05-26-1992 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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yf Vi' ft'*-- r : ''. h-:- •s ^ ■ '.-i. § fel l! .. ft-ilf'' .'M: T ^ Ift W-' ft: ^r^l? .;■ ,.-r'/r- t ' .r‘(*' M' ‘‘ft,- r:ft'i ■■. ■ p • , Ip": ■ - ^vftSvi-r fal«' ‘a?’' The cumulative negative impacts of development that is inconsistent with the CounciTs rural area policies may have a substantial impact on or constitute a substantial departure from metronoh'tnn transportation and wastewater treatment systems plans. Therefore, the Council mav require communities to modify comprehensive plans that are inconsistent with the policies. Some communities cannot comply with all of the Councir policies for the rural area because thev have existing development patterns that are inconsistent with the policy. In the oast, the Council has found these plans to be inconsistent with regional policies, bui has not provided a procedure for maldny exceptions .to the policy where it mav be warranted. Criteria for Council approval of inconsistent clans are provided in an appendix to this document. Commercial Agricultural Aren The commercial agricultural area includes those lands certified by local governments as eligible for agricultural preserves under the 1980 Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves Act. This approach places the responsibility for defining agricultural lands on local governments. With Council protection policies for commercial agriculture focused only in areas where there are local government plans and protections, local and regional policies support one another. The amount of land included in the commercial agricultural arer. is large, covering about 600,000 acres in 498^1990. This constitutes over half the farmland in the seven-county area. The geographic area defined as the commercial agricultural area is subject to frequent change when tied to the Agricultural Preserves Act because land can go into and out of certification when local governments decide to alter its status. Local governments may replan and rezone certified areas if a change in policy is desired, but this change must occur as a public process. For the purposes of this document, the commercial agricultural area is defined as the area certified as of March 1 of each year. This date is the end of each Council reporting year required under the Agricultural Preserves Act. Under the Agricultural Preserves Act, a local government passes a resolution certifying land eligible for protections and benefits and limiting housing density to one unit per 40 acres. The certified area is then considered long-term agricultural land. The local comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance must reflect this land use and zoning. Farmers owning land within the certified area may then enter the program. Land in the program is referred to as covenanted land. The Agriculture Preserves Act provides protection for the farmer from urban assessments, property taxes at development v.-^iue and conflicting land uses in exchange for a legal commitment to continue farming for at least eight years. Within the commercial agricultural area, all land has been certified by local governments as eli^le Cor the agriculture preserves program. However, the Gsuncil recognizes two levels of ■ protection in the commercial agricultural area: primary and secondary protection areas. Primaiy protection areas are lands covenanted as agricultural preserves. They will receive the greatest protection possible from incompatible uses because the greatest level of commitment to forming has been established. .S'. - ft/.ft:-" ■ ; ■