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27 <br />VI. Repurchase of Development Rights <br />A. General <br />The designation of Agricultural Priority Areas and the subsequent <br />purchase of development rights is intended to create areas with sufficient <br />amounts of contiguous agricultural land to facilitate the permanent agricul- <br />tural use of the land. While program activity will be directed toward that <br />goal, success is dependent on the voluntary participation of landowners. <br />If a landowner or several owners of small tracts are the only participants in <br />their area, the goal may not be achieved. These landowners could become <br />land locked by development and agricultural activity may become <br />impractical. <br />In such a situation it may be in the best interest of the landowner and the <br />public to allow repurchase of the development rights for the property in <br />question. Other circumstances could also affect a property's suitability <br />for continued agricultural use. Repurchase of development rights by a <br />landowner is foreseen as an unusual and infrequent occurrence, and would <br />take place with the concurrence of the Board of Supervisors and the <br />Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. <br />B. Eligibility Criteria <br />In order for a repurchase request to be considered the following criteria <br />must be met: The original purchase of development rights must have <br />occurred at least thirty (30) years prior to the request for repurchase and <br />the development rights must have been purchased by and not donated to <br />the county. <br />C. Repurchase Procedure <br />A landowner requesting a review of his property for possible repurchase <br />of development rights should do so by certified letter to the Forsyth Soil <br />and Water Conservation District Office. The letter should state the reason <br />for the request and the date that the property was entered into the program. <br />The Board of Supervisors will respond by approving the repurchase _ , <br />request in principle (pending successful negotiation of sale price), or by <br />denying the request. <br />Upon approval in principle of the repurchase, the landowner must <br />submit two appraisals of value for the property in question. One <br />12 <br />