After the Blythewood Planning Commission took a stand last week against a request for high density zoning in the town, Town Council plans to discuss at Thursday’s work session whether to amend the Blythewood zoning ordinance text to repeal R-5 and R-8 zoning districts. Both are high density.

The issue was on the agenda at last month’s regular Town Council meeting for first reading and was passed by a vote of 4-1 with Councilman Malcolm Gordge voting against it,

Town Planning Consultant Michael Criss explained that the proposed ordinance to amend would eliminate large developments of small-lot residential subdivisions within the town limits. He also said this

ordinance must be reviewed by the Planning Commission and recommended to Town Council prior to Council voting on a second reading.

‘The major concerns are that we have gotten developers, developments and neighborhoods that have so many houses in them, and we don’t have infrastructure to take care of it. We have tried to eliminate some of the smaller lot districts and request that they be a certain size,” Mayor J. Michael Ross told council members.

“It eliminates somebody from coming in that has a D-1 (20,000 square ft. minimun lot size) and requesting an R-5 (5,000 minimum lot size), R-8 (8,000 square ft.) or R-12 (12,000 square ft.).

The work session is scheduled for 9 a.m., Thursday, April 13 at The Manor.