Sumter County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to abolish the Zoning and Adjustment Board and replace it with a planning and zoning special master to make recommendations on zoning cases.

The special master system would be similar to other communities such as Wildwood, where a special magistrate instead of a board hears zoning cases.

Scheduled to take effect on July 1, the change was prompted by the county’s escalating pace of growth and greater technical issues.

“Appointed citizen boards have served faithfully and skillfully in providing input into the planning and zoning process, but the increasingly technical nature of specific decision-making is better served by input from subject area experts,” the ordinance stated.

Like the current zoning board, the special master would make recommendations to commissioners for most cases, but would have final authority over special use permits.

Members of the current Zoning and Adjustment Board voted 4-1 against the change. They said resident interests may not be adequately represented by the special master and that cases under the board’s final authority are better heard by a board of peers.

Commissioners were not persuaded by those arguments.

“I think this is a good thing and a great opportunity,” said Commissioner Doug Gilpin. “It takes the emotion out of the decisions that we get.”

Commissioner Al Butler said the change is needed because “we are getting a lot more complicated.”

Karl Holley, director of development services, said, “Having lay people making recommendations doesn’t always work out the way we’d like.”

Qualifications for the special master require that the person is a lawyer in good standing with the Florida Bar Association for a minimum of two years. The master also must have knowledge and understanding of local government law.

County Administrator Bradley Arnold will appoint the special master and an alternate special master. They will be paid hourly rates but not considered county employees.

In other zoning matters, commissioners gave initial approval to a change that would reduce the minimum amount of land designated for future agricultural use to five acres. The proposal must be reviewed by the state before final action.

They also approved a zoning change that allows Lake Deaton RV Park north of State Road 44 near Wildwood to expand an area for trailer storage. No new camp sites will be permitted in the expanded area.