Commission, P&Z Discuss Sewage and Land Divisions More

The Jasper County Board of Commissioners and the Jasper County Planning & Zoning Board held a joint work session Monday evening to discuss non-conforming lots and onsite sewage, private drive subdivisions, and road maintenance with land division.

Also attending were County Engineer Robert Jordan, County Sanitarian David Mercer along with his district director and deputy director, and Public Works Department (PWD) Director Michael Walsh.

All five county commissioners were present—Chairman from District 2, Bruce Henry, Vice Chairman for District 5, Steven Ledford, District 1 Commissioner Shelia Pounds, District 3 Commissioner Rob Alexander, and District 4 Commissioner Asher Gray, along with County Manager Mike Benton, County Clerk Shelia Jefferson, and Amy Mock on the camera as the session was live-streamed on Facebook.

For the Planning & Zoning Board, attendees were Chairman Justin Owens, Mary Patrick, Bill Nash and Julie Bennett, as well as Director Doug Attaway.

The meeting began with much discussion about requirements for sewage disposal. Many of the county’s non-conforming lots date back many years and are very small.

Commissioners wanted to know how much land is required to have a septic system, and Mr. Mercer attempted to explain, saying he has formulas to work with, and that the size of the system is dependent on the number of bedrooms in the residence. He said they look at the soil (soil studies are required), square footage and acreage. He stressed that the soil and the topography can affect the conditions to allow a septic system. Also if the property has public water, rather than a well, smaller lots are more likely to qualify to be served.

Mr. Mercer said a quarter-acre lot with good soil and public water could function for a two bedroom house. There was much discussion about small lots and soil types, and county officials learned someone may qualify for a sewer system but still be unable to build if the lot is not big enough to have the required setbacks. They discussed that in the 1960s Alcovy Shores had lots that were 50×100, and now people are combining lots to be able to build, but sometimes there still is not enough room.

Ms. Patrick questioned Mr. Mercer, asking if he gives them permission for a septic system does he tell them they can build. He said he tells them that they must meet the county’s rules and that the sewer permit is not a go-ahead. There were questions about sewer systems failing, particularly down the road when a system rated for a two bedroom home gets overburdened as the homeowner remodels and adds more bedrooms. Mr. Mercer and Mr. Attaway explained if they get a permit for remodeling, then the health department will re-assess the sewer system, but pointed out people close in basements, built a closet, and do other work without getting the permit that is required.

Ms. Patrick spoke of the need for a strong code, so that it’s not up to the P&Z Director to make determinations about the advisability of building on a given lot.

In discussing failing systems, Mr. Mercer said they often depend on neighbors to report problems. When pressed about condemning properties, the district supervisor said they could be part of a task force, but that it is not up to the health department to condemn. She said their concern is the outside of the home, not the inside, because their role is public health.

After gaining a better understanding of the septic requirements, the group moved on to discussing private drive subdivisions, and basically agreed they are a bad idea, and agreed they need to do away with them. They often begin with family members, but as Commissioner Alexander and others pointed out, families change. There’s death, divorce, job moves, etc., whereby a family member may sell the property, then it gets confusing. Little time was spent discussing this, as all agreed they are a bad idea. They also discussed the need to police mother-in-law homes, and said that they need to be permitted for a limited time, which can be renewed, but that once the individual dies, the home should be removed.

The last topic was road maintenance and land division. They used the example of Faulkner Road, where acreage has been divided into 10 lots, and that will cause road issues. They discussed in general holding developers accountable by requiring a bond on the road. They discussed that impact fees are supposed to help take care of roads, but ours haven’t been increased in 20 years, though the county is working on that now. In addition to impact fees, they discussed requiring a construction bond. Mr. Attaway said he would see what other counties do and go from there.

After nearly two hours, the work session adjourned.