Commission approves rezoning of Wells Landing property to agriculture for agritourism/distillery use

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a zoning map amendment that changes 1545 Wells Landing Road from single-family residential (R1A) to agricultural (AG).

Applicant Robert Hanks described his intention to operate a small agritourism/distilling operation on the 72-acre farm, including on-site grain production and a small craft still to serve a hands-on “pick a mash bill” model. Hanks told the commission he expects minimal additional traffic — “maybe 1 additional car every 2 days” at the craft scale he described — and said he would use stillage as cattle feed and intends to manage stormwater on-site with rainwater capture.

Staff noted the parcel had been rezoned from AG to R1A in 1986 and had not developed as a residential subdivision; staff and commissioners said returning the property to agricultural zoning is consistent with the comprehensive plan and future land use map. The commission approved the map amendment; staff noted agritourism and small distilling operations may still require additional permits or conditional-use review under the zoning code and relevant state regulations (for example, TTB oversight of distilling operations).

Why this matters: The rezoning restores the parcel to agricultural zoning and enables agritourism and small-scale agriculture-linked enterprises. The approved zoning authorizes uses intended to support farm-based economic activity, but additional permits (including conditional-use approvals or state oversight) may be required for on-site production and tasting rooms.

What happens next: Staff will record the zoning change and advise the applicant on conditional-use permit requirements and any necessary Board of Adjustment steps for distilling/agribusiness operations.