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Planning commission recommends zoning amendments with county comments; flags airport, signage and poultry issues
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a proposed zoning ordinance package and, while generally supportive, raised questions about airport conditional uses in the RR zone, content-based sign restrictions post-Supreme Court guidance, poultry limits, and paper-copy requirements; they agreed to recommend adoption with consideration of county comments or hold a work session for detailed review.
The Middle Smithfield Planning Commission discussed a comprehensive package of zoning ordinance amendments and agreed to recommend adoption while considering county planning comments.
Members reviewed a packet the county provided and highlighted substantive points. Commissioners questioned whether allowing an airport as a conditional use in the RR (rural/residential) zone is appropriate given that airports can have industrial-scale impacts. A separate concern focused on poultry limits: county reviewers suggested that 75 chickens on 10 acres may be excessive; the commission debated whether that threshold was appropriate for the township’s rural areas. Members also noted a provision about changeable electronic signs and the township’s need to align sign-content rules with recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent on content and speech restrictions.
Administrative concerns included reducing the number of required paper copies for submissions and clarifying which sections would need new review if amended. Several members suggested a work session to walk through the ordinance’s "meat and potatoes" (Article 4) rather than acting immediately on the full packet.
The commission agreed to forward comments for supervisors' consideration, to incorporate county feedback where appropriate, and to consider a targeted work session on the most substantive articles.
Next steps: staff will coordinate any follow-up work session, forward the commission’s recommendations with annotated comments, and monitor the county planning commission’s action timetable.
