BY DAN McFARLAND

Responding to a Planning Commission recommendation, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has canceled a scheduled June 26 public hearing on the county's subdivision ordinance.

The hearing was on a proposed amendment removing the one division per four years restriction on by-right subdivision of agriculturally zoned land.

The supervisors, at their April 24 meeting, directed the commission to begin the process to repeal Section 54-27 of the rule. Most speakers at the Planning Commission's June 7 public hearing spoke against the proposal, and commission members voted unanimously to recommend that no section of the rules be removed until something appropriate is recommended in its place.

After a closed-session discussion, the supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday night to cancel their public hearing on the matter. Only Board of Supervisors Chairman Teel Goodwin voted against the cancellation.

In other action, the supervisors voted to initiate condemnation proceedings for an aviation easement over property owned by Ronnie H. and Sheila M. Edwards in the vicinity of the Orange County Airport. No public comments were received on that action.

After public comments, supervisors voted to table condemnation action against nearby land owned by Jenelle Briscoe Roberts.

They also voted to adopt, effective July 1, a new schedule of zoning and subdivision fees. No speakers commented on the changes, but after some discussion regarding the fee structure recommended by Director of Planning and Zoning Gregg Zody, the supervisors voted 4-1 to adopt a schedule that generally doubles the existing fees.

Some of Zody's proposed increases had more than doubled the previous fees. District 5 Supervisor Grover Wilson voted against that resolution.

The supervisors plan to hold a joint meeting with the Planning Commission June 21 to discuss the county Comprehensive Plan.

Dan McFarland:
Email: dmcfarland@freelancestar.com