The rezoning of 7.4 acres of land at W1432 County Road B from A-1 (Agricultural Preservation) to A-2 (Agricultural Business) is not consistent with the 2009 Town of Concord Comprehensive Land Use Plan. (The plan that was in effect at the time of the rezone; it has since been updated. The new plan is available on Concord's website.
The Town of Concord Comprehensive Land Use Plan was adopted in 2009. Overwhelming input by Concord citizens to “keep Concord rural” and contain development, particularly in the area surrounding the I-94 / Hwy. F interchange, resulted in a plan that restricted new business development to the hamlet area.
THE ABOVE REZONING VIOLATES THE FOLLOWING TENETS IN CHAPTER 8 OF THE 2009 CONCORD LAND USE PLAN:
"The Town will evaluate conditional use applications and rezoning requests for new and expanding business ventures in relation to the anticipated impact on the Town’s rural character and quality of life" (p. 55).
The location of this A-2 zone in relation to nearby residential development makes the proposal unsuitable. This is not an industrial area but a rural community area. The proposed location of the new buildings is on a hill above a row of residential lots to the north along Hwy E. [as well as the residents along Hwy B.] A hilltop view of 10 large industrial type storage buildings would certainly have a negative impact for the nearby existing residential development. At the public hearing a number of neighbors voiced complaints about a smaller development by the same company. The company failed to maintain required screening, the nighttime lighting is extremely bright, and the business creates excessive year-round traffic, at times backing up traffic along County Road B and creating a hazardous situation. In addition, 40 residents signed a petition against the rezoning.
"The Town will limit the establishment of new businesses to areas within the Town of Concord rural hamlet as defined by the 1999 Jefferson County Agricultural Preservation and Land Use Plan (see map 10, Appendix A). An exception to this would be home occupations that operate under the current Jefferson County zoning guidelines" (p. 56).
The property in question is NOT in the hamlet area and therefore is inconsistent with the town plan as it creates a new business venture outside of the hamlet.
"The Town will not support expansion of the current rural hamlet or creation of new rural hamlet areas within the Town" (p. 56).
The property in question is located adjacent to and outside of the boundary of the hamlet area. Approving a business in this location effectively increases the size of the hamlet.