The Lycoming County Planning Commission on Thursday agreed to recommend to the county commissioners that the Gamble Township zoning map be amended.
The township joined the county zoning partnership following a public meeting hosted by the commissioners on July 12.
The county zoning ordinance designated three zoning districts in the township: Agriculture, resource protection and countryside. Each has a permitted level of development based on a sliding scale that takes into account tract size.
During that meeting, several residents expressed concern as to how the county zoning could impact their property.
Residents asked that changes be made to the zoning map, which designates where the zoning districts are located in the township.
Of concern were parcels of land in the Rose Valley Lake area, which some residents said were placed in zoning districts that were too restrictive.
The recommended amendment to the map includes changing some of the land previously zoned agriculture to countryside, according to Clifford Kanz, county development services supervisor.
Another section previously zoned for agriculture was changed to resource protection, while a section zoned as resource protection was changed to countryside.
The countryside zoning district allows for denser development than resource protection and agriculture zones.
For example, in agriculture and resource protection zones, one dwelling may be built on tracts of one to 4.99 acres, two on 5 to 14.99 acres, and three on 15 to 29.99 acres, and so forth.
A countryside zone allows one dwelling on 1 to 2.99 acres, two dwellings on 3 to 6.99 acres, and three on 7 to 11.99 acres, and so forth.
According to Kanz, the county commissioners will advertise and host a public meeting during which the Planning Commission's recommendation will be made and voted on.
