Orange County NC Website
9 <br /> Sec . 48 - 9 . - Revocation and renewal of conservation agreement . <br /> (a) Revocation . By written notice to the Board , a landowner of qualifying farmland may revoke the <br /> Conservation Agreement or the Board may revoke the same Conservation Agreement based on <br /> noncompliance by the landowner, subject to the same provisions as contained in Section 48 - 8 for <br /> appeal of denials . Such revocation shall result in loss of qualifying farm status and loss of eligibility to <br /> participate in an Agricultural District . Absent noncompliance by the landowner, neither the Board nor <br /> the Board of Commissioners shall revoke any conservation agreements prior to its expiration . <br /> ( b ) Renewal. <br /> ( 1 ) District . A Conservation Agreement for land with a Voluntary Agricultural District shall be <br /> automatically renewed unless that landowner( s) provides 30 -day written notice to the Agricultural <br /> Preservation Board of intent not to renew . Absent noncompliance by the landowner , neither the <br /> Agricultural Preservation Board nor the Board of County Commissioners shall fail to renew any <br /> Conservation Agreement unless this Ordinance or its authorizing legislation has been repealed . <br /> (2 ) Enhanced District . A Conservation Agreement for land within a Voluntary Agricultural District shall <br /> be automatically renewed for an additional term of ten years unless either the Agricultural <br /> Preservation Board or the landowner( s ) gives written notice to the contrary prior to the termination <br /> date of the Conservation Agreement . At the end of each ten -year term , the Conservation <br /> Agreement shall automatically renew for an additional ten -year term unless notice of termination <br /> is given . <br /> (Ord . of 03 -244992 , Art . IX , eff. 04 - 014992 ; Amend . of 04 -20 -2010 , eff. 04 -20 -2010 ; Amend . <br /> of 64 -2013 , eff. 64 -2013 ) <br /> Sec . 48 - 10 . - Additional enhanced agricultural district benefits . <br /> Land enrolled in the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District program is entitled to all of the benefits <br /> available under the Voluntary Agricultural District program , and to the following additional benefits : <br /> ( a) Sale of non-farm products. Landowners participating in Enhanced Districts may receive up to 25 <br /> percent of gross sales from the sale of nonfarm products and still qualify as a bona fide farm that <br /> is exempt from County zoning regulations under N . C . Gen . Stat . § 153A-340 ( b ) . A farmer seeking <br /> to benefit from this subsection shall have the burden of establishing that the property' s sale of <br /> nonfarm products did not exceed 25 percent of its gross sales . <br /> ( b ) Agricultural cost share program Landowners participating in Enhanced Districts are eligible under <br /> N . C . Gen . Stat . § 143 -215 . 74 ( b ) to receive the higher percentage of cost -share funds for the <br /> benefit of that farmland under the Agriculture Cost Share Program established pursuant to Part 9 <br /> of Article 21 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes for funds to benefit that farmland . <br /> (c) Priority consideration. State departments , institutions , or agencies that award grants to farmers <br /> are encouraged to give priority consideration to landowners participating in Enhanced Districts . <br /> ( d ) Utility assessment waiver. As provided in Section 48 - 19 below , waiver of all County utility <br /> assessments in addition to waiver of water and sewer assessments is available to all participants <br /> in Enhanced Districts . <br /> (Ord . of 03 -244 992 , Art . X , eff. 04 - 014 992 ; Amend . of 044 7 -2000 , eff. 044 7 -2000 ; Amend . <br /> of 04 -20 -2010 , eff. 04 -20 -2010) <br /> Sec . 4841 . - Public hearings . <br /> Page 7 <br />