The Woodford County ordinance committee took up a lengthy presentation and discussion of proposed text amendments to zoning articles 2 and 7 aimed at stemming farmland fragmentation and aligning local regulations with state definitions.

Planning Director Steve Hunter said chapter 2 of the zoning code requires about 19 new or revised definitions to match state law and a recently passed house bill affecting manufactured homes. "We had to get those definitions right," Hunter said, adding the proposed changes will bring the county into statutory compliance.

Hunter described substantive changes to chapter 7 focused on in-family conveyance rules and rural land-division standards — including converting about 51 A2 parcels back to A1 (ag), establishing lot-width at the setback line to avoid oddly shaped lots, adding accessory-dwelling-unit standards and additional conditional use permit options for small communities, and revising holding periods and hardship exceptions for in-family conveyances. He said the planning commission unanimously recommended the amendments based on consistency with the county’s comprehensive plan.

Hunter presented parcel-count analyses and a theoretical 'doomsday' scenario estimating thousands of potential new parcels under current rules; he stressed the scenario is illustrative. "With the existing rules right now ... there potentially there could be 8,100 more parcels created in this county," Hunter said. Staff also reported that 351 homes were built outside the urban service boundary from 2015 to 2025 and that 65 more building permits have been issued in recent years outside the USB.

Committee members pressed for verified, tract-level data before making final policy changes. Judge executive and others asked staff to supply comparative examples and additional parcel verification; Kenneth Johns and PVA staff said about 400 parcels remain to be reviewed in the southern part of the county. Squire Brown and others urged caution and asked staff to confirm figures before proceeding, citing prior lawsuits related to planning decisions.

No final ordinance was adopted in committee; staff will provide additional verified data, sample enforcement/fine structures from comparable jurisdictions, and continue intergovernmental outreach before the committee takes further action.