Agenda - 08-08-1994-X-A - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 The recommendation of the Advisory Board will be reported at this meeting. Copies of the complete PDR study have been distributed separately to the Board of Commissioners. Copies of financing options considered by the Advisory Board have been provided as an attachment. A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE The proposed bond referendum and PDR study have been years in the making. In May of 1979, the Board of Commissioners established an Agricultural Task Force comprised of full-time farmers. The Task Force was given the charge to "prepare a report to the Commissioners on the state of agriculture in Orange County as supporting information for development of the County's Land Use Plan." The Task Force responded in 1981, recommending four objectives to provide a basis for agricultural preservation and rural land use planning. They were as follows: • The problem of increasing tax burdens on agriculture should be alleviated; • The occurrence of complaints and nuisance suits against farm operations should be minimized; • The negative impacts of proposed public projects on farming operations and on prime farmland should be minimized; and • The relocation of farming operations due to non-farm development pressure should be minimized. To address these objectives, the Task Force considered several alternatives for preserving agricultural lands, including purchase of development rights. In response to the preferences of Task Force members, the proposed agricultural preservation program recommended to the Board of Commissioners involved the establishment of agricultural districts based strictly on voluntary measures. Although Orange County prepared and submitted draft legislation through which to implement the Task Force recommendations, it was not until 1986 that the N.C. General Assembly passed enabling legislation which authorized counties to undertake programs to encourage the preservation of farmland. In 1987, the Board of Commissioners appointed an Agricultural Districts Advisory Board for Orange County. The Advisory Board immediately set about the task of drafting a local ordinance to implement the provisions contained in the enabling legislation,and, in mid-1988,produced a draft ordinance as well as recommendations for addition farmland preservation efforts. Among them were the following: • Adopt policies for purchase of development rights in agricultural districts upon the request of the farmer; • Set up provisions for donation of and lease of development rights under the policies; • Request funds for the purchase of development rights on agricultural lands and natural areas in the county; and