Commissioners deny permit to park tractor-trailer in Rolling Ranch Estates subdivision

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Sept. 5 to deny a special-use permit that would have allowed the parking of a tractor and trailer at a home in the Rolling Ranch Estates subdivision.

Kenway Rucker of Growth Services presented Case 250901SU, describing a code case triggered after a county officer observed a tractor-trailer parked at the property. Staff told the board the parcel is zoned R-1 (single-family) with a rural land-use designation and that the applicant has parked the vehicle there since 2022. Growth Services and the Office of County Engineer (OCE) raised concerns about the neighborhood's unpaved, county-maintained road and potential damage from routine tractor-trailer movements; OCE explained heavy loaded trucks can impose up to four times the damage on graded roads compared with single-axle vehicles.

The applicant, Marie Fernandez, told commissioners her husband is an over-the-road trucker who is home on weekends and that the couple planned to install a six-foot opaque fence to screen the vehicle. Fernandez said both truck and trailer typically return together and that some returns are with loads. Commissioner Zalick moved to reject the permit on the basis of the road and neighborhood compatibility; the motion carried 3-2 with Commissioners McLean and Stone dissenting.

Growth Services had recommended approval with conditions limiting parking to the tractor (cab) only and no loaded trucks; the applicant sought approval for both tractor and trailer. Commissioners who opposed the permit said allowing one such use in a residential neighborhood could prompt more similar requests and would accelerate wear on unpaved subdivision roads. Commissioners who supported conditional approval cited recent grading of the road and the applicant's willingness to add screening.

Outcome: Case 250901SU denied (motion to deny passed 3-2).