Agenda - 06-04-1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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■:-_,,,f .---- ')'• Four of the six were economic in character and related to the pressures on tr farming due to non-farm development in the County. The same survey found ..-„z. -,-, substantial support in rural areas for County action to preserve farmland. tIc;' Sixty-three percent of the rural landowners surveyed endorsed agricul- tural preservation and farmers in the sample were even more emphatic, r., with a 72% affirmative response. L._ The enduring vitality of County agriculture has been, and will continue t, to be, tested by competing uses for the land. Once farmland is covered ...--, over by roads, subdivisions and shopping centers, however, it is prob- . ably lost to productive agriculture forever. With a growing population ,. to feed in coming years, the time is now to begin viewing productive farmland as an important resource, worthy of protection for an import- ., 1;4-- ant use, the production of food and fiber. '., PROPOSED ORANGE COUNTY FARM PROGRAM This program has been formulated to meet the farm preservation policy objectives adopted by the Task Force: the alleviation of tax pressure k on farmers; minimizing nuisance complaints against farm operations; reducing the impact of eminent domain on farmland; and lessening the k' development pressures which might lead to farm relocation. Additionally. the proposed program has been based on voluntary measures in response i; -- to the preferences stated by members of the Task Force. The program has not been reviewed nor acted upon by the Board of Commissioners at -: this time. '.--, v- * --The- redammendationis compdsed of the following four elements: ,., VOLUNTARY CLASSES OF PARTICIPATION This section established four Classes of Participation (in addition to the existing State Law providing use value law, which is Class A) . Including the existing State Law, these four Classes are explained as follows: Class A: Class A is identical to the existing North Carolina Prefer- ential Taxation Law and provides for use value appraisal of the property as a basis for taxation with a three-year pay- back provision of taxes, interest, costs, or penalties as a .., lien on the property on withdrawal from the program whenever it occurs. All Class A Farm units must participate in the ',- N.C. Farm Preferential Taxation Program. Class B: Class B is identical to the existing state law (Class A) but adds twenty-year development rights agreement (Easement) pro- hibiting non-farm development except on three lots meeting minimum Orange County Subdivision and Zoning Standards. I i 1) All Class B Farm units must participate in the N.C. Farm Preferential Taxation Program. 1 2) The farm must be covered by a 20-year development rights agreement prohibiting non-farm development on all but three lots meeting minimum Orange County Subdivision and Zoning Standards.