Current Projects

Ordinance Adoption Process and Public Meetings

The Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Supervisors will both hold public hearings on the ordinance.

The meeting dates are:

March 1^st, 5 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Commission. To join via Zoom, use the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7737180067?pwd=L3B5L2RNUzdsNjBldUtqV2R0UDdaZz09and use passcode: 1DR5Wg.
March 21st, 10 a.m. – Board of Supervisors - informational presentation, public can make comments. To join via Zoom, use the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81909605844?pwd=NFdnVVprZHpjb0hMeWw5VFdTVVRtZz09 and passcode: 117434.

Both meetings will also be held in the Public Meeting Room of the Administration Building, 900 6th Street.

Purpose

The proposed update to the ordinance will protect Story County’s environmental resources—wetlands, remnant prairie and savanna, steep hillsides, trees, archaeological resources, lakes, streams, and rivers.

We currently have protections for trees, steep slopes, rivers and streams in our code that apply to all permits and development. However, the ordinance clarifies these requirements to ensure they are applied appropriately and equally. For example:

All new lots have to be “properly related to topography” under our current code, but this term is not further defined. The proposed ordinance would define what is considered a steep slope (greater than 15%), maps these areas, and provides standards for building to ensure a site is suitable.
In the current code, replanting is required if more than 15% of trees are impacted on a property. The proposed ordinance would allow individual property owners to impact one acre of trees on their property, increasing flexibility while protecting more trees overall.
Existing stream buffers would be updated to better account for natural meandering or movement of streams, better protecting development and natural functions.

The standards for wetlands, prairies, savannas, and archaeological resources are proposed to only apply to larger developments: subdivisions of two or more lots and commercial development including conditional use permits. The current code has broad standards for environmental protection that these developments must meet. The proposed ordinance better defines those standards and expectations—when they apply, what impacts are allowed, and what mitigation measures are required.

Without these changes, the County could lose otherwise restorable wetlands, prairie or savanna remnants, and tree stands, as well as constrict natural floodplains that are necessary for carrying floodwaters and recharging our sources of drinking water.

What DOES the Ordinance Do:	What DOESN'T the Ordinance Do:
Provides standards for evaluating impacts on critical natural resource areas Provides clear, consistent thresholds for when mitigation is required Promotes conservation design Provides a path for preserving and restoring Story County’s natural habitats	Affect or regulate agricultural operations Make a parcel “unbuildable” or prevent any development of a property in the County

How Will the Ordinance Affect Me?

	Individual Landowners	Agricultural Operators	Commercial Development, including conditional use permits, and subdivisions of 2 or more lots
Steep hills, steep terrains, hillsides above creeks and streams	When disturbing slopes between 15-25%: Plans from a licensed engineer required to confirm site can support building Plan to re-vegetate disturbed hillside required	Not affected	Same as for Individual Landowners
	When disturbing slopes greater than 25% and less than 35%: Disturbance restricted to utilities and drives to access the property Plan to re-vegetate disturbed hillside required Setback of 2 feet for every 1 foot of vertical rise required for development on new lots	Not affected	Same as for Individual Landowners
	When disturbing slopes equal to or greater than 35%: Disturbance restricted to essential utilities Plan to re-vegetate disturbed hillside required Setback of 2 feet for every 1 foot of vertical rise required for development on new lots	Not affected	Same as for Individual Landowners
Trees and shrubs part of a larger forested area	Less than one acre of area disturbed: No replanting requirements	Not affected	Any disturbance to protected trees and shrubs requires replacement at least one-for-one and a mitigation plan from qualified professional
Trees and shrubs part of a larger forested area	Over one acre disturbed: One-for-one replanting required	Not affected	Any disturbance to protected trees and shrubs requires replacement at least one-for-one and a mitigation plan from qualified professional
Rivers, Streams and Creeks	Setback for building may range between 50-100 feet, depending on size of river, stream, or creek, downstream land uses, and if it is mapped in a Special Flood Hazard Area	Not affected	Same as for Individual Landowners Easements to the County required when stream or watercourse located in an area being subdivided
Prairie and Savanna Remnants	Not affected	Not affected	May be required to hire a qualified professional to provide a survey of plant material to identify remnants 150-foot buffer required from remnants. Impact to remnants will be limited to public utilities and County Engineering projects Mitigation required if impacts allowed
Wetlands	Not affected	Not affected	May be required to hire a qualified professional to provide a survey of plant material or soils to identify Wetlands required to be buffered from development Mitigation required if impacts over 0.1 acre allowed
Archaeological Resources	Not affected	Not affected	Within 650 feet of a stream, applications will need to include information from the Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) that no archaeological resources are suspected/found. If found, then a minimum 100-foot, undisturbed buffer is required around site.