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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAFD202100008 Staff Report 2023-02-03COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE STAFF REPORT Project Name: Staff: Scott Clark, Senior Planner II AFD202100008 Moorman Blue Run AFD Addition Agricultural and Forestal District Advisory Committee Meeting: September 22, 2021 Planning Commission Public Hearing: I Board of Supervisors Public Hearing: November 9, 2021 PROPOSAL December 1, 2021 The Albemarle County Code currently contains this description of the Blue Run District: Sec. 3-208 - Blue Run Agricultural and Forestal District. The district known as the 'Blue Run Agricultural and Forestal District' was created and continues as follows: A. Date created. The district was created on June 18, 1986. B. Lands within the district. The district is composed of the following described lands, identified by parcel identification number: 1. Tax map 22: parcel 10. 2. Tax map 35: parcels 22, 23, 24A, 26, 26B, 26B1, 26C, 26D, 28A, 29, 31, 32A, 37A1, 41A, 41A1, 41E, 43. 3. Tax map 36: parcels 6A, 9, 20. 4. Tax map 49: parcels 4A1, 4A5, 24, 24A, 24B. 5. Tax map 50: parcels 5, 5B, 32A, 41A, 41Q, 42A, 42A1, 43, 45B, 47, 47A, 47B. 6. Tax map 51: parcels 13, 14. C. Review. The district is reviewed once every ten years and will next be reviewed prior to December 5, 2022. The District is located in northeastern Albemarle County, near the border with Orange County. It now includes 41 parcels and 4,244 acres. This proposal would add three parcels to the District (see attached map): Requested Additions Parcel Acres Acres of Important Soils Development Potential 22-12 69.14 226.3 5 development rights 22-16 30.12 5 development rights 34-51 148.8 5 development rights The property consists of a mix of recently -harvested forest land, open land, and woods, and has one dwelling. ANALYSIS OF THE ADDITION REQUEST Section 3-201(F) of the County Code states that the Agricultural -Forestal Districts Committee and the Planning Commission shall apply the following criteria in their respective reviews of each application: The agricultural and forestal significance of land within the district or addition and in areas adjacent thereto; in judging the agricultural and forestal significance of land, any relevant agricultural or forestal maps may be considered, as well as soil, climate, topography, other natural factors, markets for agricultural and forestal products, the extent and nature of farm structures, the present status of agriculture and forestry, anticipated trends in agricultural economic conditions and such other factors as may be relevant. The 248-acre property has 226.3 acres (91.2 percent) with soils that are rated as Prime or Locally Important for agriculture in the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed addition is located more than one mile from the original core of the Blue Run District. However, given its large area of high -quality soils, staff supports the finding that this is agriculturally significant land that qualifies to be added to the District. No other districts are available for the property to join. The presence of any significant agricultural lands or significant forestal lands within the district and in areas adjacent thereto that are not now in active agricultural or forestal production, considering the maps, factors, markets, and other information described in subsection (F)(1); The District and the surrounding land are mostly in open or wooded land. The nature and extent of land uses other than active farming or forestry within the district and in areas adjacent thereto; The area surrounding the property has seen some conversion of rural land to residential uses, but there are still significant areas of large rural parcels. The Districts in this area help to protect rural land -use patterns. Local development patterns and needs; The area is a partially -developed rural area, with both farm and forest parcels and smaller residential parcels. The Comprehensive Plan calls for protection of rural land uses and natural resources. The comprehensive plan and the applicable zoning regulations; The District is entirely designated as Rural Areas in the Comprehensive Plan, and the parcels included in the District are zoned RA Rural Areas. As the property proposed for addition shares the same designations, its inclusion in a conservation program is appropriate under the Comprehensive Plan. The environmental benefits of retaining the lands in the district for agricultural and forestal uses; Protecting and preserving this land in an Agricultural and Forestal District will help protect forest and productive farm land, which the Comprehensive Plan and the Rural Areas section of the Zoning Ordinance seek to preserve. Conservation of this area will help maintain the environmental integrity of the County and aid in the protection of ground and surface water and agricultural soils, and wildlife habitat. Whether any parcel has one or more development rights that would allow the creation of one or more parcels less than twenty-one (21) acres in size; in considering whether to include any parcel in a district, the policy of the county is to not include any parcel determined to have no development rights and cannot be further divided to create one or more parcels less than twenty-one (21) acres in size; and Each of the three parcels in the proposed addition has five development rights, making the property eligible for addition to a District. Any other matter which may be relevant Staff found no other relevant matters. At their meeting on September 23, 2021, the Agricultural -Forestal Districts Advisory Committee recommended approval of the proposed addition.