Planners say slopes and Norwood Tuff soils will limit buildable lots on Warner site

During the public hearing on the Warner rezone application, Morgan County planning staff displayed slope and soils maps and identified extensive areas of Norwood Tuff and slopes exceeding 25 percent.

The zoning administrator explained that areas shaded dark red on the map are greater than 25% and that the presence of Norwood Tuff and steep slopes will necessitate geohazard studies as part of any subdivision application. The administrator said those studies, plus required infrastructure setbacks and the county's slope‑average calculations, typically reduce the net acreage available for lots and thereby lower the theoretical maximum lot yield the public might assume from a straight area‑division calculation.

Staff described the technical process: geologists and geotechnical engineers would identify mitigation measures during subdivision, and the county enforces slope and geohazard code requirements that can eliminate swaths of otherwise developable land for safety and stability reasons. The planner said the applicant’s requested zoning (R‑1‑20) and the site's soils and topography make it unlikely the parcel would yield the 100 half‑acre lots that a naive area calculation would suggest.