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Lincoln County commissioners revert several parcels to agricultural zoning and approve 5‑foot setback variance
Summary
On March 10, 2026, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners approved Planning Commission recommendations to revert multiple long-unused commercial parcels back to agricultural zoning and granted a 5‑foot side setback variance for a storage building at 1071 Dixie Lane; the notable reversion for 1744 McCormack Highway passed 3–1.
At its March 10 meeting, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted to revert several parcels that had carried commercial zoning but saw little or no commercial activity back to their original agricultural designations, and approved a five‑foot side setback variance for a storage building at 1071 Dixie Lane.
The motion to revert 1744 McCormack Highway (previously zoned C3 heavy commercial) back to A3 lakefront agricultural, requested by property owner Joseph “Joe” Sap, passed on a 3–1 roll call. Commissioner Henderson, Commissioner Antonaka, and Commissioner Tankersley voted in favor; Commissioner Clyde voted no. Chairman Norman said the county is correcting longstanding zonings that no longer reflect current land use and is updating its ordinances to better match community character. "This does not deny you the right to do whatever you were talking about doing that tonight," he said, adding property owners can reapply for a different zoning in the future if appropriate.
Mr. Sap told the board he had maintained the site and the historic house there and asked the commissioners to delay action for more discussion. "I was blindsided about this," Sap said, explaining he first learned of the hearing after seeing a posted sign on the property. He asked the board to table the decision so he could present additional plans; the board voted instead to accept the Planning Commission recommendation.
Separately, the planning commission’s recommendation to grant a 5‑foot side setback variance for a storage building at 1071 Dixie Lane was accepted by the board after the public hearing; the applicant or a representative spoke for the owner and planners confirmed permits must be processed after approval. The board instructed the applicant to coordinate with Community Development to finalize permitting.
Two additional reversion requests — for 4246 Augusta Highway (owner Alfred Garnett) and 1850 Gills Point Road (owner Richard Smith) — were also approved following Planning Commission recommendations; motions carried and were recorded in the meeting minutes, though the transcript records no roll‑call tallies for those two items.
Why it matters: Commissioners described the votes as part of a broader effort to restore consistency between zoning maps and actual land use, noting many of the parcels have not been used commercially for a decade or more. Chair and staff said property owners retain the right to seek rezoning under the standard planning process if they later want commercial uses.
What’s next: The board encouraged affected owners to work with Community Development and the planning commission if they seek a future rezoning. The Sap property owner was told he may reapply with plans that better align with current code and community standards.
