Local government can't do much about federal and state regulations but we can do something about local regulations that can put such a burden on local citizens. Loudon County has over 300 pages of zoning regulations in place that regulates everything from the size of your house to how many trees you have to plant in some instances. I've always had a problem with how much authority government has over private property. 

County zoning regulations were adopted back in the late seventies and in fairness, some regulations can be beneficial. Unfortunately, over time, more and more burdensome rules and regulations have been passed to the point of ridiculousness. That said, I and other commissioners are in the process of eliminating some of the worst of these regulations.

At the next commission meeting, we will be voting to repeal or implement the first three of the regulation rollbacks with many more to come in the future.

1. Eliminate the $100 fee to appeal to the Loudon County Board Of Zoning Appeals (BZA).

Here's why. As I said before, there are more than 300 pages of county regulations. If you want to do something on your property that might not fit the current regulations or you want to request a variance, you must appear before the BZA. To appear before the BZA, you must first pay a nonrefundable $100 fee. So we make the rules and if you want to appeal the rules, you have to pay $100? That's just not right.

2. Accessory structures may be allowed in the front yard.

Did you know that county regulations prohibit the construction of  accessory structures in your front yard, ie, garage, barn, tool shed, etc? You can build them in your side or back yard but not the front. What happens so often, someone wants to build a garage in their front yard but can't do it unless they get permission from the BZA, which by the way, they nearly always approve. But why make people go through that process anyway. Accessory structures would still have to meet all setback requirements.

3. No building permit or fee required for construction of any accessory structures of under 500 sq. ft.

Currently, nearly all construction must apply for a building permit and pay a fee based value or size. Adopting the 500 sq. ft. exemption would eliminate the need for permits, fees and inspections for small accessory structures such as the metal carports, small barns, garages and other small accessory structures. The exemption does not apply to any residential construction.

Hopefully, this will be the first of a number of regulation rollbacks making life a little easier for the folks of Loudon County.