County OKs rezoning request

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.

Email

Submit

← Back

by Patty Cheffey

Lee Adkins will be able to proceed with building new storage units, but not until he completes what the Marion County Commission determined were stipulations not followed on his first rezoning request.

The commissioners added three stipulations to the zoning change before approving it during Monday’s commission meeting, at which they also heard a request to black top a road and approved a contract with the Mark Twain Regional Council of Governments.

In his motion to approve Adkins’ request to rezone four acres from agriculture to C-2 commercial, Eastern District Commissioner Larry Welch stipulated Adkins had to complete a chain-link fence around the entire property; add some type of screening and put up covers for any outside storage before he can start any building of new storage units.

The motion was approved unanimously.

Prior to the vote, Kim Glenn and Charles Dennison were  present to voice their objections to the rezoning, stating Adkins had not followed through completely on his original rezoning, including putting up a chain-link fence entirely around his property.

Glenn provided pictures showing how far the fence came as well as showing boats and other vehicles were being stored outside, something which was stipulated he could not do in his first request.

Dennison said he did not understand why the county did not keep this rezoning to C-1. 

Teya Stice, county improvement coordinator, explained that at that time of the original request, there was only C-1 rezoning, which was very broad. After changing the ordinance, C-2 is the category where this fit.

If there had been a C-2 rezoning when Adkins originally applied six years ago, that is the category where he would have been placed, Stice said.

Susan Gard from the Planning and Zoning Commission was also present to state she felt those commissioners had done their research, including visiting the property, prior to their vote.

She also noted the vote to rezone was strictly for storage units and that his future plans include covering the outside storage.

“We felt his intentions were good,” she said.

In other business, the commissioners heard from two individuals about black topping County Road 409.

The pair noted there is quite a bit of traffic on the road and the college and high school runners use it often for training.

The length is about 9/10ths of a mile, and the commissioners said they would consider it, but took no action on the matter Monday.

Commissioners also signed a contract with the Mark Twain Regional Council of Governments in the amount of $99,597.92 to assist with the distribution of funds from the American Rescue Plan.

The county does not yet have its funds, but are waiting on guidelines on what those funds can be used.

The county also:

• signed an expenditure and revenue guidelines paper for the chemical preparedness for the CEPF grant; and

• learned Jim Bensman with MECO Engineering is looking into a sealant for some discoloration on the Bear Creek bridge.