Commission adds sawmills, forwards rule change on agricultural pursuits in commercial and industrial zones

The Warren County Planning Commission on June 11 forwarded a text amendment to the Board of Supervisors to allow agricultural pursuits by right in commercial and industrial zoning districts, with exceptions. The commission amended the draft during the meeting to explicitly except sawmills and require conditional use permits for new confined feeding operations and abattoirs unless those operations were lawfully in existence when the property was rezoned.

Planning staff explained the change is intended to align zoning with recent county changes to rollback tax policy and to clarify that while typical farm activities such as growing hay or corn would remain permissible, intense agricultural operations — specifically poultry houses, slaughter operations (abattoirs), confined feeding operations, and now sawmills — would require a conditional use permit when proposed on commercially or industrially zoned parcels.

During discussion, commissioners debated whether processing activities such as sawmills are agricultural or industrial in nature. One commissioner proposed and moved an amendment to include sawmills in the list of excepted uses; that amendment was seconded and approved by the commission. Staff said existing, lawfully established confined feeding operations and abattoirs present when a parcel is rezoned would be allowed to continue by-right; only new or not-lawfully-established operations would need a conditional use permit.

After the amendment and discussion, the commission voted to forward the amended text amendment to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval.