Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Story County approves rezoning for Mango Subdivision, waives third reading
Summary
After public comments urging protection of unincorporated land and wetlands, the Story County Board of Supervisors approved Ordinance No. 3-31 to rezone a portion of the Mango Subdivision from A-1 agricultural to R-1 transitional residential on second consideration and waived third reading.
The Story County Board of Supervisors voted April 14 to approve Ordinance No. 3-31, amending the county zoning map to reclassify a portion of the Mango Subdivision outlot in Aims from A-1 agricultural to R-1 transitional residential. The motion, made on second consideration and including amended conditions, was moved, seconded and carried with the board waiving a third consideration.
Board planning staff explained the motion included a new condition requiring no subdivision actions to proceed until a related wetland is either deeded or placed under easement. Marcus, the county planner in the meeting record, said the planning department also adjusted language tied to an older urban-fringe compatibility reference and confirmed rural residential areas remained compatible with R-1 under the updated review.
Two public commenters urged the board to reject the rezoning. A resident who addressed the board during the hearing warned that repeated rezoning requests have eroded county control over unincorporated land and questioned whether the requested designation aligns with the county’s land-use compatibility matrix. Bob Brandt, another speaker, cited concerns about the loss of productive farmland, potential drainage and access problems and described the request as premature without a development plan and full wetland-preservation documentation.
Planning staff acknowledged some compatibility language in the county code dates from a prior urban-fringe plan and said staff will continue to clean up legacy references. One county staff member told supervisors that the next stage of subdivision planning — preliminary engineering and survey work — can cost on the order of $75,000, underscoring why developers typically want policy clarity before making that investment.
The ordinance was described in the motion as Case OZM264Zeros11 and approved with the newly added condition; board members recorded aye votes and the measure passed. Staff said if the zoning change is implemented the applicant must return with preliminary and final plats and any subdivision approvals must meet the condition tied to the wetland easement before action on the subdivision itself.
The board’s action takes effect in accordance with county procedures after adoption; staff will process subsequent plat and subdivision filings under the conditions noted by planning.
