(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series of articles on proposed changes to county zoning regulations currently being discussed.)

Over the past few years, county officials have faced a number of issues that impact regulations involving how land is used around the rural sections of Barton County, and that is why the county staff has been working diligently to update county zoning regulations.
Now the changes that have been considered and discussed will be put before the Barton County Commission in study sessions and before members of the public in special meetings to be announced later, according to Environmental Manager Judy Goreham.
Goreham met with the commission this week and she will be announcing special informational meetings at various locations around the county later.
She stressed it is important that the meetings be convenient for the rural areas because those are most likely to be impacted by any changes the county makes.
There have been a number of zoning issues raised over the past few years, Goreham told the commissioners.
In 2005, for example, the county worked to detail how agriculture land can be broken out of that use to be developed for housing.
And the county has discussed the issues that surround the development of wind energy equipment in rural areas.
Flood plain regulation changes have been developed in recent years.
And the county has worked on regulations that impact the numbers of livestock that can be kept in areas that are also including rural housing clusters.
All of these land uses, and others, create the opportunity for conflict and need to be addressed, Goreham explained.
And all of that led to the need for a general review of the county’s zoning policies.
Those are what will be discussed with the commissioners in the near future, and at the special meetings to be announced later, Goreham explained.