Dixon family seeks R‑1 rezoning to bring daughter’s horse home; county staff proposes R‑1 alternative to agricultural request

Donald and Annette Early asked the Lee County Zoning Hearing Officer to amend the zoning for their 4‑plus acre lot at 602 River Lane in Dixon so they may keep a privately boarded horse on the property and construct a small barn. The couple originally filed to rezone from R‑2 (single‑family residential) to AG‑1 (agricultural), but county staff proposed amending the petition to R‑1 (rural residential) at the hearing; that procedural amendment drew no objections from the parties present.

The change matters locally because R‑1 allows limited agricultural accessory uses such as private stables while keeping the parcel in a residential classification that county staff and the city of Dixon said better matches the comprehensive plan for the area. County staff explained R‑1 includes specific limitations intended to reduce conflicts with neighboring residential uses, including a 300‑foot restriction on certain agricultural facilities near other dwellings.

Donald Early testified the family owns a roughly four‑acre parcel with a house, a pool and an existing 40‑by‑40 shed. He said the family purchased a horse about a year ago for his…