Agenda 11-06-2025; 8-a - Minutes for October 7, 2025 Business Meeting and October 14, 2025 Joint Meeting with Chiefs Association and Work Session

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34 1 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 2 Tony Blake said he has concerns about the number of rezoning requests along Highway 3 54 and the ongoing updates to the comprehensive land use plan. He said he has concerns about 4 the RCD designation, which would mean that decisions would bypass the special use permit and 5 go straight to staff. He asked the Board not to approve the request, because he believes that 6 zoning is not a patchwork, but a system. He said he has concerns about not including staff at 7 public information meetings. He said that when a developer controls the meetings the community 8 is at a disadvantage. He felt that the public information meeting was not valid. 9 Andre Ristaino said he owns two parcels that abut 60% of the proposed site. He 10 described his property and his private road. He said he has tried to balance the growth in the 11 area with his family's needs. He said the developers agreed to put up a fence along the property 12 line. He asked if the developers would commit to allow them to tap into the development if their 13 well goes dry. 14 Peter Childers said that making a left hand turn out of the development during rush hour 15 would be difficult and unsafe. He said density destroys quality of life. He described the 16 developer's plans as "cookie cutter." He listed reasons why people move to low density areas. 17 He said that the developer will not be taking any risk for the effect on people's wells. He said that 18 he didn't understand why the amendment was being considered while the comprehensive land 19 use plan was being updated. He said the land could be developed in a safer way considering 20 wells, and he asked the Board to deny the request. 21 Laura Streitfeld asked the Board to deny the rezoning application. She said without 22 rezoning, the existing R-1 zone allows for development of 20 lots at a minimum of 40,000 square 23 feet. She said 1 acre lots would limit water use and traffic. She said rezoning burdens the 24 community with impacts from water use, crowded septic systems, stormwater runoff, and 25 increased traffic on a blind curve on a highway with a history of fatalities. She said this would 26 leapfrog past the rural buffer, and would set a precedent for sprawl in the rural county with no 27 municipal services. She said the developer's well draw down took place in July, after heavy rain 28 from Tropical Storm Chantal, and the impacts on neighboring wells are unknown. She said the 29 groundwater recharge rate is less than 400 gallons per day per acre at Cane Creek on Orange 30 Grove Road. She said this development claims to be a conservation district, but appears to 31 undermine conservation. She said the proposed development is inconsistent with the 32 comprehensive plan. She said there are significant inconsistencies with the application. 33 34 A motion was made by Chair Bedford, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to close the 35 public hearing. 36 37 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 38 39 Commissioner Carter asked about the sequencing of the amendment request given that 40 the comprehensive land use plan is being updated. She said that it is her understanding that the 41 proposal does not necessarily set precedents that take the county outside the current uses that 42 are allowed for the property. 43 Cy Stober said conditional zoning is allowed by state law and is negotiated between the 44 county and the applicant. He said it provides for a site-specific plan that is custom to each 45 property. He said the conditional zoning would be site specific, and any new property, including 46 one next to it would be evaluated by the Board with its own site-specific plan and its own 47 conditions that are unique to that property. He said that it is not a menu of options, but a narrow 48 prescription of development rights and allowable uses on the property, as approved by the 49 governing board.