The Stafford Board of Supervisors opposed an ordinance which would require a minimum buildable lot area for agriculturally zoned parcels.
"For months, Stafford County officials have wrestled with a zoning ordinance that would require a minimum buildable lot area for agriculturally zoned parcels. It finally died yesterday when the Board of Supervisors opposed the ordinance with a 4-3 vote. Supervisors Joe Brito, Paul Milde, Mark Dudenhefer and Cord Sterling voted to deny.
The ordinance would have required a 10,000-square--foot area--excluding drain fields, resource protection areas and 25 percent slopes--to build a house. Depending on the point of view, the ordinance was either designed to protect the soils and environment of Stafford County, or unfairly reduce lot yield in subdivisions.
"What problem is this solving?" Milde asked. "I don't think the government should be micromanaging like this."
One of the problems it would solve, according to Supervisor Harry Crisp, was soil erosion."
FULL STORY: Stafford lot size ordinance dies
Commentary: Minimum Lot Sizes Drive Up Housing Costs
How making residential building requirements more flexible can ease the housing crisis and make neighborhoods more livable for more households.
Pittsburgh Mayor Proposes Zoning Changes to Curb Housing Shortage
The mayor’s plan includes legalizing ADUs in single-family neighborhoods, eliminating parking requirements, and adding new affordability requirements to buildings with over 20 units.
Austin Lot Size Changes Could Make Homes More Affordable
Land acquisition makes up 15 to 20 percent of the cost of an average home in the Austin area.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie