Scott County planning staff summarized the results of an outreach effort with agricultural stakeholders and presented a package of land-use and fiscal-policy recommendations the fiscal court can forward to the planning commission for formal review.

Why it matters: County staff reported an increase in small land divisions — particularly five-acre tracts — across Scott County and said those divisions are changing land-use patterns in agricultural areas. Staff and stakeholders discussed policy tools to preserve prime farmland and rural character while accommodating growth.

What staff presented. Staff member Holden Fleming said the outreach began in October and that mapping work shows ‘‘on parcels greater than 50 acres between 2010 and 2024 we lost 50 what we call large parcels.’’ He showed separate maps of five-acre divisions, prime farmland soils, and the county’s future land-use designations to illustrate where agricultural land conversion is concentrated. Fleming said the county has set aside $500,000 in this year’s budget for a purchase of development rights (PDR) program and recommended sending several land-use items to the planning commission for ordinance work.

Recommendations and options considered. Fleming listed a menu of potential policy responses discussed with stakeholders: revising accessory-dwelling rules (sometimes called granny flats), amending the county’s cluster-development rules to make them financially feasible, reconsidering the five-acre minimum parcel standard in some locations, creating multiple agricultural zoning categories (for example an A-2 or A-3 with different minimums), pursuing a transfer of development rights (TDR) program, and creating an agricultural liaison position or committee to help landowners navigate options such as conservation easements and PDR.

Stakeholder and magistrate concerns. Magistrates and participants debated trade-offs: some landowners wanted higher minimum lot sizes with compensation; developers and others said cluster rules are rarely used because the current regulatory burden makes projects financially infeasible. Fleming said cluster rules could be rewritten so developers still get housing units while preserving a substantial common reserve for agricultural use. One magistrate described cluster as a potential ‘‘both/and’’ solution: more housing but preservation of open reserve acreage that could remain farmable.

TDR, PDR and permanence. Fleming described PDR (purchase of development rights) as a program the court has funded and noted its permanence depends on easement terms; several magistrates asked whether TDR transactions remain effective if property is later annexed by a city. Staff explained that program design matters and recommended prohibiting TDR sending areas inside the county’s urban service boundary; any TDR scheme would require interlocal coordination so receiving municipalities honor recorded restrictions. Fleming said the planning office will draft specific legal language for any program sent forward and emphasized that recorded deed restrictions or easements are the practical tools for permanence.

Immediate procedural steps. Fleming asked the court to send the packet of land-use recommendations to the planning commission for workshops and hearings. The court agreed that accessory-dwelling rules appear to be the “low-hanging fruit” and asked staff to prioritize accessory-dwelling language and cluster-regulation amendments. Staff also said they will schedule public workshops and return eventual ordinance drafts to the court after planning commission review.

Other notes. Staff announced outreach events: a public picnic-with-the-planner on July 8 at Ward Hall and a Keiko-hosted webinar on July 9 about the state vehicle bill (SLSPV). The court also agreed to extend an existing moratorium on RV park-related ordinance changes to permit staff more time to finalize language; staff planned to place a moratorium-extension item on the June 13 agenda.

Ending: The court directed staff to forward the recommendations to the planning commission, with particular emphasis on accessory dwelling units and cluster-regulation changes, and to return with drafts and public-workshop dates for the court’s review.