By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

HAYS – The Ellis County Commission approved Monday, a resolution to accept zoning and subdivision regulations approved earlier this year by the Joint Planning Commission.

Members of the Joint Planning Commission have been working on the proposed changes for more than a year and held a public hearing on the changes in March. The protest period ended April 11. There were no protests.

Among the changes is the addition of private roads within subdivisions, previously private roads were not allowed. Now both public and private roads will be allowed in subdivisions.

“I would also like to see that (Public Works Director) Bill Ring and his crews no longer has to maintain them roads,” said Commissioner Dean Haselhorst.

The roads still must be built to county specifications.

The regulations also clarify that a permit is needed to build any fence in a residential district on properties less than 40 acres. Fences built in an agriculture district do not need a permit.

The commission also directed the Joint Planning Commission to revisit the minimum number of lots allowed within a subdivision. They had previously asked the commission to consider changing the limit to six from eight.

Karen Purvis, Zoning Administrator told the commission that the planning commission considered, in 2016 changing the minimum number of lots in subdivision but voted 4-0 to keep it at eight.

“We’d asked that you kind of look back at it again,” said Commissioner Barb Wasinger. “I’m not sure that’s the answer I was looking for.”

The resolution will be effective upon publication in the newspaper of record.

In other business County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes told the commission that Health Department officials will begin moving from 601 Main to 2507 Canterbury.

The Health Department will close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and be closed Thursday and Friday before re-opening in the new location Monday, April 23.