by Jackie Nunnery
LANCASTER—In an effort to increase the inventory of affordable land and housing, the Lancaster planning commission on Thursday, November 14, agreed to hold a public hearing on proposed changes to the W1 Waterfront Overlay (W1) for all zoning districts. It would require a two-acre minimum lot size for property lying within 800 feet of the “water interface shoreline.” The current overlay language measures the 800 feet from “tidal shores and wetlands.”
For the past few months, the commission has discussed ways to modify the W1 to address concerns when subdividing parcels in inland portions of the county. At the August meeting, director of planning and land use Olivia Hall said some residents had expressed concerns about “the inability to subdivide parcels that are within 800 feet of a tributary stream due to the restrictions on parcels within the W1.” She said the proposed revisions would address those concerns while “maintaining the original intent of the code.”
At Thursday’s meeting, the commission reviewed eight different options…..
