Boone County Commissioners expanded on recommendations of the County Planning Commission when they adopted amended zoning regulations for livestock feeding operations (LFOs) after Mon-day’s public hearing.
They added two sandy soil classifications in which separation distances between LFOs must be maintained.
A recommendation from the Planning Commission stated the separation distances for LFOs should be maintained, with no overlap, only in the Valentine Soil Overlay District.
On Monday, the commissioners expanded this rule to include not only the Valentine association soils in the county’s northwest corner, but also the Elsmere-Wann-Loup association along the Beaver Creek, and the Thurman-Hord-Loretto association that surrounds the Valentine soils.
Within this area, the regulation states, the separation distances required for Environmentally Controlled Housing (ECH) and Open Lots, “the separation distances of the larger LFO shall be the determining distance between the facilities.”
Also, the regulation states that LFOs in these soils “shall not fall under the waiver process,” which allows owners of neighboring residences to sign a document that reduces the setback requirements.
Much of the public testimony at the hearing dealt with this “no overlap” regulation, which was intended to reduce the concentration of LFOs on sandy soils.
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