New zoning ordinances passed for county
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, July 23, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- There was some extended wrangling near the end over the effective date, but after 40 minutes of discussion Tuesday -- and 40 meetings dating back two years -- new subdivision and zoning-district ordinances for Woodbury County were adopted on a 4-0 vote by the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors.
That brought out a few quick, light-hearted reactions from the supervisors.
"Ta-da," said chairman Doug Walish, smiling.
"Drum roll," said Supervisor Larry Clausen.
After the ordinances, which comprise a 100-page document, are officially published in a county newspaper, anticipated to be by Aug. 1, the ordinances will be in effect. Woodbury County adopted its current zoning ordinances in 1971, but some revisions have been added periodically.
Walish said at least 40 meetings vetting the new ordinances have been held in the form of town hall meetings, county Planning and Zoning Commission meetings and then, finally, four meetings in the past month before the supervisors, who had the final word on adoption.
On unanimous vote (Supervisor George Boykin was absent), the supervisors approved changes that will make it harder to convert prime crop land into residential property, that set zoning districts where "hobby farmers" with a few horses could live and that provide more oversight of home businesses. The ordinances also address the topics of adult business placements (they can't be grouped together in one small area) and the presence of junk vehicles (allowable, so long as they can't be seen by drivers-by).
Several times in the past few months, Woodbury County Planning and Zoning Administrator John Pylelo has said that with more people finding value in open spaces, a population shift has occurred in the county, with steady growth of nonfarm acreages.
"We are trying to do our best for the orderly development of rural Woodbury County, and that includes analysis of the areas that should not ever be annexed (by a town), as well as those areas where it makes all the sense in the world to consider annexation," Pylelo said in May.
The agricultural preservation, or AP, zone covers 95 percent of county properties, and the agricultural estates, or AE, zoning covers about 3 percent of the county. A change in AE zoning is that farm properties of 40 or more acres can't be subdivided into numerous home sites -- only two homes of about two to five acres could be created.
If a person living in an AP zone wanted to create housing subdivisions on his land, he would have to have the land rezoned to AE, which has a set of procedures to weigh the pros and cons. The zoning to subdivide ag land into more home sites was intentionally made more difficult to preserve ag land.
Most proposed AE zones are south and east of Sioux City, west and north of Lawton and south and north of Moville. AE is for those who want to keep horses but don't farm for a livelihood.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Notification issue resurfaces
Iowa Farm Bureau frequently provided input into Woodbury County's zoning and subdivision ordinances. In the three most recent supervisor meetings, four people spoke during the public hearing portions. Jack Burright of Pierson and Ken Gard of Lawton spoke on behalf of Farm Bureau and themselves a week ago, and Kevin Miller, also of Lawton, was the sole speaker Tuesday.
Miller for the second time raised the idea that the new ordinances should address proposed large concentrated animal facility operations in the county. He was among several rural Lawton residents who in early 2008 opposed creation of a $25 million, 3,600-head dairy proposed north of the town. The dairy never got off the ground after the board of supervisors voted to recommend denial of the group's construction permit application, but Miller said when future large facilities are proposed, residents in a wide area around the plant should be notified.
Pylelo and several supervisors said Miller's idea had merit but that they wanted to wait and work on that separately from the current zoning ordinances. They said the notification issue could be among the first amendments to the new ordinances, which Miller said was a good way to handle the matter.
"I don't think it's a perfect document... (with) things to be added or tweaked or changed," Supervisor Mark Monson said.
Miller said it was good that county residents had numerous chances to have an impact on the ordinances, but he took exception with the last three supervisors meetings held at 10 a.m., since "it is hard for people to" get off work to attend morning meetings.
The county adopted a new zoning plan and ordinances in 2003, but those were thrown out in 2004 after a determination that proper public notification procedures had not been followed. The plan had earlier come under attack for placing too many restrictions on land use.
That brought out a few quick, light-hearted reactions from the supervisors.
"Ta-da," said chairman Doug Walish, smiling.
"Drum roll," said Supervisor Larry Clausen.
After the ordinances, which comprise a 100-page document, are officially published in a county newspaper, anticipated to be by Aug. 1, the ordinances will be in effect. Woodbury County adopted its current zoning ordinances in 1971, but some revisions have been added periodically.
Walish said at least 40 meetings vetting the new ordinances have been held in the form of town hall meetings, county Planning and Zoning Commission meetings and then, finally, four meetings in the past month before the supervisors, who had the final word on adoption.
On unanimous vote (Supervisor George Boykin was absent), the supervisors approved changes that will make it harder to convert prime crop land into residential property, that set zoning districts where "hobby farmers" with a few horses could live and that provide more oversight of home businesses. The ordinances also address the topics of adult business placements (they can't be grouped together in one small area) and the presence of junk vehicles (allowable, so long as they can't be seen by drivers-by).
Several times in the past few months, Woodbury County Planning and Zoning Administrator John Pylelo has said that with more people finding value in open spaces, a population shift has occurred in the county, with steady growth of nonfarm acreages.
"We are trying to do our best for the orderly development of rural Woodbury County, and that includes analysis of the areas that should not ever be annexed (by a town), as well as those areas where it makes all the sense in the world to consider annexation," Pylelo said in May.
The agricultural preservation, or AP, zone covers 95 percent of county properties, and the agricultural estates, or AE, zoning covers about 3 percent of the county. A change in AE zoning is that farm properties of 40 or more acres can't be subdivided into numerous home sites -- only two homes of about two to five acres could be created.
If a person living in an AP zone wanted to create housing subdivisions on his land, he would have to have the land rezoned to AE, which has a set of procedures to weigh the pros and cons. The zoning to subdivide ag land into more home sites was intentionally made more difficult to preserve ag land.
Most proposed AE zones are south and east of Sioux City, west and north of Lawton and south and north of Moville. AE is for those who want to keep horses but don't farm for a livelihood.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Notification issue resurfaces
Iowa Farm Bureau frequently provided input into Woodbury County's zoning and subdivision ordinances. In the three most recent supervisor meetings, four people spoke during the public hearing portions. Jack Burright of Pierson and Ken Gard of Lawton spoke on behalf of Farm Bureau and themselves a week ago, and Kevin Miller, also of Lawton, was the sole speaker Tuesday.
Miller for the second time raised the idea that the new ordinances should address proposed large concentrated animal facility operations in the county. He was among several rural Lawton residents who in early 2008 opposed creation of a $25 million, 3,600-head dairy proposed north of the town. The dairy never got off the ground after the board of supervisors voted to recommend denial of the group's construction permit application, but Miller said when future large facilities are proposed, residents in a wide area around the plant should be notified.
Pylelo and several supervisors said Miller's idea had merit but that they wanted to wait and work on that separately from the current zoning ordinances. They said the notification issue could be among the first amendments to the new ordinances, which Miller said was a good way to handle the matter.
"I don't think it's a perfect document... (with) things to be added or tweaked or changed," Supervisor Mark Monson said.
Miller said it was good that county residents had numerous chances to have an impact on the ordinances, but he took exception with the last three supervisors meetings held at 10 a.m., since "it is hard for people to" get off work to attend morning meetings.
The county adopted a new zoning plan and ordinances in 2003, but those were thrown out in 2004 after a determination that proper public notification procedures had not been followed. The plan had earlier come under attack for placing too many restrictions on land use.
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