The purpose of this title is to regulate and control the classification of land uses, and the use of land and buildings within the county in order to promote the public health, safety and welfare of its citizens and to minimize conflict between farming and other land uses.
A. These regulations are specifically designed to:
1. Conserve the value of land or buildings throughout the county and to provide safe and affordable housing to county residents;
2. Provide a comfortable and moral environment for the benefit of the residents of the county and maintain and enhance rural community values;
3. Lessen or avoid congestion in public streets and highways;
4. Lessen or avoid the hazards to persons and damage to property resulting from the accumulation or runoff of storms or floodwaters;
5. Limit nonagricultural development in areas of prime farmland;
6. Encourage, preserve and protect the development and improvement of agricultural land for the production of food, fiber and other agricultural purposes and otherwise strengthen and maintain the economic base that agricultural uses bring to the county;
7. Prevent scattered, haphazard or premature urbanization by limiting new growth to appropriate locations;
8. Protect natural resources in the county including air quality, watercourses, floodplains, wetlands, woodlands, steep slopes, wildlife habitats and scenic vistas;
9. Preserve, encourage and enhance aesthetic considerations in connection with development of any areas of the county;
10. Maintain and enhance the unincorporated towns and neighborhoods presently existing in the county;
11. Implement the county comprehensive plan and other officially adopted policies.
B. To realize these goals this title establishes standards and adopts objectives to assure orderly growth in the unincorporated and rural areas of the county of agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial and institutional uses by providing that:
1. All rezoning, special uses, variations, subdivisions and/or development in agricultural districts are subject to a land evaluation and site assessment (LESA) analysis to discourage nonagricultural uses in prime farmland;
2. Encouragement of growth adjacent to existing incorporated towns and existing nonincorporated towns and neighborhoods as limited by the boundaries of existing or expanded facility planning areas (FPA) in order to encourage utilization of urban services, including public sewer, water and police protection, where available. Land not so situated should generally remain in agricultural or other open space uses until such services become available.
3. Detailed planning areas (DPA) shall be established from time to time in areas presenting unique opportunities for economic development as identified on the comprehensive plan map as (DPA), or as identified as potentially unique opportunities for economic development in the future. Detailed plans for land use, community character, utility provision, storm water quantity and quality management, and economic development are needed before substantial development is permitted in these areas.
4. Access points to development areas will be strictly limited and the construction of private roads is discouraged in order to promote public safety and to consolidate access points.
5. Extraction of minerals from appropriately identified areas shall be encouraged subject to rules and regulations designed to protect the public from noise, dust, water and air pollution, unsightliness and traffic considerations with suitable economic guaranties to the county to ensure reclamation and restoration in accordance with plans approved by state, federal and/or county authorities. (Ord. 06-05-002, 6-21-2005)