MONROE - Without an Extraterritorial Zoning (ETZ) plan to pass on to the City of Monroe's Plan Commission and an ETZ ordinance ending May 31, one Monroe township resident is caught in the middle for the next seven weeks.
At Wednesday's Joint ETZ Committee meeting, Jim Becker asked committee members to rezone his agricultural land to commercial on the east side of the city. But the committee took no action on the request.
Becker's plans for his property, presented ahead of time to the committee, include erecting a building to accommodate visitors to his corn maze. Becker said he has to start planting fields next month and needs to know how to proceed as soon as possible.
Becker said the county needed six months to approve his plans to use the land for the commercial development. He said he was told by the county that the Green County Board would "honor" the zoning change made by the committee and was advised by his attorney to "go ahead" and make his request.
Committee Chairman Nate Klassy asked whether the committee should even consider the request.
City Administrator Mark Vahlsing said the committee still could take action, while the ETZ interim ordinance was in effect.
However, once the ETZ ordinance ends May 31 along with its zones and the committee, the land once again comes under county zoning.
Vahlsing said he didn't know what the county would do, but said Becker had "no legal protection" under ETZ commercial zoning once the land reverts to town and county zoning. Furthermore, he said, the county cannot take action in the ETZ zones before the ETZ interim ordinance ends May 31.
Vahlsing said even if the request had been made two years ago when the ETZ committee first began laying out ETZ boundaries, Becker still would have the same problem of zoning.
"The (ETZ) ordinance zones are only in effect while the ordinance is in effect," he said.
Becker declined to comment after the meeting.
At Wednesday's Joint ETZ Committee meeting, Jim Becker asked committee members to rezone his agricultural land to commercial on the east side of the city. But the committee took no action on the request.
Becker's plans for his property, presented ahead of time to the committee, include erecting a building to accommodate visitors to his corn maze. Becker said he has to start planting fields next month and needs to know how to proceed as soon as possible.
Becker said the county needed six months to approve his plans to use the land for the commercial development. He said he was told by the county that the Green County Board would "honor" the zoning change made by the committee and was advised by his attorney to "go ahead" and make his request.
Committee Chairman Nate Klassy asked whether the committee should even consider the request.
City Administrator Mark Vahlsing said the committee still could take action, while the ETZ interim ordinance was in effect.
However, once the ETZ ordinance ends May 31 along with its zones and the committee, the land once again comes under county zoning.
Vahlsing said he didn't know what the county would do, but said Becker had "no legal protection" under ETZ commercial zoning once the land reverts to town and county zoning. Furthermore, he said, the county cannot take action in the ETZ zones before the ETZ interim ordinance ends May 31.
Vahlsing said even if the request had been made two years ago when the ETZ committee first began laying out ETZ boundaries, Becker still would have the same problem of zoning.
"The (ETZ) ordinance zones are only in effect while the ordinance is in effect," he said.
Becker declined to comment after the meeting.