Jefferson County officials have announced that changes to the county’s zoning code made earlier this year will protect farmland while promoting the county’s identified need for more housing.
According to information released by the county administrator’s office last month, changes to the zoning code allow additional housing lots to be developed on agricultural land designated A-3.
“The A-3 zoning change allows us to cluster housing within a confined area to preserve agricultural land. These areas are primarily already used for residential, not agricultural, purposes. This change lets us meet the county residents’ desire for more housing without adding stress to our prime farmland,” County Planning and Zoning Committee Chairman George Jaeckel was quoted as saying in the release.
Additionally, the release noted, “the A-3 zoning change also standardizes acceptable lots sizes and how many times a parcel of land zoned A-3 can be subdivided. New lots must meet the typical minimum lot size requirements and existing lots can only be divided to create up to two additional, new lots. A-3 lots that have already used their maximum amount of divisions will not be granted extras.”
Within the release, County Director of Planning and Development Matt Zangl noted: “This ordinance change only affects A-3 lots created prior to 2000, which is when the county adopted a comprehensive land use plan. Allowing divisions of existing A-3 zones helps to create more residential lots within the rural areas of the county, while reducing impact to agricultural land, by clustering these lots near existing residential areas. This also minimizes potential tension that could arise by having housing abutting land that is actively being farmed.”
Land zoned A-3 is typically on land that is poor farmland due to soil conditions or parcel shape, which makes it a candidate for some residential use, the release stated.
Some zoning change history
According to the release, The Planning and Zoning Committee approved the first use of the zoning ordinance at its meeting held in May, creating a 1.3-acre lot in the town of Cold Spring. A second use was approved in July, creating two lots, one with one acre and another with two, in the town of Concord.
How does county zoning work?
As stated in the release, zoning laws offer “a complex” guide, outlining rules regarding how land within the county may be developed.
“These rules allow everyone to understand what’s acceptable when people propose changes to the county landscape. Without these guideposts, development would lack a framework to ensure we develop in a structured way,” Jefferson County Board Chairman Steve Nass noted within the release.
The release stated that zoning regulations include specific categories which identify the allowed uses of the land and not necessarily the current use of the land. The county’s zoning regulations are applicable only to the areas of the county where zoning authority is granted to Jefferson County. Each city and village within the county has adopted its own zoning regulations and comprehensive plan, and has zoning authority for the property within its jurisdictional boundary. The county has land use authority over all unincorporated areas, including all towns. The county currently uses thirteen zoning districts, which set regulations on lot size, density, development, use, and impact.
Why is there a difference in A-3 zoned lots before and after the year 2000?
According to the release, the county adopted its first zoning ordinance in 1975 and adopted an A-3 zoning district in 1977. The county adopted its first comprehensive plan, following state legislation, in 2000.
“This explains why there’s a difference between A-3 lots created before Feb. 8, 2000. Prior to 2000 there were no size restrictions on A-3 lots, The release read.
A full definition of A-3 districts can be found within the Jefferson County Zoning Ordinance.
“What many people don’t realize is that if we don’t follow our own rules on development, it opens us up to costly litigation, which goes against the strong commitment the county has to ensuring fiscal responsibility. We put these rules in place to guide development, but it also means that if a project meets the expectations of those rules, we are obligated to allow the project,” Nass said.
Matt Zangl
George Jaeckel
Steven Nass
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