Austin Daily Herald

"It's not perfect, but hopefully it's a step toward better and more concentrated residential planning."

That's how Diana Billings, consultant for Dahlgren, Shardlow & Uban, described one of the new features of the massive comprehensive plan changes coming to Mower County.

It refers to a thorny topic: residential development in previously rural areas.

Among the other highlights of the revised comprehensive plan for Mower County are:

n A new land use designation "Rural Service Area" has been added. It encompasses unincorporated areas such as Lansing and Johnsburg.

n Rural Management Area encompasses high growth areas; primarily the northeast corner of Mower County but also including areas bordering U.S. Highway 218 north and south of Austin in Lansing and Austin townships respectively. The density here would be 1:40 acres and higher in wooded areas.

n Designating Freeway Interchange Management Area near Elkton and Dexter.

n Recognizing density transfer/clustering or the concept that allows all or part of the permitted density on a tract of land to be located anywhere or in various locations throughout the tract. this also ensures smaller lot sizes and

more open space development.

n Agricultural Management Areas where the density remains 1:160 acres and higher in wooded areas plus limited commercial and industrial development.

n Conservation Management Areas essentially adhere to the existing flood plain and shore land designations.

n In order to ensure open space development, the planned unit development process will be used. This replaces the current R-1 residential subdivision designation.

Among the highlights in the proposed zoning ordinance changes are:

n Created new residential development standards with specific density standards.

n Allow density transfer, which allows homes to be sited where it makes the most sense on any given tract of land.

n Reinforced current siting criteria that prevents any home from being sited within 1,000 feet of a feedlot.

n Reworded language in the feedlot regulations, but did not change any of the existing requirements.

n Changed the membership of the Mower County Board of Adjustment from the current four members plus an alternate to five members with no alternates.

n Changed the density in the Rural Management

District (Formerly the Agricultural District) from 1:160 to 1:40.

n

Added new or expanding g feedlots to the list of conditional uses, but limited them to 50 animal units.

n Added a one year limit to begin construction and/or to establish the use for which a variance or conditional use permit is granted.

As far as adult entertainment businesses are concerned, they will be limited to industrial districts only.

The proposed changes do not allow such businesses to be zoned "out" of existence completely, but they can be severely limited.

Conversely, the limitations placed on adult entertainment businesses cannot be so restrictive so that they could -- when enforced -- prohibit the business from operating.

Lastly, such businesses cannot be located with in 500 feet of residences, daycares, schools, libraries, liquor establishments, parks, playgrounds, public recreational areas or churches.

All three proposed revisions and changes will be considered for adoption by the Mower County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Sept. 10, when a public hearing will be held at 11:15 a.m.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com