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TO:rhe Honorable Members of the DATE:August 15, 1988 FILE: Board of County Commissioners DIVISION HEAD CONCURRENCE: SUBJECT; REQUEST TO AMEND SECTIONS Robert M. Kea ng, P 3 (A) . 1 (e) (3) f AND Community Deve opm Director 25.1 (a) (3) REGARDING BUFFERING REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL USES AND NON-AGRICULTURAL USES: FROM: Stan Boling, AICP ✓� REFERENCES: buffering Chief, Current Development IBMIRD It is requested that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting of August 23, 1988. DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS: Current County regulations (adopted in 1985) require developers of newly created lots, where such lots abut an active agricultural operation, to provide a buffer from the agricultural property. The buffer can either be a 50' setback or a 25' "...heavily landscaped"... bufferyard. The intent of the regulations is to protect residents in newly developed subdivisions from possible harmful effects of accidental drift of aerially sprayed chemicals. Until recently, no proposed subdivision had ever warranted appli- cation of these buffer requirements. However, the current regu- lations do apply to the proposed Copeland's Landing subdivision (adjacent to a small, active grove) which was recently considered and conditionally approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission at its April 28, 1988 regular meeting. At the April 28, 1988 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the need to have the zoning code..clarified in regards to bufferyard requirements on newly created lots situated adjacent to active agricultural operations .(section 3(A).1(e)(3)f). Subse- quently, staff obtained authorization from. the Board of County Commissioners to initiate zoning code amendments to clarify the existing regulations. This report addresses the issue of agricul- tural spraying and identifies amendments now proposed by staff (see attachment #2) to specify new buffering requirements. . Planning & Zoning Commission Action At its regular meeting of July 28, 1988, the Planning and Zoning :Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the proposed ordinance amendment with some bufferyard changes. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommen- dation is explained in detail at the end of this report, under "Bufferyard Alternatives". ALTERNATIVES & ANALYSIS: Characteristics of Aerial and Ground Spraying Active agricultural operations in the county, especially citrus groves, use aerial and/or ground spraying to apply pesticides and certain chemical or mineral nutrients to plants (fertilizing is usually done by means of broadcast spreading along the ground). Aerial spraying involves the use of airplanes flying as close to tree level as possible in repeated "runs" over a cultivated area. Ground spraying involves the use of trucks, mounted with direc- tional fans (jets), that spray liquid pesticides and other chemi- cals into the air in several directions: over, into, and under- neath trees. The trucks move through the cultivated area in between plant rows. Spraying (aerial or ground) usually occurs 71 UG 2 3 1988 Boa 73