The Tyrrell County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 redefined a minor residential subdivision and increased the minimum lots sizes in all residential subdivisions.

No reason was given for making the changes, which were recommended by the planning board.

A minor subdivision is now 10 or fewer building lots, up from five lots previously. The ordinance contains fewer rules for approval of a minor subdivision than a major subdivision.

The county planning board continues to be the final approval authority for subdivisions in Tyrrell County.

The smallest lots were upped from 12,000 to 15,000 square feet. These are lots to which both public water and sewer services are available.

Lots accessible to public water but not public sewer were increased from a minimum of 15,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet.

And lots without access to either public water or sewer service were raised from 20,000 to 25,000 square feet in area.

The minimum lot width for 15,000-square-foot lots was raised from 80 to 100 feet, and other lots remained at 100 foot minimum width.

Minimum building setback from a side property line was also increased from 12 to 15 feet.

Dozens of words and phrases were changed to clarify various ordinance provisions, but many of the 48 pages in the law will remain the same as last amended in 2016.

The ordinance governs all residential subdivisions outside the one-mile jurisdiction surrounding the town of Columbia, which is under the town’s subdivision ordinance.

Regulation of residential subdivisions in Tyrrell County began when the ordinance was enacted initially on August 6, 1973.

The Feb. 4 amendments become effective April 1.

No one spoke during the Jan. 14 public hearing or its continuation on Feb