A-1 Agricultural-Forestry

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A-1 is the Agricultural-Forestry District.  Most of the land in Jefferson County is zoned A-1. 

The Resolutions say: “To achieve the intent of this district, the following uses are permitted.”  There is no specific definition, and I would certainly challenge any of you reading this to come up with a definition that is not dripping with sarcasm. 

One would think (based on its name) that allowed uses would be related to agriculture or forestry.  You can make up your own mind.  My reactions are in the [brackets].

Here is a list of uses in A-1 that are allowed ONLY in A-1:

  • Agricultural and similar activities including: crop farming, livestock, poultry, horticulture, aquaculture, processing and/or sales of agricultural products raised, grown, or cultivated on the premises [Zoning Lady note: Good start!!]
  • Mobile homes on individual lots
  • Salt caves [sort of a sauna that uses salt instead of rocks and hot water]
  • Other uses including: cadaver research [“Body Farm”?], travel trailer parks
  • Conditional uses including: Skeet shooting, off-road vehicle facilities, outdoor festival/concert, airpark/airstrip
  • Battery Energy Storage Systems, aka BESS [this may be moving to I-2]

If your neighbor’s property is zoned A-1, are you wondering what could be coming there?  But wait, there’s more. . .

These are uses that are allowed in A-1 and at least one other zone:

  • Residential including: Single family dwellings, duplexes
  • Convenience commercial including: gas station, convenience market, video rental, restaurant, drug stores, grocery stores, lounge/bar, florist, coin operated laundries
  • Personal service including: barber, beauty shop, pedicure/manicure, massage therapist, tanning salon
  • Repair shops including: watches, jewelry, clocks, shoes, guns, appliances, small engines
  • Semi-public uses including: churches, cemeteries, lodges, clubs
  • Public uses including: Post Offices, libraries, schools, buildings/facilities for emergency/non-emergency uses
  • Indoor recreation including: video game arcades, billiards/pool rooms
  • Outdoor recreation including: golf courses, driving ranges, parks, playgrounds, athletic fields
  • Micro/farm distilleries, micro breweries, micro wineries
  • Other uses including: marinas, veterinarian offices, flea markets, bed and breakfast inns
  • Conditional uses including: indoor and outdoor firing ranges, kennels
  • Solar and wind energy systems
  • Custom slaughterhouses
  • Accessory buildings

There has been an ad online lately for A-1 land in Jefferson County.  It touts the A-1 zone as “Jefferson County’s most liberal zone” followed by a list of some of the uses allowed in A-1.