Wright's Mesa Master Plan - San Miguel County

Chapter 4. Future Land Use PlanSan Miguel County Wright’s Mesa Master PlanRural Land Use Category andOptions - Wright’s MesaThe following sections describe the land usecategories and allowable future uses andactivities for the Wright’s Mesa outside of theNorwood Master Plan Area. All lands areclassified as Wright’s Mesa Agriculture / RuralResidential.Wright’s Mesa Agriculture / RuralResidentialUses:The Wright’s Mesa Agriculture/Rural Residentialcategory allows agriculture and ranching,agriculture support uses (described in the nextcolumn), day care, home occupations, tourismand recreation-related uses, and very low densitysingle family residential. Clustered residentialdevelopment is also an option.Location and General Characteristics:This category occurs outside the Norwood MasterPlan Area. The intent is to retain large intactparcels of land and agriculture that maintain arural lifestyle, while not interfering with farm andranching operations.To discourage the large lot, semi-rural pattern ofsprawl created through 35-acre development, thisPlan puts in place flexible incentives for keepinglarge parcels of land intact and economicallyviable. It includes rural land use “options” toprovide greater economic and land conservationopportunities for landowners, including optionsto: (a) transfer development away fromproductive agricultural lands, and (b) retain openlands through clustering. (See Rural Land UseOptions on page 31.)Density:This category allows a base residential density of1 unit per 35 acres. Landowners may be eligiblefor increased density if they are able to meetother conservation objectives. (See Rural LandUse Options on page 31.)Agriculture Support UsesAs Secondary Uses on Wright’s Mesa:This Plan promotes agriculture support uses assecondary uses within the Agriculture / RuralResidential category. Agriculture support useswill be follow staff (administrative) review process(rather than be reviewed as a special use), if theyare on the site of an agricultural operation andmeet the criteria on the next page. The Wright’sMesa Zone District standards will addressappropriate size for practical agricultural use.Agriculture support uses are intended to generateadditional income in support of the economicviability of the on-site agricultural operation orexpand agriculture-related tourism.Types:Appropriate agriculture support uses or tourismrelateduses include, but are not limited to:• Barns, stables, equestrian facilities,• Agricultural produce sales stands (e.g.,fruits and vegetables),• Logging operations,• Dog breeding or boarding (if meetingcriteria to address impacts),• Blacksmith or small welding or machineshop (if meeting criteria to addressimpacts),• Tenant dwelling for seasonal labor,• Hunting lodges / guest ranches,• Bed and Breakfasts,• Art studios, galleries, and crafts, and• Open Land Protection (OLP) expeditedreview, except for within the Source WaterProtection area.28