Benton County approves change-of-use request to allow single-family dwelling and shop on 3.24-acre parcel near Urbana

Benton County supervisors on Nov. 7 approved a change-of-use request by Cole Buck Garner to allow a single-family dwelling and a shop on approximately 1 acre of a 3.24-acre parcel located about 2 miles north and 2 miles west of Urbana in Section 7 of Polk Township.

A county land-use staff member described the parcel as 3.24 acres, with most of the requested area on land that has a corn suitability rating (CSI) of 77, which staff characterized as high-quality farmland. The applicant’s mother, Carla, owns the parcel. Staff said a new driveway will provide access; Dan McKenna from the secondary roads department reviewed and approved the access. The staff presentation noted a predicted average daily traffic count of 20 vehicles for the access road, and that the dwelling will require a new septic system and possibly a new water well.

Staff reported that four notification letters were sent to adjacent property owners and that public notices were published as required by the county ordinance; no public comments were received by the Benton County Land Use Office on the request. Staff concluded the proposal is adjacent to existing dwellings, not likely to interfere seriously with surrounding farm operations and consistent with the county land preservation and use plan’s policy allowing limited, low-density single-family dwellings in rural use areas.

After the presentation a board member moved to approve the change of use; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll-call affirmation. The applicant thanked the board after the vote.

Details from the record • Applicant: Cole Buck Garner. Parcel owner: Carla (surname not specified in transcript). • Parcel: 3.24 acres; request concerns roughly 1 acre for a single-family dwelling and shop. • Soils: corn suitability index reported as 77 (reported by staff as high-quality farmland). • Access: new driveway approved by Dan McKenna, Secondary Roads Department; ADT reported as 20 vehicles. • Utilities/requirements: new septic system required; a new water well may be needed. • Notification: four adjacent-property notification letters sent; legal notice published; no public comments received. • Board action: motion to approve change of use carried by the board during the meeting.

The board recorded the vote as an affirmative roll-call (named ayes occurred in the record). The land-use office will follow routine permitting to ensure septic, driveway and well requirements are met before a certificate of occupancy or building permit is issued.