Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan - Town of Liberty

Draft Town of Liberty Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan
convenience retail are also allowed. The Town should
review this use list to determine if these uses are
compatible long-term and cumulatively with agriculture.
Several agri-businesses are allowed with special use
permits (farm equipment sales, stables and riding
academy, feed and fertilizer businesses, for example and
no definitions are included to describe these uses. Single
family clusters are allowed in the RD district but there are
no definitions, standards, or procedures outlined.
c. AC district adequately addresses ag uses: uses as listed
allows for a variety of ag operations, and agri-businesses
in the AC district.
b. Density: The Buildout analysis shows that zoning creates a
potential for 28,000 new homes (or 17,500 with all the
environmental constraints removed from the density
calculation). Up to 3,000 of these could be in the AC district and
about 15,000 could be in the RD district. Most farmlands are
found within the AC district. The Town will need to evaluate
whether this level of development is consistent with what they
want for their community and whether agriculture can co-exist
with this level of residential development. Long-term, it is
unlikely that this level of development would sustain agricultural
land uses. As such, consider reducing the overall capacity of
development, especially in the AC district. The Comprehensive
Plan already recommends reduction of density in the proposed
AC district: A 10 acre minimum lot size or a 3 acre minimum lot
size with 50% open space preserved if a conservation
subdivision is developed. This is a very viable option for the
Town to consider adopting. Other tools that could be considered
by Liberty include:
1. Use Average Lot Size Density: Do not require a minimum lot
size, but instead rely on an average density to be attained
over the entire parcel being developed. A 10-acre parcel may
adequately reduce development pressures on farmland, but
may also be very unaffordable for young and working
families. Use of an average lot size however, is much more
flexible, allows smaller lots to be created and leaving more
opportunity for preservation of open space. While the cluster
provisions of zoning will work best on major developments,
use of average lot density will assist with preservation of
farmland and open space on smaller subdivisions as well.
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