top of page

PZC Employs ‘Common Sense’ to Resolve Resubdivision Question

Confusion over the wording of a zoning regulation had a couple of property owners worried, and the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) looking for clarity at a public hearing earlier this month. They reconvened on January 16, 2025, and came to a compromise. 


The regulation in question was revised in 2017 and says, “The applicant may pay an open space fee in lieu of dedication of land for open space. The fee shall be equal to not more than twenty percent (20%) of the fair market value of the land to be subdivided prior to the approval of the subdivision.” With no low end of the fee established in the town’s regulations, the commissioners were not sure how to proceed.


For their part, the property owners were frustrated after years of back and forth over the property (which you can read more about here). The PZC decided that since the minutes from the meetings where the regulations were changed were vague, and this particular property had some special qualities that meant it would not be precedent setting, the town could accept $500—based on past practices—rather than 20% of the land or its cash value. The property abuts state land, which means more open space is not really needed, and the property owners only plan to put one house on the property even though the details of the property mean they are subject to the resubdivision regulations. With that in mind, the commissioners decided to, as Dr. David Mordasky put it, “Employ some common sense and practicality.” 


Still, commissioner Cindy Rummel reminded the rest of the PZC, “We need to revise the wording because it’s problematic.” 

127 views

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page