Winneshiek County Zoning Commission recommends approval of revised Zoning Ordinances

Winneshiek County's moratorium on frac sand mining expires October 15th, so it was with some sense of urgency that members of the Winneshiek County Planning & Zoning Commission hold a public hearing Tuesday night for a revised county zoning ordinance.

The revisions affect a wide range of issues, but the greatest attention has centered on the four pages relating to mineral extraction.  The section starts by declaring, "The objective of this provision is to control alterations of land surfaces, minimize soil erosion and land scarring, to monitor the consumption of natural resources, and minimize its impact on the adjacent lands and persons residing in the area."  The ordinance requires a conditional use permit for all extraction pits and land alteration operations.

Decorah resident Brian Fankhauser, who works for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, praised the board, saying, "It's obvious you spent considerable time researching this subject."

Decorah resident Peter VanderLinden called the ordinance "Well-crafted, fair and reasonable."

Decorah resident Kayla Kaether said she was impressed with what she called "the careful language" of the ordinance.

A few changes to the ordinance were suggested, but the bulk of the ordinance passed as written on a 7-0 vote.

The Winneshiek County Board will next hold a public hearing on the ordinance.  A favorable vote by supervisors would put the zoning ordinance revisions into effect.