The Morgan County Board of Commissioners has implemented a temporary moratorium to halt all large-scale subdivision requests until Nov. 5, 2025.
Planning & Development Director Chuck Jarrell said the moratorium gives planning staff time to prepare recommended changes to the zoning ordinances and development regulations addressing major developments due to “unprecedented” pressures from outside developers looking to build in the county.
According to Jarrell, tract builders look to grade marginal areas of land completely flat to construct rows of slab housing with identical floor plans.
“Staff has heard from both citizens and commissioners that this style of housing is not appropriate for Morgan County,” Jarrell said. “We feel like with the pressures and phone calls we are getting about development here in Morgan County, in light of Rivian’s forthcoming or whatever is going to go on that property, that now is the time that we need to act and address the ordinances to better protect ourselves and the community moving forward.
“Preliminary conversations have indicated that the research into the suitability of housing standards and subsequent modifications to both the zoning ordinances and the development regulations are necessary to protect the quality of the housing style in the county, to protect the land from degrading value due to substandard housing, and to ensure appropriateness of housing occurrences and prevent unnecessary sprawl of our rural county.”
Jarrell said he has started working on recommendations to bring an updated zoning resolution before the board in November.
The BOC also approved the 2025 road resurfacing project for 22 miles of road in Morgan County and its municipalities, including nearly 19 miles in the county’s jurisdiction.
The commissioners approved a patching, widening, and crack interlayer resurfacing package from low-bidder Pittman Construction for roughly $3.77 million and an additional $224,205.51 for the resurfacing of Price Mill Road from Hwy. 83 to Apalachee Road, which was left over from last year’s project.
The BOC also approved a surface treatment package from low-bidder Scruggs Company for $451,523.01.