Agenda - 06-16-2009 - Infor Item 3

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1 available, but alternative energy programs will only become more important as all nations 2 pursue strategies to reduce global warming. Orange County officials and farmers alike will want 3 to learn about these opportunities as soon as they become available. (See more information 4 under the Federal Conservation Funding Tools section of the FPP.) 5 6 Orange County Comprehensive Plan 7 Orange County adopted a Land Use Plan (later the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive 8 Plan) in 1981. The efforts of several agricultural task forces were summarized in the 1981 9 effort and were enhanced in the 1980s as the County began exploring the potential for 10 agricultural conservation easements and an agricultural preservation program. Subsequent 11 amendments reflected the creation of the Voluntary Agricultural Districts program in 1992. A 12 countywide quality growth plan in the late 1990s, Shaping Orange County's Future, also 13 included recommendations for agriculture. 14 15 Orange County just finished atwo-year effort to update the Comprehensive Plan. Agriculture 16 has risen to the status of its own chapter, now within the Natural and Cultural Systems 17 Element. The Economic Development Element also speaks to agricultural issues in the form of 18 marketing and business strategies for individual farmers and cooperative ventures. Strategies 19 to protect farmland through the development process are included in the Land Use Element. 20 While the 2030 Comprehensive Plan was adopted in November of 2008, the County still needs 21 to work with municipalities to encourage them to protect agriculture and forestry within their 22 planning jurisdictions. The protection of agriculture, horticulture and forestry should be 23 included within municipal land use plans, and municipalities should be encouraged to adopt 24 Voluntary Agricultural District ordinances to cover land within municipal boundaries. 25 26 Flexible Development 27 Sometimes farmers strategically sell a section or sections of land in order to retain the larger 28 complex. Flexible development standards were adopted in 1996 to preserve important natural 29 and cultural features, including scenic views and active farmland. The flexible development 30 design can provide an opportunity for farmers to sell or develop sections of their property in a 31 manner that is more compatible with the farm use. Prime farmland and prime forestland must 32 be identified as part of concept plan submittal, and at least 33 percent of such resources must 33 be set aside as conservation areas. County staff and some local developers are exploring the 34 possibility of leasing some or all of the 33 percent of open space for farm use. In 2006 the 35 County adopted amendments to reduce density and increase lot sizes in the rural sections of 36 the County to ease development pressures and nuisance related issues between existing 37 farmers and new residents. 38 39 Voluntary Agricultural District Program 40 In 1986, the North Carolina General Assembly enabled counties to adopt Voluntary Agricultural 41 District (VAD) ordinances to effectively create areas ~~to increase identity and pride in the 42 agricultural community and its way of life and to increase protection from nuisance suits and 43 other negative impacts on properly managed farms.i16 Farmers, who enroll their farm in a VAD 44 enter into a revocable agreement with the county to forego developing their land for a period of 45 ten years and, in exchange, enjoy certain protections of their operation, including a waiver of 46 sewer and water assessments, recorded notice to non-farm neighbors of their proximity to a 16 North Carolina General Statutes §106 Article 61 Draft 6/1/2009 Opportunities for Enhancing Agriculture in Orange County 25