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HomeMy WebLinkAboutADAC 03-18-13 Meeting MinutesFrederick County Agricultural District Advisory Committee Meeting (ADAC) Held in the first floor conference room of the Frederick County Administration Building at 107 North Kent Street in Winchester, Virginia on March 18, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the items located within the attached agenda. Members Present: Carl C. Ay, James M. Douglas, Dudley H. Rinker, John M. Marker, and John Stelzl. Other: Gary A. Lofton, BOS Liaison, Ellen Murphy, Commissioner of the Revenue, and Mark Sutphin, Frederick County Extension Agent Item 1. Criteria for evaluating Agricultural and Forestal District Applications Staff presented to the ADAC criteria for evaluating application to the County's Agricultural and Forestal District. These criteria included in addition to the 7 required by code: 1. A minimum of 5 years in land use taxation. 2. A minimum of 20 acres to be in a district. 3. No properties within in the County's UDA or SWSA as defined by the Comprehensive Plan should not be allowed in a district. The ADAC discussed the merits of the additional requirements to review applications to the County's Agricultural and Forestal Districts and voted not to endorse the proposed criteria. The ADAC felt that this additional requirement will not encourage Agricultural and Forestal Districts. Item 2. Creation of the North Opequon Agricultural and Forestal District This proposed district is located in the Stonewall Magisterial District, straddling Old Charleston Road (Route 761) to the north and south, Opequon Creek to the east, and Slate Lane to the west. The proposed district will contain 400.186+/- acres within six (6) parcels, managed by one (1) property owner. The predominantly agricultural operations in the new district are 90 percent agriculture (livestock, and crop harvesting) and 10 percent open-space/woodlands. The area within the district is rural in nature. It meets the criteria of the Agricultural and Forestal District Act. The Committee unanimously voted to establish the North Opequon Agricultural and Forestal. Item 3. Proposed Addition to the South Timber Ridge Agricultural and Forestal District The district is located in the Gainesboro Magisterial District along Hollow Road (Route 707) to the north, Muse Road (Route 610) and Gold Orchard Road (Route 708) to the east. The district currently contains 615+/- acres within 13 parcels, managed by one (1) property owner. The proposed addition will be two (2) parcels containing 162+/- acres and 106 +/- acres, for total acreage of 268+/- acres. If this addition is approved, the resulting district will contain 15 parcels and 883+/- acres, to be managed by the same property owner. The predominantly agricultural operations in the new district are 90 percent agriculture (orchard, and crop harvesting) and 10 percent open-space/woodlands. The area within the district is rural in nature. It meets the criteria of the Agricultural and Forestal District Act. The Committee unanimously voted to add these parcels to the District.