County Considering Planning Changes

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

— In an attempt to streamline Benton County’s planning projects, the County Planning Board unveiled a working matrix of how to determine which proposed building projects are to be considered large-scale developments.

Using the matrix allows the county Planning Department to rate each project that is up for a building permit on a high, medium or low scale in a series of categories.

Permit fees will be determined according to how each project ranks after being put through the matrix.

“We are not putting any laws down. We are just putting down guidelines,” board member Mark Curtis said of the matrix.

“This matrix is only the first step. I envision an additional step that addresses the regulations themselves.

This (the matrix) is simply an administrative change,” board member Lane Gurel said.

News, Pages 10 on 10/14/2009