A potential change in how properties can be divided was discussed on Tuesday, with a focus on easing homebuilding restrictions in unincorporated Harvey County.
The Harvey County Commission and Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the potential changes at their Jan. 9 work session. No action was taken.
If approved, the modifications would eliminate all land division exemptions from agricultural zoning regulations in an effort to streamline the process. While the requirement of a 40-acre/quarter of a quarter to develop a home site will remain, landowners with 40 acres/quarter of a quarter would be allowed to divide their property into two parcels for a home site one time.
The split could not be smaller than five acres. For example, the division could be two 20-acres plots, or a 35- and 5-acre plot, and so on. However, a 40-acre plot could not be divided into eight 5-acre plots unless it meets subdivision regulations.
The current regulations for agricultural zoning have several exemptions that allow for division of land, such as poor soil or a property with a house constructed before 1987 — the year the exemptions went into effect.
While those regulations have worked well, said Harvey County Planning, Zoning and Environmental Director Gina Bell, they are not tenable for the future. Updating the zoning language could grow the tax base and welcome new homebuilders.
“The planning commission and the zoning staff have known for quite a while that the current, existing system was not necessarily fair or easily understood,” Bell said. “What they really want to do now is make it easy to explain and understand, so that we’re all on the same page and we understand that.”
If the change goes through, it would put Harvey County in line with other counties in the area. Each county surrounding Harvey County has some form of a provision that allows for acreage to be split for a home site.
“We just want to clear the rules up and make it easy to explain,” said Planning Commissioner Pat Wendling.
The public can join the conversation at the Feb. 6 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, as well as writing a letter or calling the planning, zoning and environmental office (316-284-6940). The earliest the county commission could vote on any recommended resolution is at its Feb. 26 meeting.
