By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
New Barton County zoning regulations continue to serve their purpose well. At Tuesday's Barton County Commission meeting, the board approved a recommendation from Zoning Administrator Judy Goreham to expand Liebl Welding LLC at the intersection of Northeast 120 Avenue and K-156 southwest of Claflin.
"Back in 2010, he got a permit for a shed and, in the meantime, turned that property into a welding business that's thriving and he wanted to expand," Goreham said. "What we're doing today is asking for a conditional land-use permit versus rezoning property."
All present planning commissioners recommended approval of the expansion during a Jan. 11 public meeting, at which no landowners within 1,000 feet of the business complained. Owner Scott Liebl has designed his business in a manner that mitigates impacts on neighboring landowners, and he is in full compliance with all relevant licensing and other regulations. Under previous regulations, the expansion would have required full rezoning of the land, which could create conflicts in the future.
"It ties the property back to the original agriculture district permitted uses and conditionally-permitted uses," Goreham said. "It keeps the control with the county. It protects the adjoining landowners who have ag land that want to keep it agriculture related."
Goreham said one of Liebl's neighbors went on record recommending approval of the expansion. The board of commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the permit.