MOUNT VERNON — Regional Planning Commission (RPC) members voted to recommend rezoning an agricultural parcel to general business when it met Thursday night.
Owners Robert and Jessica Hunt requested the rezoning for the 2.25-acre parcel on Cassell Road in Morris Township. They plan to build a 135-foot-by-60-foot, 8,000-square-foot building for a gun store.
The partially wooded parcel has 270 feet of frontage on Cassell Road and features an old farmstead. It does not have public water or sewer; however, Knox Public Health has approved the site for an on-site septic system.
Cassell Road is the boundary between Morris and Wayne townships. Morris Township’s comprehensive plan does not designate where development should occur.
Wayne Township’s plan, however, identifies the area as a corridor for development.
Miller Electric, located across the road from the Hunts’ parcel, has a conditional use permit.
Additionally, the Marion Tile Company, approximately one-half mile away and located on the former Carter Lumber site, is zoned B-1 (General Business).
Planning commission moves ahead with revising subdivision regulations
In other business, RPC voted to accept the contract submitted by Wendy Moeller of Compass Point Planning for revising the county subdivision regulations.
“It’s going to be kind of a give-and-take once she puts together her opinion of what we need to do, and then we’re going to kind of negotiate from there,” RPC secretary Darrel Severns said.
“She gave us a price of $135 an hour, not to exceed $8,100, to do that. The consensus from people that we talked about that was that was a pretty good price.”
Severns said Moeller’s review of the regulations indicated it was not “real in-depth stuff.”
“Reorganizing, adding a couple of things here and there, maybe take a few things out here and there, but it doesn’t seem to be a major project,” he said.
Severns said RPC would like Moeller to complete the revisions by the end of the year.
Moeller plans to have initial face-to-face discussions with Severns and County Engineer Cameron Keaton. Revisions would then go to RPC’s Land Use Committee, public hearings, and the full commission for a final vote.
Martinsburg reported that its water line project should be finished soon. Centerburg is looking at legislation to allow chickens within village limits.
Knox Soil and Water Conservation District will start work on Ralphie’s Ditch in Hilliar Township. The ditch is one of several the county maintains on behalf of the property owners. Work includes reshaping, rebuilding, and dredging the ditch.
Regarding the state budget, KSWCD Director Rob Clendenning reported matching funds to the districts will be roughly the same as the last biennial budget.
The state usually matches 75 cents to 90 cents per dollar. Clendenning anticipates it will be around 80 cents in this budget.