Archived story
As originally published
A 59.65-acre tract on Varner Road in Carnesville is the subject of a proposed zoning change that could replace its Agricultural classification with Agricultural Intensive zoning. Steve Ledford, listed as both applicant and owner, filed case RZ-2026-002 for the Franklin County Planning and Zoning Commission’s March 19 meeting; the application identifies agricultural as the proposed use.
The case matters because zoning determines the land-use category governing a specific parcel, not simply the owner’s stated plans. If approved, the request would change the rules applied to the District 1 tract, identified in the application as Map/Parcel 006/042, from Agricultural to Agricultural Intensive.
The documented record begins with the March 19 agenda entry, which placed Ledford’s application before the county Planning and Zoning Commission. That filing set the county review process in motion, but no later meeting minutes, recommendation or county decision is identified here to show what followed the scheduled commission setting.
Ledford’s position is reflected in his application: he seeks Agricultural Intensive zoning for the Varner Road tract and identifies agricultural as the intended use. Franklin County’s Planning and Zoning Commission is the public body named on the March agenda, but the agenda does not record the panel’s view, any public comments or a recommendation on the request.
The rezoning is documented as a proposal, not as a completed change. The March agenda confirms the application, its acreage, location, current and requested zoning, and its placement on the commission agenda. It does not state that the commission approved, denied or otherwise acted on the case, and it does not establish whether the requested designation was later implemented, amended or rejected.
The next public record to watch is a set of Planning and Zoning Commission minutes, a commission recommendation or a final county decision for RZ-2026-002. Until one of those records establishes an outcome, it remains unresolved whether the Varner Road tract will stay zoned Agricultural or be changed to Agricultural Intensive.