Planning commission sets April 2 public hearing on proposed definitions for 'acre' and 'developable acre'

The Willard City Planning Commission voted on March 19 to set a public hearing for April 2 on a proposed amendment to the city zoning code that would add definitions for "acre" and "developable acre."

Staff member Maddie summarized the proposal and explained the impetus: developers and builders sometimes use a "developer's acre" (counting 40,000 square feet rather than 43,560) that excludes space taken by streets and improvements. Commission members debated whether the code should use a flat measurement (half acre/full acre) or a metric for "developable acreage" that would exclude non-buildable areas.

"Developers will come and say, 'is that an acre or a developer's acre?'" Maddie said, describing how differing definitions affect density calculations. Commissioners discussed how a developer's acre can be 40,000 square feet and that the effective area for building may be closer to 0.98 of a legal acre after accounting for infrastructure.

Commissioner Diana moved to schedule a public hearing on Section 24 (the zoning-code definitions); the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote. The hearing is set for the commission's next meeting on April 2, when the commission said it will accept public comment and consider revisions based on community input.