When the Hickman County Legislative Body reconvenes on Monday night, January 26, all eyes will be on a proposed amendment that could reshape the county’s Land Use Plan - specifically, by stripping out all references to acreage requirements. This amendment, introduced back in November by Commissioner Steve Gianakos, is set to be the focal point of the meeting, which kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Hickman County Justice Center. As always, the session is open to the public, with a designated comment period for citizens who sign up beforehand.
The heart of the matter? Whether or not to remove acreage stipulations from nine key sections of the proposed Land Use Plan.
Gianakos’ amendment aims to do just that, with one notable exception: the A1 residential zone would retain its existing one-acre minimum lot size. “I don’t think we should change that,” Gianakos told fellow commissioners during the November session, signaling his intent to preserve at least some consistency with the current plan.
This debate over acreage has been simmering for months, with residents voicing strong opposition to proposed changes. Initially, the Planning Commission floated the idea of increasing the minimum lot size for residential development from one acre to five.
That suggestion quickly drew fire from citizens who argued it would make homeownership harder - particularly for young families trying to get a foothold in the county. In response to the backlash, the Planning Commission adjusted its recommendation to a broader range: 3 to 15 acres, depending on zoning.
But even that compromise hasn’t fully settled the issue. Gianakos’ amendment would go a step further by allowing the Planning Commission to make rezoning decisions without being bound by specific lot size requirements. That kind of flexibility could streamline future development - or, depending on your perspective, open the door to less predictable land use decisions.
At the November meeting, the amendment didn’t move forward. Commissioner Todd Collins voiced concerns about rushing the process, prompting Commissioner Ron Mayberry to make a motion to table the matter.
It passed 8-5, with one commissioner absent. Collins summed up the mood of the majority: “My suggestion is that we abandon the push tonight for this new Land Use Plan, and continue with the thought of using the one that we have until everything is clear.”
Now, two months later, the Gianakos amendment is back on the table. But Monday night won’t bring a final vote on the full Land Use Plan.
Instead, the goal is more of a checkpoint. Legislative Body Chairman Keith Nash explained that the commissioners will be looking for an informal consensus - at least eight of the 14 members - to move forward with drafting a revised version of the 44-page plan.
If that threshold is met, the county’s planning consultant, Gresham Smith, would be tasked with producing the updated document.
That revised plan could then come up for formal approval as early as the next scheduled meeting on February 23.
For now, the vote breakdown from November gives us a sense of where things stand. Supporting the delay were commissioners Ricky Murray, Claude Callicott, Clay Chessor, Danny Clark, Wayne Thomason, Ron Mayberry, Keith Nash, and Todd Collins.
Opposing the motion were Ron Puckett, Devin Pickard, Matthew Barnhill, Dusty Jordan, and Gianakos. Commissioner Jim Herron was absent.
As Monday approaches, the stakes are clear. This isn’t just a debate about numbers on paper - it’s about how Hickman County wants to grow, who gets to build where, and what kind of future the community envisions for itself.