The Gloucester Planning Commission scheduled a hearing about preliminary plat requirements Sept. 4 in the colonial courthouse, but no one from the public showed up to speak.

After limited discussion, the commission voted 8-0 in favor of the measure and passed it along to the Gloucester Board of Supervisors for its own hearing and vote. Commission members Tom Arnold and Adam Taylor were absent.

Planner Emily Gibson said that recent actions by the Virginia General Assembly affect the county’s subdivision ordinance. Gloucester will no longer be authorized to require preliminary plats on subdivisions with 50 or fewer lots, she said.

However, Gibson said applicants may still file for preliminary plat reviews if they wish. This process can identify problems with an application at an earlier stage, she said, which might help save time down the road as the application proceeds.

The changes proposed to the fee section of the ordinance keep the amount paid for subdivision review neutra...