DOBSON — The Surry County Board of Commissioners is set to hear a proposal from the county planning office that, if approved, would increase the fees associated with zoning change requests or amendments.

Commissioners will hear the proposal when they meet for their regular meeting Monday night at the Surry County Government Center.

If approved by the board, the increased fees will make fees in the county “commensurate with surrounding counties,” according to Director of Planning and Development Kim Bates.

In a memo to the board, Bates said the increases being considered are those that are associated with services which involve significant review and public notification.

The costs of advertising the proposed changes has increased, Bates noted, and reflect “a conservative estimate of what will be needed to cover public notice costs in the coming fiscal year.”

By law, zoning changes in North Carolina require “that the notice be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the community once a week for two successive calendar weeks.”

If approved by the board, the fees will increase next year as follows:

• Zoning/Watershed Permit — The current fee of $25 will increase to $35 for county residents and $75 for non-residents.

• Minor Plat Review — The current $25 fee would increase to $35 plus an additional $10 per lot after the first lot.

• Major/Preliminary/Final Plat Review — The current fee of $75 will increase to $100 plus an additional $10 per lot after the first lot.

• Zoning Map Amendment — The current fee of $275 would increase to $375 for a general amendment and $450 for a conditional amendment.

• Zoning Text Amendment — The current $150 fee would increase to $350.

• General Conditional Use Permit — The current fee of $275 would increase to $350.

• Board of Adjustment Variance/Appeal — The current fee of $150 would increase to $300.

Wednesday, Bates said that in addition to the costs associated with advertising any zoning changes, the current fee structure doesn’t take into account the rising costs associated with the changes themselves.

“We need to take the costs of site plan review into account,” he said, “and it’s not really addressed in our fee schedule right now.”

Reach Keith Strange at kstrange@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1929.