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