In 2020, the commission voted to allow cluster developments, which typically feature relatively smaller lot sizes and higher density of homes per acre than traditional residential developments. That vote, commissioners have said in previous meetings, was a mistake.

The commission also voted to recommend minimum lot sizes of ¾ an acre for lots on sewer and septic.

An amendment offered by Commissioner Joe McCulley to change ‘¾ an acre’ to ‘½ an acre’ failed. The rationale for the ¾ minimum, Commissioner Mike Akard said, was “to avoid the big push to build things in small areas just because we could have sewer. I’m not thinking that ½ an acre is too small, from the ¾ an acre.”

“I would like to see there be no motivation for them to fly in there with sewer and pack in a whole bunch of houses ,” Akard said, noting also that the ad hoc committee recommended a ¼ an acre minimum lot size.

Many resolutions concerning zoning and subdivision regulations were subject to amendments.

Several commissioners pushed for amending resolutions to reflect the fact that the commission would be issuing recommendations to the county’s planning commission, rather than taking action on its own authority.

Commissioner Steve Mikels pushed back against those amendments, telling other commissioners, “We’re not up here because we’re necessarily qualified for all of the things that we cover.”

He noted that he opposed spending “a bunch of money” in crafting recommendations concerning development and zoning, preferring to leave such recommendations to county staff.