Warren County board advances comprehensive rewrite of zoning and subdivision codes after public hearing

The Warren County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 18 voted to advance a major rewrite of the countys zoning and subdivision ordinances to additional readings, following a first‑reading public hearing that drew consultants, staff and several members of the public.

Becky, a county staff member who opened the hearing, said the code changes flow from the 2024–2044 Warren County land‑use plan and represent a three‑year effort with multiple committee meetings and consultant review. "This has been a 3 year effort with many meetings and committee meetings to bring us here before you tonight with the first reading hearing to repeal and replace these chapters," she said.

MSA consultant Jenna Gillum told the board the draft consolidates and clarifies the countys rules: zoning districts would be reduced (from 11 to 9), a planned community development option added, commercial uses consolidated, and a table‑of‑uses approach would route supplemental standards into a single chapter. "We are here in front of you today for the first reading of the zoning and subdivision ordinances," Gillum said, describing next steps (second reading in December, third reading Jan. 6, 2026) and an intended codification by January 2026.

Key debates at the hearing focused on buffering and screening standards, severe‑weather/shelter requirements for public‑facing uses, and how to handle agricultural "simple divisions." Consultants presented options ranging from flexible, case‑by‑case screening to prescriptive buffers (examples discussed included a common 50‑foot standard or lighter/heavier tiers tied to use intensity). The board asked staff to return with concrete draft options at the next reading.

On safety planning, consultants proposed that certain uses submit a severe‑weather and shelter plan to county emergency management. Commissioners and staff agreed to drop language that would require a shelter sized to the venues maximum attendance, and to instead require a plan approved by emergency management — a compromise meant to balance public safety with feasibility for large festivals and events.

On land division, consultants explained a new agricultural simple‑division process: a nominal 40‑acre parent tract could allow the creation of two 2‑acre non‑farm single‑family lots tied to the remnant parent tract (the draft includes a 10% nominal allowance to account for road right‑of‑way and other partial‑acre situations). Staff framed the change as an attempt to give limited, administratively manageable options for small splits while avoiding the infrastructure burden of dense development on gravel roads.

Public commenters raised concerns about those splits and about tighter home‑business rules. Curtis Wiedman asked whether the new approach would lock in only two splits on a 40 without a farmhouse, and whether stricter visit/delivery limits for home occupations would affect long‑standing businesses; consultants replied that legally established uses remain "legal nonconforming" while operations that were never permitted must follow the revised code if they expand. Cathy Kimsey urged that gravel roads already carry heavy vehicle traffic and that short‑term construction impacts are manageable if accountability is enforced.

Staff also flagged technical questions that will be reviewed with the county attorney, including potential liability if the county requires a written emergency plan but does not actively enforce it. The consultants and staff said they will return with refined language addressing those liability and implementation concerns.

After public comment, a supervisor moved and the board voted to repeal and replace the listed chapters and advance the ordinances to subsequent readings. The motion carried, and supervisors said the schedule provides more opportunities for public input and additional legal and technical reviews before final adoption.

What happens next: The board set additional readings for late December and early January; staff and MSA will refine buffering, shelter‑plan, and lot‑measurement language based on commissioner feedback and county‑attorney review.