The Land Resource Management Plan, or LRMP, a proposal of modified land zoning regulations, was approved Wednesday at the Champaign County board meeting, but it may undergo public protest because of a lack of 21 votes for approval.

The plan was devised by members of the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission because of problems relating to the implementation of land regulations by the county’s land zoning and planning board, said Andrew Levy, planner analyst at CCRPC.

He said a land usage plan was devised in 1977, but the board was inconsistent with the document’s rules and goals when it made zoning decisions.

“Updates (to the 1977 plan) were provided in 2001 and 2003, and they did not quite mesh with what was developed in 1977,” Levy said. “What they were doing was using these conflicting viewpoints to try and make decisions.”

Complaints were filed by other members of the County Board, and eventually, the zoning board hired members from CCRPC to devise a new zoning plan, said Susan Monte, CCRPC County Planner.

Levy said a majority of the modifications in the proposal revolve around creating better usage of the county’s agricultural land. A main goal is to preserve this land and prevent it from turning into residential property.

“We are looking at maintaining the best prime farmland as agricultural, something that would help a farmer better do his job,” Levy said.

He added that CCRPC suggested a better countywide transportation plan that can encompass both urban and rural land.

Although Champaign has a plan called the Long-Range Transportation Plan, Levy said it does not encompass the entire county.

Some community members said there are flaws within the proposal. Stephanie Holderfield, Mahomet resident and candidate for Champaign County Board member-District 1, said the document had “some awesome things,” but holding farmland from becoming residential goes against farmers’ rights to sell their land.

“The government shouldn’t tell a private citizen whether or not they should sell their land,” Holderfield said. “It’s an atrocity is what it is.”

Mark Thompson, Dewey resident, said he was strongly against passing the LRMP because he believed it violated property rights.

He said the document was needed in certain aspects, but because many farmers are unaware of how much land they will not be able to sell in the future, the proposal is “un-American.”

“This is insane,” Thompson said to the board. “And you are going to tie this to the LRMP.”