Morgan County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
SENSITIVE AREA
DISTRICT
§ 155.170 PURPOSE AND INTENT.
(A) The purpose of the SA District is to designate and describe those areas within the county that possess physical and/or environmental characteristics which require special public consideration of use applications which might affect the structure or the land; the management of surface or subsurface water; safety of future land occupants due to increased fire or storm hazards from the proposed development; or the uneconomic extension of public facilities and services. Of specific concern is development in flood prone areas, areas of steep slope, wetlands and other sensitive areas requiring careful assessment prior to alteration.
(B) It is the intent of these regulations to permit the use of property, while requiring design solutions which will avoid detrimental impacts on sensitive natural areas, as well as provide protection from adverse natural forces and hazards. Standards for said design solutions shall be as adopted within this subchapter.
(Prior Code, § 8-5E-1) (Ord. 10-02, passed 6-1-2010)
§ 155.171 DEFINITIONS.
For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
BUILDABLE AREA. The portion of a site where structures may be safely sited. BUILDABLE AREAS must be clearly marked on the site plan and/or final approved plat, as appropriate.
DEVELOPMENT. Includes all critical and essential facilities, subdivisions, single- and multi-family dwellings, commercial and industrial buildings, additions to existing buildings, storage facilities, pipelines and utility conveyances and other land uses.
GOVERNING BODY. The County Commission.
NONBUILDABLE AREA. The portion of a site where siting of habitable structures is not permitted.
SETBACK. An area within which support of habitable structures or critical facilities is not permitted.
(Prior Code, § 8-5E-2) (Ord. 10-02, passed 6-1-2010)
§ 155.172 PERMITTED USES.
The following uses are permitted in the SA District:
(A) Agricultural structures, accessory in nature to permitted uses;
(B) Horticulture and gardening, excluding agricultural industries;
(C) Raising of crops;
(D) Raising of livestock in accordance with underlying zone;
(E) Tilling of the soil; and
(F) Unoccupied recreational accessory structures, as permitted in underlying zone (e.g., bowery).
(Prior Code, § 8-5E-3) (Ord. 10-02, passed 6-1-2010)
§ 155.173 CONDITIONAL USES.
The SA District is an overlay district whose sole effect is to require additional review of proposed uses in the underlying districts. To this end, any permitted use in a district overlain by an SA District, with the exception of those uses permitted in § 155.172 of this code, is a conditional use. Conditional uses authorized in districts overlaid by the SA District remain conditional uses.
(Prior Code, § 8-5E-4) (Ord. 10-02, passed 6-1-2010)
§ 155.174 INCLUDED AREAS; MAP.
(A) The Sensitive Area Zoning District shall be as indicated on the current Sensitive Area District overlay map, if a map exists, and included in this code.
(B) The Sensitive Area District overlay shall also include areas of the county not shown on the Sensitive Area District overlay map, but designated as:
(1) Areas designated as Zones A, AE, AH and AO on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood insurance rate maps for the county;
(2) Wetlands as defined by and within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
(3) Other environmentally sensitive areas that the Planning Commission and County Commission find to be of significance to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the county; and
(4) Drainage channels subject to flash flooding.
(Prior Code, § 8-5E-5) (Ord. 10-02, passed 6-1-2010)