Agenda - 05-06-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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E1 recommendations of the Agricultural Advisory Task Force - including the identification of all active farm operations over 25 acres in the County, and furthermore make their location known to future purchasers of nearby land to avoid nuisance suits. A number of other strategies put forth in this document also relate to agricultural preservation. It is the feeling of the Committee that any further complicated protection efforts (such as Large -Lot or Agricultural zoning) would neither be as effective nor as responsive to the needs of the farm community. 2. Natural and Visual Resource Protection There exist a number of methods to preserve and protect natural and visual resources. Such resources are a large part of the nebulous rural character of Orange County.. After analyzing and discussing a number of such methods with the public, the Committee has found that the most feasible wax of ensuring resource protection while recognizing property rights is to loosely put together a program that recognizes the resource protection that has historically been accomplished through rural citizens, and sets forth incentives and compensation to facilitate the continued preservation of wooded areas and rolling vistas. This program, like much of the Committee's recommendations, is accomplished through measures that attempt to achieve more than one goal. The heart of the resource protection program recommended by the Committee, attempts to turn the tables somewhat on perceived methods of preservation. Instead of recommending regulations and restrictions on propetty owners that could be burdensome on rural land owners and possibly ineffective, the Committee has approached the subject by recommending incentives for property owners who do utilize methods that preserve our finite resources. The provision of different development options, to be outlined later in this document, allow for additional development to occur on smaller - than - the -norm lots if the pro erty owner/developer is willing to set -aside 40 -80% of that total tract as permanent open space (either agricultural or wooded natural areas - depending on the case). This basic provision is simple in its application, but will go a long way towards protecting both natural resources (by encouraging developers with significant natural resources present to leave those natural while clustering development on the less critical portions of the tract), and visual resources (by providing a way to realize development potential without compromising vistas and landscapes). It is the feeling of the RCSC that rural landowners - who have been stewards of the land for many years - will continue to be conscious of the resources present on site and, when the time comes, adopt development methods that will be environmentally - sensitive to both natural and visual resources. H