Veronica (planning staff) presented on three proposed Land Development Code amendments the town plans to initiate to comply with recently passed state legislation identified in the presentation as House Bill 2447. The three items address: (1) administrative review of preliminary plats, (2) administrative design‑review decisions where objective standards apply, and (3) at‑risk submittals for on‑site preliminary grading and drainage work. The effective date reading in staff’s slides was noted as Jan. 1, 2026.

Staff explained HB 2447 changes the statutory language from “may” to “shall,” requiring municipalities to authorize staff to perform these reviews; the town must therefore update its code to specify scope and process. Veronica said staff will examine where LDC changes are needed, return to the Planning Commission for a recommendation, and then forward an ordinance to Town Council.

Members of the public expressed concern about removing public visibility and interaction from earlier stages of development review. Rob Guderian, a 30‑year resident, said administrative approvals “cut the public out” and urged the town to ensure a public‑facing process before staff rubber‑stamps preliminary or design reviews. Planning staff and commissioners discussed possible approaches: staff noted the final‑plat administrative process already adopted in prior code updates as a model that preserved an appeal path; commissioners asked staff to explore scoped approaches that comply with state law while preserving transparency and appeal options.

After discussion the commission initiated the citizen‑review process for the three text amendments. Veronica said staff will draft LDC language, consider scope limits (for example, which plat types or design elements might remain before commission), and return with recommended text and an outreach plan; staff also noted the possibility of an administrative appeal procedure as part of the code language. The Planning Commission’s initiation means staff will prepare ordinance language and public‑hearing materials for subsequent commission and council review.