Morrow County commissioners deny rezoning request for State Route 61 property

The Morrow County Board of Commissioners voted to deny a zoning amendment request from Brian Kelly that would have changed his State Route 61 property from agricultural to commercial C-2.

Brian Kelly, the applicant, told the board he intended to use the parcel for small businesses, saying, “My intentions were to… turn [the property] into potentially for small businesses to land in the community,” and argued the site’s traffic and neighboring commercial uses made it a good fit. Planning staff told the board both the county zoning commission and the regional planning commission recommended denial of the rezoning application.

Commissioners and staff discussed constraints affecting commercial development along that stretch of SR 61, including sewer availability and the county’s comprehensive land-use guidance, which planners said does not favor commercial zoning that far north on the corridor. Staff noted options such as pursuing a different zoning classification or addressing infrastructure (public water/sewer) first.

A board member moved to deny the application, citing the zoning and regional planning commissions’ recommendations; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote.

The board did not adopt any alternative zoning at the meeting and took no formal action to require infrastructure changes. The denial preserves the current agricultural designation for the parcel; the applicant was encouraged to consider other zoning avenues or to pursue infrastructure solutions before reapplying.