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  • From: "Tom at Limerock" <limerock AT thirdplanet.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] question about zoning
  • Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 06:51:11 -0500

Christianne,

>From what I know, you are thinking along the right track. Although you do
not mention where you are located in the US, or how close you are to cities
of any size, you do say something about a town. Regardless, my experience
is that going from medium density to ag would be quite easy (especially
since the town wants that) BUT, going from ag to medium could possibly be
rather though.

Yes, your taxes are higher now than would be under ag, and they would be
somewhat less if you actively farmed the land had it under CAUV; but how
much? Before making a decision, go to the county and see just what the
taxes would be if zoned ag, and also if actively farmed and enrolled in the
CAUV plan. I looked into this once, in the opposite direction, asking what
out taxes would be if not in CAUV. There was not a HUGE difference. Point
is, what is it costing you to keep your options open with regard to
development.

What about road frontage? Back road, street, highway? City water and sewer
available?

You said it is rocky and steep land. Is it really farmable? Is it really
buildable? Is it really suited for medium density home sites? Medium
density here is 3-4 homes per acre (If I remember). Would you need five or
ten acres to actually find enough buildable space for each home?

I/we have thought/talked about similar issues when looking at our long term
goals, but are in the reverse position. Our township is dead set against
our surrounding area being anything other than ag. If our farm was on the
other side of the highway, it would be a different story (amazing but true).

Hope some of this helps.

Tom Anslow
Limerock Orchards and Roadside Market



---- Original Message -----
From: "Christianne White" <cw812 AT twcny.rr.com>

> Dear Market -farmers, our town wants to change our 148 acres from medium
> density residential zoning to agricultural. My aunt never developed the
> farm, but was against this change as it limited our options with no real
> benefit to us. She's dead now. Isn't it ironic for it to hurt farmers to
> zone their land agricultural?! We want to keep the land agricultural in
> nature, but it was never great farmland to begin with...rocky and steep
> among other things. I feel naiive about what's at stake here. I feel
> dishonest to argue against ag zoning when it's right in line with what I
> hope to do with the land, but it doesn't seem smart to give up so much
> potential land value for nothing. There's no guarantee of lower tax
> rates...the county, not the town,assesses the property. Can anybody
comment
> on what their zoning is and how it affects them? Thanks, Steep Hollow Farm






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