Hamilton County adopts two overlays from Plan Hamilton to add roadside buffers and setbacks

The Hamilton County Commission on May 27 approved two zoning amendments intended to preserve roadside character and provide visual screening for new development in unincorporated parts of the county.

County staff explained the measures — adopted as Resolution 526-37 (rural corridor overlay) and Resolution 526-38 (countryside residential overlay) — are drawn from recommendations in Plan Hamilton. The countryside residential overlay requires a 30-foot landscape buffer along neighborhood frontages in lower-density areas, while the rural corridor overlay creates a 50-foot setback from the roadway and adds the same 30-foot buffer along major state routes and other thoroughfares.

Mr. Janeway, who the commission asked to explain both items, said the overlays aim to reduce the visual impact of new development and to limit future displacement when road widening occurs. "What we tried to do is we tried to pick out some of the things in Plan Hamilton that we thought there was a lot of agreement on across the board," he told commissioners, describing both developer and resident support for buffers and screening.

Commissioner Mackey asked whether the required buffering would impose costs on homeowners or developers; Mr. Janeway acknowledged the buffer could affect development costs and said home-building representatives had participated in Plan Hamilton discussions. A resident interjected during debate, saying the rules "continue to infringe on property owners' rights," and asked that homeowners be left to "live their lives."

Both overlay resolutions passed by roll call. On each vote Dr. Mackey recorded the lone dissent; other commissioners voted in favor. The ordinances codify buffer and setback standards in the Hamilton County zoning regulations (Article 4) and, according to staff, reflect rules already being applied in some new developments as the county begins to implement Plan Hamilton.

Next steps include codifying the overlay language in the official zoning regulations and notifying the development community and property owners of the new standards.