Madison County fiscal court holds first reading to update official zoning map

MADISON COUNTY, Ky. — On Feb. 25, 2025, the Madison County Fiscal Court held the first reading of Ordinance 2025-02, a measure to amend the county’s official zoning map to match the land use designations in the Madison County Land Development and Subdivision Regulations adopted in 2023.

County planning staff told the court the ordinance is intended to correct labeling inconsistencies between the map and the regulatory text and does not change any parcel’s zoning. "So long story short, if you're zoned agriculture today, you're gonna be zoned agriculture tomorrow," said Chris, a member of the Madison County Planning and Development Office, adding the change should reduce public confusion for real estate agents, appraisers and property owners.

The planning office said the Madison County Planning Commission held a public hearing on Aug. 20, 2024, and recommended the map be updated to align with the adopted regulations. The ordinance text empowers planning staff and the GIS coordinator to make the technical updates and requires the county clerk to publish the ordinance under Kentucky Revised Statutes. The order becomes effective on the date of the second reading and adoption.

Judge Reagan Taylor said staff held off bringing the change until after several recent zone-change requests to avoid confusion. Court members and staff said the revised map will be posted with searchable parcel detail on the county website and that a larger wall map will be printed for county offices once the second reading is completed.

The court did not vote on first reading. A draft of the ordinance will be available at www.madisoncountyky.gov under Government → Transparency → Public Notices and the second reading will be scheduled at a subsequent fiscal court meeting, where the ordinance will be advertised in accordance with state law.