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Marion County approves amendment to Land Development Code defining "government use" including fire stations
Summary
The Marion County commission unanimously approved an ordinance amending Section 4.2.03 of the county Land Development Code to add permitted uses and development standards for the government-use classification. Commissioners and staff discussed fire stations' siting and potential noise impacts in residential areas.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners on the second public hearing approved an ordinance to amend the Marion County Land Development Code, adding permitted uses and development standards under Section 4.2.03 (government use). The motion, made by Vice Chairman Zalick and seconded by Commissioner Curry, passed unanimously after limited discussion and no public comment.
The amendment — the same text presented at the first public hearing on June 4, 2025 — was presented by Kathleen Brugnoli of Growth Services. Brugnoli said the Land Development Review Committee had proposed the changes and that no further edits were made since the first hearing. The ordinance introduces permitted uses within the government-use classification and adds development standards intended to guide future public facility siting.
Discussion focused narrowly on fire stations as an example of a principal permitted use. County administrator Mister Minter asked whether a fire station located immediately adjacent to housing — such as a station placed at the back of a manufactured-housing community — should be treated as a principal permitted use or require a special-use permit because of ongoing siren noise complaints. "If you had a fire station as a principal permitted use, if it was right up next to houses, I just didn't know if that was an issue that should be a special use permit as opposed to a principal use," Minter said.
Commissioners and staff responded that current planning practices would generally place new stations on major roads and in locations screened from dense residential cores. Brugnoli and other staff said the county's planning horizon and site-selection practices make repeating the earlier, historic placement unlikely. No members of the public spoke on the item.
The board called the vote after discussion and approved the ordinance unanimously. The commission did not attach additional conditions or direct staff to return with further revisions.
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