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Commission weighs sliding scale for animal‑shelter sizes, exempts agricultural/conservation districts
Summary
Members debated letting structure size for accessory non‑domestic animals scale with lot acreage—or exempting conservation/agricultural districts—so larger parcels can house bigger shelters without zoning relief; staff will draft options for attorney review.
The Planning Commission examined section 255‑53B4A, which currently limits accessory structures for livestock to roughly 150 square feet, and discussed whether structure allowances should scale with parcel acreage. S4 described a case where a resident on four acres wanted a larger building for goats but found the 300‑square‑foot cap restrictive.
Staff (S2) and commissioners debated two options: create a sliding scale that ties allowed shelter square footage to lot size, or exempt conservation and agricultural districts from the 150/300 sq ft limits so parcels zoned for agriculture can have larger shelters without seeking a variance. Some members stressed neighborhood notification and variance procedures protect surrounding property owners and favored keeping R‑1 residential rules unchanged while providing relief in agricultural and conservation districts. Staff recommended attorney Miller draft specific language and suggested limiting changes to agricultural/conservation zones to protect residential neighborhoods.
Next steps: staff will prepare draft options (sliding‑scale language and district exemptions) for review by the township solicitor and return to the commission.
