The Ranson City Council is scheduled to have a final reading and vote on the ordinance to adopt the 2035 comprehensive plan at it’s regular meeting on April 9 2024. Read the Full Story >>
zoning
County Planning Survey Seeks Public Comment On Zoning & Future Land Use
February 6 is the deadline to add comments to the Jefferson County Planning Commission survey on zoning and future land use. Read the Full Story >>
Harvest Hills Project Requests Rezoning, Plan Shows 1,000 New Houses
Arcadia Land, the developer of the Harvest Hills subdivision, is asking to rezone the land from Rural (which limits density) to Residential Growth (which would allow high density). Read the Full Story >>
The Road Ahead For Jefferson County
Route 340 is finally being widened south of Charles Town (below) and the construction of new homes continues to tick up dramatically. There is still a lot of open space and active farmland in the county, but many residents have concerns. Read the Full Story >>
Commissioners Attempt To Repeal Part Of County Zoning Ordinance
Multiple concerns and confusion about attempt to "repeal" Jefferson County zoning ordinance. Read the Full Story >>
Many More New Homes In Jefferson County
For the first six months, the county’s Office of Impact Fees reports that 386 residential construction permits were issued. Read the Full Story >>
Developer Seeks Increased Housing Density For Harvest Hills Subdivision
Arcadia Development Co, developer of the Harvest Hills subdivision is requesting a zoning change from rural to residential growth, which would allow for higher density of housing on the site. Read the Full Story >>
Moving Around Jefferson County
The Board of Education kept to its timetable of appointing a new Superintendent, who starts on July 1. He inherits some big holes from his departing predecessor — literally in terms of the two elementary school construction projects, one of which has yet to even go to bid despite the hoopla of a ground-breaking ceremony over a year ago. The twin challenges of retaining & recruiting staff and addressing the fall-off in student achievement are arguably even more complex. All of these issues will no doubt be topics for the School Board election next May. Read the Full Story >>
Public Input Session for Comprehensive Plan Update On June 5
What do you like about living in Jefferson County? What are your concerns about the community? These are the types of questions you’ll hear as the County’s planning team works on updating the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson Orchards Requests Industrial Zoning Near Rockwool
A zoning change request in Ranson has prompted significant questions and concerns. Read the Full Story >>
New Housing Construction Up Again in Jefferson County
New Home Construction in Jefferson County continued at a rapid pace for the second year in a row in 2022 and shows no signs of slowing down in 2023. Read the Full Story >>
Questions for Solar Projects
The County Commission discussed permit fees for solar projects at its July 21 meeting. The commissioners discussed a range of fees, with Commissioner Jane Tabb proposing $700,000 to ensure the County covers its review and inspection costs while Commissioner Steve Stolipher suggested a cap of $75,000. Projects of similar size in nearby jurisdictions pay permit fees ranging from $700,000 to $1,400,000. The Commission decided to defer a decision and requested staff to provide further research and recommendations to be presented at a future meeting (Aug 4 or Aug 18). Read the Full Story >>
A Timeline Of Zoning For Solar
Jefferson County began to amend its zoning ordinance to allow for utility-scale solar in 2020. The process has had several setbacks, but a vote by the County Commission on April 5, 2022 has restarted the amendment process. Read the Full Story >>
Public Hearing on Solar Zoning — June 9
The Jefferson County Commission has scheduled a public hearing and possible vote on June 9 at 9:30 am for a proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance that would allow processing of applications for [“industrial scale”] solar energy facilities as a principal permitted use [“by-right”] in all areas of Jefferson County inside the Urban Growth Boundary and Preferred Growth Area noted in the current Comprehensive Plan. Read the Full Story >>
Housing Construction Grows In Jefferson County
When The Observer looked at Jefferson County home construction trends in May of 2021, the County’s Office of Impact Fees reported that 149 residential building permits had been issued countywide during the first three months of 2021. The numbers for the full year were even more impressive, as numbers for single family and townhouse construction were double the annual rate seen in the past decade. Read the Full Story >>