By Vanessa Overholser - Staff Writer
Local builders and real estate agents attended the Rowan County Fiscal Court meeting last week to discuss subdivision regulations.
Larry Breeze, a local real estate broker, distributed to magistrates a letter he had written concerning his plea against subdivision regulations for the City of Morehead, Rowan County and City of Lakeview Heights.
“At a time when all of America is feeling an economic crunch, we in Rowan County feel a greater crunch in the economy due to subdivision regulations,” Breeze said, quoting his letter. “With so many expenses and the time requirements of the subdivision regulations it is almost impossible to develop subdivisions and build in this county. And if one would deal with these regulations the lot cost would almost double. They are making the homes more expensive to the buyer, who has trouble buying without the increased cost.”
“We had two readings concerning the subdivision regs,” said Magistrate Ray White. “My concern is that nobody said anything about it.”
“This not only has an effect in the building and developing business, but it affects those who have saved and invested in real estate for their retirement or leave something to their family,” Breeze said. “We ask that you, the members of the Rowan County Fiscal Court, reconsider and rescind the subdivision regulations in Rowan County.”
Breeze said subdivision regulations were a hindrance to progress in Morehead and Rowan County.
“It appears that we spend a lot of money to attract new business and industry to Rowan County so that we can have more employment,” Breeze said. “Why can’t we help save some jobs like some of the ones that are involved in the building industry?”
The response of the fiscal court was that there is a legitimate need for subdivision regulations. Especially since there have been reports of developers doing some work on some subdivisions and leaving the work undone.
“We were very careful when we drafted the subdivision regulations,” White said. “We knew that not everyone would agree with them. We had several meetings with city and county officials and we went over it line by line.”
Realtors at the meeting gave their views on the subdivision regulations as they pertain to property values.
“I did not just fall off the real estate turnip truck,” said Shannon Gagliano, a local real estate agent. “Planned subdivisions that have set out regulations and of what they’re going to do that follows through with those regulations the value of the property is there and it stays strong.
“We have seen and the reason why you guys have done this so many people have developed in this county and walked away. We have sold homes to people in a subdivision and boom, their developer disappears. I’m not speaking for the Cave Run Association of Realtors. I’m speaking from my experience from how long I have been doing this. Steve (Lewis) and Damon (Ballinger) may have other opinions but it has been a problem.
“In the different areas of the county where there were subdivisions where the developers have up and walked away, the property values have declined in the subdivisions.”
“We’ve made a recommendation that if anybody has a problem with any parts of the plan, they contact Larry and he will get their concerns to me in writing,” said Judge-executive Jim Nickell. “We as a court will look at them and we will determine if we need to address those and we’ll get back with Larry and you all can come.”
