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2 Meeting minutes for these meetings can be found by referencing the appropriate folder at: http: / /server3.co.orange.nc.us- 8088 /weblink8 /Browse.aspx ?startid =3 &dbid =0 Ultimately, the project was put on hold in early 2009 as the County Attorney at the time determined the conditional zoning concept upon which ASE was predicated should wait to be incorporated into the County's ordinances as part of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) process that was anticipated to occur. In recent years, the North Carolina General Assembly further defined the types of uses that constitute "agriculture ". (Relevant sections of State Statutes can be found in Attachment A). The result of these changes is that several types of land uses that may have formerly required zoning approval are now exempt from zoning regulations because they are considered bona fide farming activities. (See footnote for chart in Attachment B which explains the relevance of exemption from zoning regulations). Additionally, equine - related buildings are largely exempt from building code regulations, regardless of whether members of the public routinely enter the buildings. The County adopted a UDO in 2011 and the UDO includes conditional districts as a type of zoning method. The new format of the UDO, coupled with the changes in State legislation, means that much of the previous work done on ASE will have to be re- done /reformatted to fit into the UDO format and some of the uses that were part of former ASE work are now considered exempt from zoning regulations due to the bona fide farm exemptions. In the Fall of 2012, the Agricultural Preservation Board provided a list of uses it would like to see clarified as part of the ASE process (see Attachment B). Staff has produced a chart (part of the same Attachment) which responds to the list. The chart shows that, although certain uses are exempt from zoning regulations, other aspects of regulations (environmental health [well, septic, food service] and building codes) still apply in certain situations. Environmental health and building codes, intended to protect the public's health and safety, are adopted at the State level and local governments have very little, or no, authority to modify them. Agricultural Support Enterprises Manual The need to publish a manual for lay- persons has been at the forefront of the ASE project for many years. A somewhat complete draft manual was prepared but will need to be heavily edited, if not completely re- written, due to the changes in State statutes and the County's `new' UDO. A user - friendly manual will continue to be a part of the ASE project. It should also be noted that the County's existing development process includes pre - development meetings whereby applicants meet with various County staff to learn more about the regulatory requirements of the project they are proposing. Residents and developers have never been required to navigate through the various regulations on their own. Purpose of Work Session Item Staff plans to make a presentation to the BOCC on relevant aspects of the ASE project and receive input /direction on the following: 1. Verification that the BOCC wants staff to work on a comprehensive ASE project (as opposed to addressing fewer land uses types). (See pages 3 through 16 of the June 12, 2007 meeting materials for an example of a comprehensive list of land uses: http:// orangecountync .gov /OCCLERKS /0706124ii.pdf)