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2 <br /> farmland. Approximately 800 acres have been designated as Voluntary <br /> Districts. When the Ordinance was first being considered, the Board <br /> of Commissioner reorganized the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board. <br /> Since the late <br /> 1980's/early 1990's that Board has been attempting to put together a <br /> purchase of development rights program. The specific charge for that <br /> program came in the form of a goal adopted by the Board of <br /> Commissioners in 1989. That goal charged the Advisory Board with <br /> developing the program. The first draft was presented to the Board of <br /> Commissioners in 1992. The Commissioners offered suggestions and <br /> comments for improvement. Since 1992, the Agricultural Districts <br /> Advisory Board has been working to finalize the proposal. Several <br /> charts were displayed to show the effect of loss of farmland in Orange <br /> County. In 1950 there were five acres of farmland per capita. That <br /> has declined to less than one acre per capita at the present time. <br /> Another chart showed the decline in total acreage in farmland from <br /> 180, 000 in 1950 to 81, 000 in 1987. The population has increased from <br /> 35, 000 in 1950 to more than 100,000 in 1994. He emphasized that the <br /> Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR) is a completely voluntary <br /> program. There is nothing in this proposal that requires any <br /> landowner to participate. The total market value of a piece of <br /> property in a high development pressure situation here in Orange <br /> County was compared to total market value in a low development <br /> situation which would be found in rural areas of the state. The Fair <br /> Market Value is what a landowner has as a right to expect from <br /> developing his property. The Use Value of the property represents the <br /> value of the property for farm or forest purposes. The difference <br /> between Fair Market Value and Use Value is what is known as the <br /> Development Rights Value. A study has been completed for the county <br /> as a whole and the average market value of the property per acre is <br /> about $3,200 per acre. The Use Value is around $400.00 per acre. The <br /> difference between those two figures is the amount that would be paid <br /> for development rights. That is an average figure. It would vary <br /> from site to site and situation to situation. The purchase of <br /> development rights is always based on a site specific situation. <br /> There are a series of steps necessary for the operation of a purchase <br /> of development rights program. Those steps are as follows: <br /> STEP 1: Submission of application <br /> STEP 2 Ranking of Application using the LESA system <br /> STEP 3 Acquisition authorization <br /> STEP 4 offer to purchase/sell <br /> STEP 5 Acceptance of offer <br /> STEP 6 Closing <br /> These steps are further discussed in the handout "Questions Frequently <br /> Asked About A Purchase Of Development Rights Program" . This handout <br /> is located in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's office. The <br /> development rights are not for sale to anyone without the property <br /> owners consent. They are for sale only to the, property owner who <br /> initially owned them and then only after twenty-five (25) years has <br /> elapsed from the original date of purchase. The Land Evaluation and <br /> Site Assessment (LESA) evaluation/assessment factors and ranking <br /> system was thoroughly explained. This system is currently being used <br /> in Forsythe County and Union County. It is a part of the zoning <br />