Minutes 11-21-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chair Jacobs said this is a laundry list of options. He said with the help of feedback from the town, some of the uses can be eliminated if there are concerns. He mentioned Maple View Ice Cream Store as an example of success in the rural buffer. He said it is a great idea to consider water and sewer use. He said hopefully an agreement can be made to increase possible uses. Council Member Ward asked if any uses are already allowed outside the rural buffer or corporate limits. Chair Jacobs said no. He said the Board will be informed by what the Towns say. Commissioner McKee said he would have concerns over a regional meat processing plant in a rural buffer. He said the other use that is a concern would be a saw mill, but the impact of this depends on the size. He said the Board needs to look at additional uses that people in the agricultural sector can access to make their farms more viable. He said economic viability is one of the drivers of the loss of farmland, and farmers must have the ability to adapt. Council Member Greene said everyone who is a party to the rural buffer has a strong interest in what happens there. She said it seems to her that the Towns ought to have a lot of say about this. She fully supports the need for economic flexibility with these properties, but she has concerns about some of the uses listed with "Minor Events". She said some of these look as if they might be too high intensity to be consistent with the rural buffer. Commissioner Gordon said neither she nor the Board of County Commissioners have seen this rendition before. She said the high septic and high traffic users have to be considered to make sure the use will be acceptable on well and septic. She said it is important to look at the standards for development. Commissioner Pelissier said the Commissioners have never had a discussion about this. She said the rural buffer was created in a different era, and the elected bodies woke up a few years ago and decided that something needed to be done. She said there are efforts to work on economic development districts; however it is also time to look at all the other land in the County to find ways to promote entrepreneurship and small scale businesses that are appropriate for rural areas, including the rural buffer. She said the restaurants are a major driver for businesses in the area. She said it is important to think about ways to provide more income for the farmers providing some of this food. She said it is important to consider what uses are good to have in the rural buffer to preserve the rural character. Mayor Kleinschmidt said he appreciates the opportunity to give feedback. He thinks that this rural agriculture and agriculture related businesses were what was intended to happen in the rural buffer, versus large lot subdivisions. He said this is a fantastic way to leverage one of the community's greatest assets to improve economic well being. Council Member Ward said he would like to hear from the farmers about what provides them the most useful options. Commissioner McKee encouraged everyone to keep an open mind. He said if compatible operations are not allowed, the rural buffer will turn into a residential buffer. He said this is already happening. Chair Jacobs reviewed what he had heard. He said it would be useful to identify what the Board of Commissioners would like to see, versus just a general list. He suggested the best way might be to go to the QPH in February and ask the agricultural preservation board to review this and provide statements and analysis. Chair Jacobs said it would also be helpful to have staff look at the other impacts, such as water use and traffic. He said all of this information can be shared with the towns before they are asked to give comments. He said anything would be an improvement on the current situation. He said the goal is to encourage local agricultural economy.