Woodford County magistrates revisit farmland-preservation text amendments; second reading scheduled Feb. 10

Squire Lyles Taylor reopened a discussion of proposed revisions to Articles 2 and 7 of Woodford County’s zoning text, focusing on strengthening enforcement for in-family conveyances, adding water-service capacity conditions for development, and requiring residual farmland to remain a single continuous tract to support agricultural machinery.

"I particularly honed in on the idea of adding public prior to parks in the agricultural zone," Squire Lyles Taylor said, noting his intent is to protect farmland and to request that the planning commission draft implementing ordinances and subregulations.

Squire Mary Anne Gill and other magistrates pressed on enforceability. Gill said she was concerned a restricted-covenant reverter provision could be difficult to track and enforce after plats are recorded and questioned whether mortgagees or lenders could be deterred by such covenants.

"A zoning ordinance violation comes with a $250 fine, and that's this is a zoning ordinance violation," Squire Gill said, urging the court to examine enforcement steps before plat approval and to allow time to observe the impact of recent changes.

County Attorney advised that several of the changes the court previously approved are on second reading and will be advertised this week. He said the second reading is scheduled for the court’s Feb. 10 meeting and indicated it is likely to be a formality for approval on final reading if procedural requirements are met.

Magistrates recommended involving the planning and zoning commission on drafting definitions and subregs, especially around the definition of "parks" and water-service certificates, and cautioned against rushing further changes while the recently approved amendments take effect.

Next steps: the proposed text amendments will be advertised this week and come back for a second reading on Feb. 10. Planning staff and the planning commission were asked to develop clearer definitions and enforcement steps for in-family conveyances and water‑service conditions before final adoption.