Tucker family seeks LCID expansion on Watkins Ford Road; staff says plan meets UDO requirements

Planning Director Chris Murphy briefed commissioners on a special‑use permit application by Elizabeth Ann Tucker for a land‑clearing and inert debris (LCID) landfill of roughly 69 acres on Watkins Ford Road. Murphy said the existing LCID operated by the Tuckers is nearby and that the new request would add approximately 30–37 acres of fill area; staff characterized the proposal as a quasi‑judicial special‑use permit and said the site was evaluated against the four required findings (public health/safety, conditions/specifications, property values, and harmony with the area). "In our analysis, the answer to that is no — it will not have an adverse impact" on public health and safety when developed per the plan, Murphy said; staff noted the plan meets UDO requirements and the planning board recommended the site plan met those requirements on March 12, 2026.

Murphy explained that planning staff cannot make property‑value determinations; testimony on property values will need to be presented at the public hearing. Vegetative screening is proposed for neighboring properties, and the site is located in a GMA4 future growth area with no sewer nearby. The board was reminded that because this is a quasi‑judicial proceeding, commissioners must avoid ex parte communications until the formal hearing. The formal public hearing and decision remain scheduled for Thursday evening.