Minutes 03-11-2025-Work Session Meeting

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17 Slide #19 Rural Conservation Neighborhood Description Rural Conservation Neighborhoods are clustered subdivisions of varying size that allow homes on smaller lots in exchange for protecting a larger portion of the site as ..o open space.Open spaces are protected from development, A ' ' controlled by easement,HOAs and/or POAs,and can be -A. common spaces with limited passive recreational r f� opportunities,left in a natural state,orfor agricultural } : ,' production.Open space is sited to prioritize existing high- ' quality habitats,unique landscape elements such as rock outcroppings or steep slopes,as well as prime farmland soils,streams,and riparian areas.In the case of lands to be preserved for agricultural production,the presence of prime _e farmland soil is a determining factor.Single-family g residential homes(attached or detached)are the predominant land use,but these clustered subdivisions may I include accessory uses such as common meeting and ', general-use buildings,community gardens and small-scale farms,and/or limited commercial operations that primarily serve the immediately surrounding community. n Commissioner Fowler asked how they decided what would be better for rural conservation rather than rural. Leigh Anne King said that there were several things they considered. She said the size of the parcel was important because 50 acres and above would be what would be feasible. She said they also avoided critical habitat and environmentally sensitive areas. She said there is a lot of existing development on the ground and that is not shown on the maps. She said they looked at where the opportunities are. She said the open space areas would be protected space. Commissioner Carter asked where a proposal like the recent Fiddlehead Corners project would sit in a rural conservation neighborhood, or would it be suited somewhere else. Cy Stober said it is important to keep the ordinance and the comprehensive plan in two separate hands. He said they want to permanently protect the most valuable lands in the county, while also allowing for development. He gave examples of how they could be developed. He said a project like Fiddlehead Corner is similar to what types of projects they might be interested in in these neighborhoods. Commissioner Fowler asked about the community center proposed in Fiddlehead and said she thought that it would require different zoning. She asked if the rural conservation neighborhoods would have to be developed that way rather than rural residential. Cy Stober said this is not zoning and if that is a decision that the Board would like to make, then they would initiate a zoning action. He said that would be a major undertaking. He said this is guidance that would trigger zoning. He said in Orange County, if they want to develop 20 or more lots, they must go through the rezoning process. He said it is intended to provide for a mixture of uses, but if they want to take something out staff needs to know now. Leigh Anne King said that if you look at the actual number of units developed, they are not recommending that the buildout potential would equate to much more than what is allowed today. She said the American Farmland Trust report talked about the biggest threat to agriculture is low density residential development. She said this is an opportunity to protect land, but to also provide the opportunity for more housing that is needed. Commissioner Fowler asked if easements would be put on the land. Leigh Anne King said yes. She said more than half of the site would be protected. She said that a forested property could have roadway buffer requirements. She said that the actual number of units may not be more than what is allowed today.