by Jackie Nunnery
LANCASTER—The Lancaster planning commission on Thursday, October 15, recommended county supervisors revise the zoning ordinance regarding manufactured homes and utility scale solar in response to changes made at the 2026 session of the General Assembly.
Planning and zoning director Andrea Pruett said the laws would permit manufactured homes by “expanding the requirement to all zoning districts where site-built housing is allowed.” Manufactured homes “must be converted to real property, constructed so that the certificate of occupancy is issued within five years of the date of manufacture and placed on an individual lot.” Pruett added that historic areas and districts were exempt.
Following a public hearing, the commission recommend the changes, 6-0. Steve Sorensen, David Chupp, Ty Brent, Latoy Davenport, Glendon Pinn and Tara Booth, attending electronically, voted in favor. Claudette Henderson was absent.
The utility scale solar ordinances also needed to be revised as many elements were “more restrictive than what is now allowed under state code,” Pruett said. The proposed revisions were “as restrictive as possible under the law and less restrictive standards can still be considered on a case-by-case basis as part of the special exception and/or siting agreement.”….
