The Stanly County Board of Commissioners set new minimum lot sizes for homes in certain zoned districts at its most recent meeting.

Commissioners voted unanimously to increase the lot sizes in the residential/agricultural (R/A) district, along with the R20 and R10 districts for properties without access to public water and sewer.

Planning Director Bob Remsburg presented the item to commissioners at the meeting.

With its approval, single family lots on RA districts must be a minimum of 40,000 square feet when public sewer and water are not provided. Sizes for R20 are now 20,000 feet (up from 15,000) and R10 is now 15,000 feet.

According to Remsburg’s presentation, “Environmental Health has indicated that most soils in Stanly County require at least 15,000 square feet or more to support a septic system and repair area.”

Commissioners passed the zoning ordinance amendment with the recommendation of the planning board.

Remsburg’s presentation mentioned the request related to the county’s 2040 Land Use Plan to make the requirement “water and sewer” instead of what it was previously, “water or sewer.”

The new amendment also meets a land use plan recommendation to “amend the zoning ordinance to codify recommendations for the Rural Preservation area of the future land use map to support larger minimum lot sizes for single-family residential and encourage Conservation Subdivisions.”