APB agenda 041801 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Oub Other benefits of becoming a Voluntary Agricultural District. In addition to the land records notification requirement described above, establishment of a VAD can provide other benefits that can help preserve farmland. These include: Recognition. Counties may provide attractive signs along public roads at district boundaries that identify farms as Voluntary Agricultural Districts. These signs alert passersby that the farm owner is committed to the preservation of the agricultural way of life. Voluntary Agricultural Districts, particularly those composed of a group of farms, can become an influential entity by giving farmers a unified voice in the county land planning process. • Waiver of water and sewer assessments. Landowners within Agricultural Districts will not be,required to connect to county or municipal water or sewer systems, nor will they be assessed utility charges until their property is connected to the system: • Public hearing required for proposed condemnations. Before any State or local public agency or governmental unit can initiate formal proceedings for the condemnation of land located within a voluntary agricultural district, a public hearing must be conducted by the Agricultural Advisory Board. • Consideration in the land development review process. When VADs are delineated on County maps, county or municipal planning agencies are able to consider potential impacts of proposed develops near or adjacent to the district. For example, a local government may be able to, require an open space buffer between the VAD boundary and a new development as a condition of subdivision approval. ■ Eligibility for Farmland Preservation Funds. Farms enrolled as voluntary agricultural districts may be given priority when applying for conservation funds through the NC Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, or the federal Farmland Protection Program. Agricultural Advisory Boards The FPEA authorizes counties to establish agricultural advisory boards. These citizen advisory boards may be structured as deemed appropriate by the county Board of Commissioners, with the stipulation that each VAD have a representative on the advisory board. While the Board of Commissioners sets forth the powers of the agricultural advisory board (which may also be known as a Farmland Preservation Board, Agricultural'Districts Board, etc.), they may give the board authority to review agricultural district applications, make recommendations concerning the establishment of agricultural districts, hold public hearings on publicly funded projects :likely to have an impact on agricultural operations', and to generally "advise the county commissioners on... issues affecting the agricultural economy or way of life within the county" (NCGS, Sec. *106 -739). Farmland Preservation Trust Fund The FPEA also established the North Carolina Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to provide a source of funds for the purchase of conservation easements from qualifying farmland located within Voluntary Agricultural Districts. No funds were allocated to the