Zoning Ordinance Purpose
In conjunction with the Comprehensive Plan, Jackson County uses its Zoning Ordinance to establish orderly land use patterns. The Ordinance divides the county into districts and defines how property within those districts can be used. The Ordinance assigns compatible uses to the same district and separates incompatible uses. The Ordinance also regulates the physical characteristics of structures (such as height and size), their separation from other buildings, and standards for parking and signage.
Zoning Ordinance Application
The Zoning Ordinance applies to the unincorporated areas of Jackson County. The Ordinance also applies to properties located within the boundaries of an incorporated city if the city has not adopted its own zoning regulations. In Jackson County, the cities of Bellevue and Maquoketa have adopted their own zoning ordinances.
Iowa Code Chapter 335 County Zoning exempts farmland, farm houses, farm barns, farm outbuildings, or other buildings or structures which are primarily adapted for use for agricultural purposes from county zoning ordinances unless located on or in the floodplains of any river or stream.