Lancaster County supervisors approved a request to rezone two Oak Hill Road parcels from Residential-General (R-1) to Industrial-Limited (M-1) so owners can use the land for boat and trailer storage associated with Yankee Point Marina.

Planning staff told the board the rezone request covers two parcels totaling 2.532 acres (tax map 26-18E and 26-18L). The applicants, Cara and Christopher Todd Patterson, said the change would bring their storage activity into compliance with the ordinance and support marina operations. The requested Industrial-Limited zoning aligns the parcels with other marina parcels that are already zoned M-1.

At the public hearing, neighbors opposed the rezone, arguing the area has been residential for decades and expanding industrial uses would reduce nearby property values, increase traffic on an 18-foot-wide road, and harm neighborhood character. Resident April Lake, a landscape contractor, urged a solid fence if the board approved the change, noting concerns that Leyland cypress (the applicant's proposed screening) can decline and die in some conditions.

The applicants provided a conditional plan that included a landscape buffer of Leyland cypress at 8-to-10-foot spacing; staff presented a visual showing the proposed screening and noted the trees typically grow 3-to-4 feet per year and can provide a visual buffer within 18 to 24 months. Planning staff also referenced a local petition in opposition and the Planning Commission's split recommendation (3-2 in favor at the commission level).

After brief discussion, the board voted to approve the rezoning and told staff to include screening details in the site plan. The record shows the motion passed; the board did not specify numerical roll-call tallies on the record.

Why this matters: Rezoning a residential parcel to industrial-limited for boat storage is a targeted land-use action that affects immediate neighbors and sets a local precedent for accommodating water-dependent service businesses. The board weighed local employment and marina-support arguments against neighbors' concerns about character and traffic.

What comes next: The applicants must implement the approved screening plan and comply with site-plan and environmental requirements; staff will monitor compliance and any zoning conditions attached to the rezoning.