Agenda - 09-20-2007-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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conditional use permit. In these cases the Board of Commissioners will consider both the rezoning and the permit following the quarterly public hearing process. For those uses that require rezoning but are less intensive, staff will create a new article, which will outline provisions for a conditional district rezoning process. Conditional district rezoning applications may be considered by the Board on a "quick track" schedule and subject to a site plan (zoning compliance permit) approved by planning staff. This approach should address the goal of dividing the uses that require rezoning into two tiers as well as staff's concerns that the quarterly public hearing process is too rigorous for small-scale operations. Finally, to make the application process more user-friendly, staff is creating a new Agricultural Support Enterprises Manual or users guide. This manual will provide all of the information needed to pursue these new enterprises in a single booklet, written in straightforward language. Staff is also preparing a series of companion brochures that would outline the necessary steps to apply for a specific type of permit, such as a special use permit. Next Steps The interdepartmental workgroup is preparing a draft Manual and draft amendments to the zoning ordinance. We would like to share these draft materials with members of the farming community and agricultural advisory boards for input. Subsequently, all materials will be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners and the Planning Board for direction and formal comment. Staff has limited the scope of the program to those rural portions of the county outside of the Rural Buffer at this time, but would like to consider allowing the program to expand into the Rural Buffer in the future. This area, in between the towns and the rural areas, may be the most appropriate location for certain farm-related uses to occur. A few years ago, the Nutter family pursued another layer of value-added business to their successful dairy operation and constructed the Maple View Ice Cream Store at the corner of Dairyland and Rocky Ridge roads, adjacent to the farm. While the ice cream parlor is clearly linked to the Nutter's farm operation it is also a retail business located in a residential zoning district. Despite the increase in vehicular (and bicycle) traffic, most local consumers would consider that the business is an asset to the county. This is an example of an agricultural support enterprise with acommercial /light industrial component that has successfully located in the Rural Buffer. The approval process was not easy, however. The ice cream parlor was one of the first farm-related businesses that the County considered and the appropriate process was not clear. The Agricultural Support Enterprises program is designed to facilitate the process for staff and applicants, to allow these types of uses to occur in the-rural areas in a way that is consistent with our existing policies and planning framework. Agricultural Support Enterprises 2