The City Council on Tuesday night approved a new steep slope vegetative planting requirement, while also dropping the definition of steep slope from 33 percent to 30 percent upon an amendment from Councilman Jerry Mitchell.
Councilman Darrin Ledford said the move was "a step forward for our city" though he said it was only a "first step."
He said there had been 10 recommendations from local planners regarding steep slopes, and the ordinance addressed two of those - defining steep slope and adding a vegetative planting requirement.
He said, "We have completed 20 percent of what was proposed. It is a first step."
Helen Burns Sharp, local citizen activist and a retired planner, had been critical of the initial ordinance, saying that 33 percent only covered "mountainside" sites.
Another ordinance passed that says permits for land disturbance will not be issued to developers who still owe civil penalties assessed by the city previously.