Agenda - 03-24-1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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D. APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES A farmland owner may apply for either certification as qualifying farmland or for qualifying farmland certification and designation as a voluntary agricultural district. For a farmland owner to receive the benefits provided by this ordinance, the farm must be certified as qualifying farmland by the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board and designated as a voluntary agricultural district by the Board of County Commissioners. 1. Applications for qualifying farmland certification and for voluntary agricultural district designation shall be made to the Orange County Planning Department on forms provided by that department. 2. The Planning Department shall review each application for completeness. When complete, the application shall be forwarded to: a. The Orange County Tax Supervisor's Office; and b. The local office of the Soil Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. Within 30 days of receiving an application, the above offices shall evaluate the application for compliance with the requirements of Section V.D.2. above and return their findings to the Planning Department. The Planning Department shall present the application for consideration at the first meeting of the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board, following receipt of the findings of the above offices. 3. Within 60 days of receipt of the findings of the Orange County Tax Supervisor and Soil Conservation offices, the Board will render a decision regarding the application of qualifying farmland status, and, if applicable, prepare a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners regarding the establishment of a voluntary agricultural district. The Chair will notify the applicant by mail of the Board's decision as to whether the real property for which certification is sought satisfies the criteria established in Section V and has been certified as qualifying farmland. If application was also sought for designation as a voluntary agricultural district, the Chair will notify the applicant of the Board's recommendation concerning such designation. 4. Upon receipt of the recommendation of the Board, the Board of County Commissioners may consider an application for establishment of a voluntary agricultural district. In deciding whether to establish a district, the Board of County Commissioners shall consider the findings of the orange County Tax Supervisor and Soil Conservation offices as well as the recommendation of the Board.