Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan - Town of Liberty
Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan - Town of Liberty
Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan - Town of Liberty
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Draft <strong>Town</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liberty</strong> <strong>Agriculture</strong> <strong>and</strong> Farml<strong>and</strong> <strong>Protection</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />
County <strong>Plan</strong>ning Board review <strong>of</strong> certain projects. This may <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
additional insight into the regional impacts a proposed development<br />
might have on broader agricultural resources.<br />
21. Add rural design <strong>and</strong> layout st<strong>and</strong>ards to help guide the placement<br />
<strong>of</strong> new structures in ways that would be the most advantageous to<br />
continuing agriculture.<br />
22. Add in to special use plan <strong>and</strong> site plan requirements the<br />
identification <strong>and</strong> location <strong>of</strong> critical farml<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> farml<strong>and</strong> soils<br />
so that they can be considered as an important resource during the<br />
development review process.<br />
23. Add in a density bonus process to <strong>of</strong>fer incentives for development<br />
that preserves farml<strong>and</strong>. Incentives could be <strong>of</strong>fered for use <strong>of</strong><br />
conservation subdivisions, clustered subdivisions, or a transfer <strong>of</strong><br />
development rights program participation for example.<br />
D. Review <strong>of</strong> the Subdivision Law<br />
The <strong>Town</strong>’s subdivision law could be strengthened in relation to its<br />
review <strong>of</strong> <strong>and</strong> permitting <strong>of</strong> new subdivisions so as to maintain<br />
farml<strong>and</strong> to the maximum extent practical. These include the<br />
following:<br />
1. Purposes: There is no mention <strong>of</strong> agriculture or protecting <strong>and</strong><br />
maintaining agriculture in the purpose statement. Consider<br />
amending this to strengthen the emphasis on agriculture. There is<br />
also no reference to the comprehensive plan, which should be<br />
added in as well.<br />
2. Definitions. No agricultural or farm-related terms are defined. It<br />
defines Open Space adequately, but even this is not strongly<br />
oriented to having open space used for anything but “the use <strong>and</strong><br />
enjoyment <strong>of</strong> the residents <strong>of</strong> the development”. This may prevent<br />
future use as agriculture <strong>and</strong> may limit flexibility in how a<br />
subdivision could be set up to allow for farming.<br />
3. Procedures: do not reference Ag <strong>and</strong> Markets requirements for an<br />
Ag Data Statement. Not only should this be part <strong>of</strong> the subdivision<br />
application, the <strong>Plan</strong>ning Board should use this statement to inform<br />
farm owners <strong>of</strong> the subdivision proposal.<br />
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