Agenda - 02-01-1993 - VIII-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT ORDINANCE: Voluntary Farmland Preservation Ordinance REFERENCE: Section V.B. 1. ORIGIN OF AMENDMENT: _X_Staff Planning Board BOCC Citizen STAFF PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION: _X_High Middle Low PUBLIC HEARING DATE: February 22, 1993 PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT: To allow small tracts or lots, when surrounded by or adjacent to certified qualifying farms, may be included in a voluntary agricultural district. IMPACTS/ISSUES: When the Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program Ordinance was enacted in March, the minimum size of an agricultural district was set at: 1. At least 155 contiguous acres of certified qualifying farmland; or 2 . At least two or more certified qualifying farms, contiguous to each other, which will create a district of not less than 155 acres. On September 22 , 1992, the ordinance was amended to reduce the minimum size of an agricultural district to 80 acres. During the course of administering the ordinance, it was discovered that small tracts or lots were being surrounded by larger farms designated as voluntary agricultural districts. An example of this situation is the Walters/ farms located in Cedar Grove Township (see attached map] . To address the concern of creating "holes" in agricultural districts and permit the "squaring up" of district boundaries, a member of the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board asked staff to check if inclusion of such lots was possible under the existing ordinance. Discussions between the Planning Director and County Attorney confirmed that an ordinance amendment was necessary for small lots and tracts to be included as part of a voluntary agricultural district. EXISTING ORDINANCE PROVISIONS: Section V - APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFYING FARMLAND AND VOLUNTARY AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS B. REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION IN A VOLUNTARY AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT 1. An agricultural district shall initially consist of: