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Planning commission urges county to zone remaining unzoned lands to align with general plan
Summary
Planning Commission chair Melanie Wilding asked the county commission to start zoning the county’s unzoned parcels into an Agricultural Heritage zone to protect farmland, provide predictability and enforce the 2021 general plan; staff said 68% of recent applications came from unzoned properties.
Melanie Wilding, chair of the Box Elder County Planning Commission, told commissioners the planning body is requesting direction to begin zoning the county's remaining unzoned lands, using a flexible Agricultural Heritage zone consistent with the county's 2021 general plan. Wilding said zoning would "provide predictability for landowners and communities, protects existing landowners, improves long range planning for infrastructure and resources and services," and argued the change would make the general plan enforceable in areas currently designated "unzoned." The planning commission reported that 68% of this year's land-use applications have come from unzoned parcels, which undermines the commission's ability to follow the general plan.
Wilding acknowledged residents' concerns about zoning and described the Ag Heritage zone as a compromise that would support agriculture while allowing smaller lots on established roadways. Commissioners asked about the process for property owners to seek future rezonings; staff and the planning commission confirmed that landowners could apply for a rezone and that those applications would be reviewed against four statutory approval standards with notice to adjacent owners. The commission did not vote on a countywide directive at this meeting but discussed support for beginning the legislative process and public engagement.
