Jackson County commission reviews broad zoning ordinance rewrite, adopts Iowa code references and detailed rules for home businesses, campgrounds and ADUs

Jackson County Planning and Zoning Commission members spent a June 16 work session reviewing a comprehensive rewrite of the county zoning ordinance that would: adopt state law by reference for meeting and use definitions; narrow and relocate rules for home-based businesses and a new “home industry” conditional use; add clearer categories and site standards for campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks; treat small burial sites as accessory uses with site-plan parking reviewed by staff; and add regulations for accessory dwelling units consistent with recent Iowa law.

Lauren (planning consultant) led the presentation and repeatedly urged the commission to reference the Iowa Code and, where available, Iowa Administrative Code definitions rather than repeat long statutory text in the county ordinance. “You can actually adopt the Iowa code, and you do not have to necessarily keep track of every time the legislature amends every single piece,” Lauren said, recommending the county reference those state sections and continue the local practice of issuing at least 10 days’ meeting notice.

The draft would change several definitions and where regulations live. Farm-related home activities would be treated as farm-exempt when they meet the Iowa definitions; the commission was asked to delete a separate “farm home occupation” definition and to rename the current “home occupation” term to “home-based business” to align with Iowa Code 335.35. The county’s present practice of mailing courtesy notices to property owners within 500 feet would be retained as a courtesy, with the ordinance clarifying that mailed notice is not required under state law so long as publication and posting meet statutory deadlines.

Home-based business rules: The draft uses the state’s “no-impact home-based business” language and keeps several of Jackson County’s existing limits (for example, the county’s current employee limit for a simple home occupation). Where the Iowa code is silent (for example, counties without a formal occupancy limit), staff proposed using the county’s current practice — typically limiting non-family employees on-site to one for home occupations — and creating a separate conditional-use category called “home industry” to allow multiple nonresident employees subject to board-of-adjustment review. The commission discussed a recommended footprint cap for home industry equal to the floor area of the primary dwelling, instead of the current 30% rule used for home occupations.

Campgrounds and RV parks: Staff presented new, clearer definitions to replace the loosely worded existing language. The draft consolidates privately operated, membership and commercial campgrounds into a “commercial campground” category; public campgrounds would remain a separate category (owned by federal, state, county or local governments). The draft distinguishes primitive, semi-developed and developed campgrounds and proposes different site standards by district:

- In A-1 agricultural areas, the proposal generally limits campgrounds and tourist camps to sites of less than 5 acres and recommends an upper size guideline (example language suggested a 4-acre cap on campsite area for A-1 situational uses), off-street parking, a 50-foot setback from residential districts and county-engineer-approved access that does not route traffic through residential subdivisions.

- In C-1 highway commercial areas, commercial campgrounds and RV parks would be permitted on sites of 5 acres or more with higher densities and more intensive amenities; staff cited research examples pointing to roughly 15 campsites per acre for developed, commercial parks.

Campground proposals also add specific sanitary and water requirements so any non-primitive campground with facilities must involve the county health department for approval.

Cemetery and burial sites: Commissioners asked about an arbitrary existing requirement for “20 spaces” of parking at cemetery sites. Staff recommended removing the fixed number and treating parking as part of a site plan reviewed by the zoning administrator; burial sites on private farms would be allowed as accessory uses in agricultural districts. The draft references the Iowa Cemetery Act and proposed defined terms (burial site, cemetery, columbarium, mausoleum, pioneer cemetery) consistent with state law.

R-1 district and legacy subdivisions: The draft creates a two-track R-1 approach: a “standard” R-1 for subdivisions platted after the county’s first zoning ordinance, and an “alternative/legacy” R-1 for residential subdivisions that predate the county ordinance (for example, Leisure Lake). The legacy track includes relaxed lot-area and setback calculations (including an averaging method for front yards) so historically platted lots can be developed without repetitive variances. The draft seeks to reduce the number of appeals to the Board of Adjustment by allowing the zoning administrator to approve certain adjustments for preexisting lots, with the health department retained as the authority on septic/well adequacy.

Accessory dwelling units and multiple principal structures: The commission reviewed new accessory dwelling unit (ADU) language based on state law. The draft would allow a single ADU per lot, limit size (staff suggested either no more than 1,000 square feet or no larger than the primary residence), and require ADUs to meet residential development standards for the applicable district. Commissioners debated whether multiple principal dwellings could be erected on a single lot; staff and environmental health emphasized that adequacy of water and septic — not zoning alone — should be the controlling constraint. Monica McHugh and others urged deferring to the county health department on septic capacity before allowing multiple residences on one parcel.

Access, private roads and engineer approval: The commission and staff agreed to rely on the Jackson County engineer for access approvals to county roads and to remove overly prescriptive engineering requirements from the zoning text so they would not generate unnecessary Board of Adjustment appeals. Several commissioners emphasized that private interior driveways on a single parcel are the owner’s responsibility unless the county elects to accept and build the road.

Other items and schedule: Staff proposed moving many definitions into chapter 6 and relocating use-specific regulations into the relevant district sections. Consumer-scale solar (roof- and ground-mounted systems for on-site use) and definitions for wind and data processing were included; utility-scale solar, battery storage and data-mining moratoria were already in place with proposed extensions. Commissioners agreed to use July for additional work sessions and tentatively set a public hearing for August, subject to scheduling and staff contract timelines; staff said they will ask the board of supervisors to extend the data-mining moratorium to match the ordinance schedule if needed.

Votes and formal actions taken at the session were limited and procedural: the commission moved and seconded approval of the May 19 minutes (voice vote with vocal ayes and at least one stated opposition; names and exact tallies were not specified in the transcript) and later approved a motion to adjourn. Staff will return revised ordinance language and a drafting matrix showing chapters and outstanding items for the next work session.