Committee approves two rezones, postpones nonmetallic-mine conditional use

The Richland County Natural Resources Committee voted to approve two zoning rezonings on Jan. 2026 and postponed a third item pending completion of deed-restriction requirements.

A petition in Marshall Township will rezone a 33.62-acre parcel from ag forestry to ag residential so it can be sold after a split, Committee staff (Speaker 1) said. "It's under 35 acres," Speaker 1 said, explaining the need to reclassify the parcel because the house and septic already exist on the portion to be sold. Committee discussion clarified that an adjoining parcel owned in the same family will remain attached to other holdings and therefore does not require rezoning.

The committee also approved a request in Richland Township to rezone a 2.01-acre parcel that contains an existing house so it may be sold to a family member; the parent tract will remain classified as ag forest, staff said. Committee members asked for clearer aerial mapping and staff offered to provide improved survey overlays before final recordation.

On item 7C, the committee postponed consideration of a conditional-use application for a proposed nonmetallic mine after staff reported that the applicant has not yet satisfied recorded deed-restriction conditions required by the earlier denial. Speaker 1 said the applicant is working with an attorney and must record or release the restriction before the item returns for consideration.

Actions taken were voice votes during the meeting; the transcript records each item as approved by the committee without a roll-call tally reported.

Next steps: staff will provide clearer parcel mapping for the approved rezonings and the applicant for the conditional-use mine must satisfy deed-restriction conditions before the request returns to the committee.