Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County planning staff report: 83% of unincorporated Madison County zoned agricultural; residential development averages about 83 acres annually
Summary
A county department head presented GIS-derived land-use figures showing roughly 279,000 total acres in Madison County, with about 83% zoned agricultural in unincorporated areas and an average of 83 acres per year rezoned to single-family residential from 2022-2024.
A county department head (Bert) presented GIS-based land-use numbers to the Madison County Fiscal Court on April 8 aimed at clarifying questions about farmland loss and residential development.
Bert reported that Madison County contains roughly 279,000 total acres; Richmond accounts for about 12,000 acres and Berea about 10,000 acres, leaving approximately 257,000 acres in unincorporated Madison County. Of that unincorporated acreage, about 214,000 acres (roughly 83 percent) are zoned agricultural, about 22,000 acres (under 9 percent) are zoned single-family residential, roughly 2,000 acres for commercial use and smaller amounts for multifamily and industrial.
The presenter broke recent development down by year: single-family residential development coming out of agriculture totaled about 63 acres in 2022, 54 acres in 2023 and 132 acres in 2024, for a three-year average of about 83 acres per year. The department head emphasized that zoning does not equate to developed land — parcels rezoned to residential can remain in agricultural use until subdivided and built upon.
The court and staff discussed that large federally owned properties, including the army depot (approximately 14,000 acres) and a 2,000-acre wildlife management area, appear on maps but are federally managed and carry special zoning designations. The presentation also touched on economic pressures: an agricultural economist present at a separate extension meeting (referenced by a magistrate) warned that development can drive up land values and make farming less economically viable, even when the acreage converted is a small share of total farmland.
Magistrates and the judge used the data to caution against relying on social-media anecdotes and urged reliance on official GIS figures for planning conversations. The court did not adopt policy changes during the meeting; the presentation was informational.
