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By Mike Barnhardt

Enterprise Record

You can see them on NC 801 between Fork and Greasy Corner, on Bailey’s Chapel Road in lower Advance, on NC 801 near Cooleemee, and along Sheffield Road just off US 64 west of Mocksville.

New houses are being built with driveways that not only aren’t that far apart, sometimes they are shared.

No more.

County commissioners last week amended its subdivision ordinance that will require new major subdivisions (three or more lots) that face public streets to have wider front lots.

The new requirements:

• minimum lot width of 150 feet;

• minimum building setback from front of property of 60 feet;

• side yard setbacks a minimum of 30 feet.

The previous lot width was 25 feet.

County Commissioner Terry Renegar said that for example, if a developer had 500 feet of road frontage, the maximum number of lots that could be developed would go from five lots to three lots.

Planning Director Johnny Easter said the changes are the will of the people, mentioned by residents as meetings were held across the county. They were unanimously recommended by the planning board, and were unanimously adopted by county commissioners.

“This is not punitive,” said Commissioner Brent Shoaf. “The main emphasis behind this is safety and aesthetics, and not having these developers come in and circumvent the 30,000 square feet.”

The short, narrow and sometimes shared driveways are not safe on roads where the speed limit is 55 mph, he said.

Lots where public water is available must be a minimum of 30,000 square feet. That isn’t changing, just the configuration of those lots.