a change of use in that particular case from agricultural land,
say to a piece of property that would have a business on it, that
business being outdoor advertising signs."
Abernathy commented that since that particular meeting, he had spent
time reviewing current ordinances.
"I'm convinced that we have in place in the property rights
protection ordinance the mechanism for putting the subdivisions under
conditional use permits as well," he stated. "I've not had a chance
to talk to (the) county manager or the county attorney, but the way
the ordinance reads, it's very clear to me that when you take land
that is vacant...and you convert that over to a subdivision, you've
changed the use of that property."
He reminded the board members it was his understanding that in the
property rights protection ordinance a change of use is use of
property that is not identical to the most recent use of a building
or piece of land.
Abernathy said there are three areas that are exempt in terms of
conditional use permits: something specifically prohibited, required
to obtain a conditional use permit or exempt or uses by right.
He explained, "If it's not in those three listings, then the
ordinance says all of the uses including all changes of use...not
specifically prohibited are required to attain a condition of use
permit issued pursuant to requirements found in this ordinance.
"I feel like the property rights protection ordinance, process-wise,
should dictate that a subdivision go through that process," Abernathy
continued, "We have subdivision regulations which are our standards,
and they go hand-in-hand.
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