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Commission passes moratorium

Affects all major subdivisions

By ZOË WATKINS - zwatkins@t-g.com
Posted 2/21/23

The Bedford County Board of Commissioners met in a regular meeting last Tuesday to discuss and vote on the Regional Planning Commission’s proposed 6-month moratorium on all major subdivision …

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Commission passes moratorium

Affects all major subdivisions

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The Bedford County Board of Commissioners met in a regular meeting last Tuesday to discuss and vote on the Regional Planning Commission’s proposed 6-month moratorium on all major subdivision applications.

This moratorium would give the planning commission more time to make amendments toward their comprehensive zoning plan.

The resolution passes 17 to 1 with Commissioner Greg Vick voting against the moratorium.

“I completely understand the desire of the planning commission to create the time and space to craft amendments to the zoning manual because those zoning manuals have to reflect our community,” Vick began.

However, amendments take place all the time. For example, the commission has voted on at least 11 separate zoning amendments — which have multiple amendments within them—since 2010.

“As you know, not once have we ever issued a moratorium in the history of Bedford County. So why are we no asking our craftsman and small businessman to sacrifice their livelihoods and quality of life when it appears we can solve these problems on a case-by-case basis?” said Vick.

During the meeting, he said if the moratorium is issued, the county will be “taking food out of the mouths” of the 90 or so people it takes to build a home as well delaying people from purchasing or selling a house. This will especially, according to Vick, affect the small businesses and self-employed, not the “big contractors.”

“Construction is the single largest employers here in Bedford County. It touches everyone. And this is a short-sighted solution which has nothing but long-term consequences,” Vick said. “When we are overreaching—and that’s exactly what this resolution is doing, we’re dictating where we don’t have a right…”

This is a moratorium for all major subdivisions, which are define as subdivisions with more than five lots. Those who have already submitted prior to this moratorium, their applications will go through as planned.

Zoning director Chris White said the idea for the moratorium did arise from the planning commission and was sparked by the recent planned unit development (PUD) application they received for the Longview Road area last year. White said the idea was to give the commission time to “retool” and give the commission something that the high-density PUDs achieve in a more “palatable” way.

White added that if they get through the amendments quickly — which they are on track to do — they would like to lift the moratorium as quickly as possible.

“You’re not going to go through it without having some impact on the local community and the business community. But at the same time, it does create time and space,” said White.

Commissioner Linda Yockey, who sits on the planning commission, said, “I don’t think any of us want to go through what we went through several commissions ago with the PUD situation. So, the planning commission looked at this and thought, ‘We need a time out.’ And this is more comprehensive than just sending through one change here and then another change here.”