Committee discusses draft ordinance to move industrial conditional uses out of agricultural zoning, asks staff for more analysis

Supervisor Posler introduced a draft ordinance (OA 2026-0807) that would remove certain industrial and non-agricultural conditional uses from agricultural and rural zoning districts and return more local control to towns. Staff and the Towns Association support examining the ordinance as a policy exercise, but county staff cautioned that the change could have complex effects for existing permitted operations, mineral extraction, asphalt/concrete plants and solar projects. Staff stressed the need to consult corporation counsel on grandfathering provisions and to coordinate with Dane County Highway to assess trucking and access consequences.

Industry representatives, including land-use counsel Robert Proctor for the aggregate producers, urged caution, warning about affordability and supply: "As you make the aggregate come in from a longer distance, it's going to cost a lot more and it's a lot more trucking to keep on it," he said, arguing that restricting siting could increase project and housing costs and raise carbon and road-damage impacts.

Towns Association representatives said the goal is local control and clarity in the CUP process, not shutting down existing sites; they want a path forward that preserves necessary industrial capacity while improving the transparency and predictability of siting. Committee members asked staff to convene a focused follow-up with corporation counsel, Dane County Highway, towns and industry to explore single-use zoning categories, grandfathering mechanics, and other policy tools. No ordinance action was taken at this meeting; staff will return with more analysis.