Agenda - 02-09-2006-9a; VAD Ranells-Bergmann

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 9, 2006 Action Agenda Item No. _9_-g___ SUBJECT: Voluntary Agricultural District Designation: Ranells-Bergmann Property DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource Conservation PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 1) Application 2) ERCD Staff Memo, Vicinity Map & Soils 3) Certification from NRCS 4) Certification from Tax Supervisor 5) Memo to Agricultural Preservation Board 6) APB Minutes from January 12, 2006 INFORMATION CONTACT: David Stancil, ERC Director, 245-2590 PURPOSE: To consider an application from Noah Ranells and Ben Bergmann for certification as qualifying farmland within the Cane Creek/Buckhorn Voluntary Agricultural District. BACKGROUND: Noah Ranells and Ben Bergmann, owners of a 61-acre farm on Buckhorn Road in Bingham Township, have applied to have their property (known as Fickle Creek Farm) designated as a certified qualifying farm for the Cane Creek/Buckhorn Agricultural District. The County's adopted Voluntary Farmland Protection Ordinance (VFPO) provides that the Agricultural Preservation Board review and approve applications for qualifying farmland, and make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners concerning the establishment and modification of agricultural districts, Section VII of the Voluntary Farmland Protection Ordinance contains the requirements for inclusion in a voluntary agricultural district (VAD). To be certified as qualifying farmland, a farm must: Consist of a minimum of 20 contiguous acres; 2, Be participating in the farm present-use-value taxation program established by N,C,G.S, §105-277.2 through §10,5-277.7, or is otherwise determined by the county to meet all the qualifications of this program set forth in G,S. 105-277.3; 3. Be certified by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture as being a farm on which at least two-thirds of the land is composed of soils that: a, Are best suited for providing food, seed, fiber, forage, timber, forestry products, horticultural crops and oil seed crops; b.. Have good soil qualities;