Mayfield planners outline proposed zoning updates on ADUs, horses, vehicles and trailer courts

Members of the Mayfield Town Planning Commission spent the bulk of their Sept. 29 meeting discussing proposed updates to local zoning ordinances covering accessory dwelling units (ADUs), horses and livestock setbacks, limits on visible/unregistered vehicles, junk and enforcement against informal trailer courts.

A town official described several recurring issues prompting the review: trailers and recreational vehicles being used as de facto dwellings with unauthorized utility hookups, complaints about corral and pasture maintenance near residences, and a decades-old vehicle-parking rule that limits visible unregistered vehicles to three per property. "Our ordinance now says you can't actually have three on your property," the official said, noting the rule dates back to the 1980s and that many residents now keep side-by-sides, trailers and other recreational vehicles that create enforcement questions.

Key topics discussed

- Accessory dwelling units (ADUs): Staff and commissioners said ADUs have appeared informally on some lots. Commissioners agreed to review model ADU regulations used by nearby towns and to prepare written guidance on lot-size, septic/wastewater requirements and setbacks before proposing ordinance language to the town council.

- Horses and animal management: The commission reviewed existing corral-setback rules and an animal-management-area requirement. The conversation noted a 75-foot setback for corrals and less-restrictive rules for seasonal pastures. The commission discussed whether the current effective minimum lot-size (discussed in the meeting as 29,000 square feet under the existing code) effectively prevents horses in most town lots and whether the town should adopt smaller, clearer standards similar to neighboring communities that allow horses on smaller lots (examples cited in discussion included towns with roughly 10,000 square-foot minimums per horse).

- Vehicles and junk: Commissioners discussed the ordinance that limits to three visible/unregistered vehicles, and an exception allowing unlimited vehicles if they are behind a fence or inside a garage. Officials said the goal is to balance property-owner use with neighborhood appearance and public-health concerns. The commission asked staff to provide the current ordinance text and propose options, including possibly increasing the visible-vehicle limit or clarifying definitions (e.g., recreational vehicle vs. permanent dwelling).

- Trailer courts and utility access: The commission heard about at least one informal trailer court that appears to rely on ingress across private property and informal water connections; staff called that situation "illegal" and said letters have been sent in other cases to cease unauthorized hookups. Commissioners discussed the complications when utility lines and rights-of-way cross multiple private lots and how previous lot divisions and developer actions left utilities routed across private parcels, constraining property use.

What the commission asked for and next steps

Commissioners asked staff (referred to in the meeting as "Maddie" and other town staff) to email current ordinance language and to prepare draft proposals and comparative examples from nearby towns. The commission agreed to reconvene on a follow-up meeting the week of Oct. 27 to consider draft language and maps, and asked staff to provide clear options addressing ADUs, vehicle limits, junk enforcement, animal setbacks and rules for utility access and trailer courts.

Distinguishing discussion from decisions: The meeting produced no ordinance changes; commissioners instructed staff to draft proposals for review. Where enforcement actions were referenced (letters to property owners regarding illegal hookups), staff said those were actions handled by the town council and code enforcement rather than changes to the zoning code at this meeting.

Ending: The commission set a follow-up meeting for the week of Oct. 27 and asked staff to distribute ordinance excerpts and comparative samples in advance.