Rising Sun planning commission proposes new rural zoning to limit density, ease traffic

The town administrator told the Rising Sun Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that the planning commission will draft ordinances creating two new zoning districts to reduce density and preserve the town’s rural character. The commission’s proposal includes a "rural estates" district requiring roughly one home per 10 acres and a "rural residential" district requiring about one home per three acres, alongside existing R1, R2 and R3 categories.

Those changes come as the planning commission seeks to bring continuity to a zoning map the administrator described as having "a jumbled zoning map" with many legacy spot rezones. The administrator said the commission reviewed prior town minutes and resolutions, and will present both ordinances (to define the new districts) and subsequent resolutions recommending specific rezones.

Why it matters: officials said the work responds to worries about large-scale development and traffic pressure. The administrator said past growth projections once suggested roughly 780 houses could have been built if not for a sewer and water moratorium and said the commission is trying to avoid the infrastructure and congestion consequences of that level of growth.

The planning commission is also scrutinizing current development proposals for traffic impacts. The town administrator reported the commission reviewed the traffic-study scoping for the Stevens Preserve project and instructed the developer to revise plans to route traffic away from the town, saying the developer needs "to go back to the drawing board" and find alternatives that do not channel more cars through Rising Sun.

The planning commission will return to the board with draft language; any rezoning would require notification to property owners and a public hearing before the board takes final action. The administrator also previewed an ordinance on "continuity of streets and developments" that would require larger subdivisions to provide more than one access point to improve emergency access and reduce bottlenecks.

The board did not take immediate action on specific parcels; next steps are ordinance drafting by the planning commission, public notice requirements, and future public hearings.