During last week’s meeting, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners decided to unanimously approve an extension of a moratorium that would prohibit all rezoning requests around a five-mile radius of Stanton Springs North.
The location is near where Rivian is expected to build its new electric automobile plant.
Morgan County Planning & Development director Chuck Jarrell called for the extension of the moratorium before the Morgan BOC on Tuesday, May 3.
“Back in December of ‘21, the planning staff came before the (Morgan County) Board of Commissioners and asked for a temporary moratorium of six months for the proposed expansion around Stanton Springs,” Jarrell said.
Jarrell highlighted that he wanted the six-month extension on the moratorium because the new county comprehensive plan has not been finished.
“We were hoping to have a final draft adoption before the moratorium ended,” Jarrell said. “ …. So, we respectfully request that we extend the moratorium for an additional six months to get the adoption of the new comprehensive plan and give staff the opportunity to make any changes necessary for the zoning in that area.”
Morgan BOC Chairman Ben Riden asked Jarrell if the moratorium extension involved any rezoning opportunities that included ‘heavy industrial.’
“Any rezoning, whether it’s residential or commercial in that five-mile radius of the Stanton Springs project,” Jarrell responded.
Jarrell added that since Rivian announced its plans to build a massive site in the area, there have been “several phone calls” about rezoning opportunities.
“We have not had any formal requests,” Jarrell said.
He also stated that this six-month extension doesn’t apply to the Rivian property.
“This is any property that surrounds that property,” Jarrell said.
District 4 Commissioner Phillip von Hanstein raised a question to Jarrell, asking since the Rivian property is industrial if other landowners in that area could start trying to rezone their properties for their own personal profit.
“Potentially, yes,” Jarrell responded.
“If the project moves forward, basically with the state owning it, there is no zoning for that parcel or parcels,” he added. “After it (Rivian) is built, then the commissioners could rezone it to an industrial category at that time, but not during the process.”
Riden said the property where Rivian sits is technically considered ‘agricultural’ on the board’s books.
“So, if someone was to come in with an adjacent property, or with one close by, and tried to make an argument, we can say nope,” Riden said. “It’s just like a state park. It’s not zoned, it’s state property.”
Jarrell responded that Ridden was correct.
“It also goes along with the comprehensive plan,” Jarrell said. “That’s the reason we are asking for the extension to get the comprehensive plan in place.”
Ridden then asked Jarrell if the Morgan BOC could try and ‘prevent I-20 from becoming an industrial corridor’ between Hwy 278 and Madison.
“We can attempt to, yes sir,” Jarrell said. “I won’t say we definitely can.”