Staff says county-owned industrial land could host composting pilot; commission asked to confirm zoning compatibility

Staff briefed the commission on composting facilities and identified county-owned property zoned heavy industrial as potential sites for composting pilot projects.

James Phillips and other staff noted that the county’s old airport property and adjacent parcels were zoned heavy industrial or had industrial adjacencies, which staff said would permit composting activity without a zone change. Commissioners asked staff to double-check zoning at specific airport sites discussed (including Montague and the former county airport) and verify compatibility with the safety element language previously added.

Staff said the parcel adjacent to the county property near the lead airport was heavy industrial and that the county’s plan contemplated locating composting operations near existing county facilities and forest-service facilities to centralize management and reduce conflicts. Commissioners asked that staff confirm site constraints and bring back a concise mapping and compatibility analysis.

No formal decision was taken; staff will verify the zoning status of candidate county parcels, map potential sites, and report back to the commission.