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r BOOK° 99 PAGE 727 Community Development Director Robert Keating reviewed the Comp Plan amendment process, advising that this is the first public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners on this land use amendment request. If the Board approves the transmittal of this application to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in Tallahassee for their 90 -day review, a second and filial public hearing will be scheduled to consider any comments made by the DCA and whether to adopt an ordinance amending the Comp Plan by redesignating the land use. If the Board denies the transmittal of an application to the DCA, the application process will come to an end. The Chairman opened the public hearing and asked if anyone wished to be heard in this matter. Robert Adair, the station manager at Kerr Center, an agricultural research station located directly abutting this property, advised the Board that he is concerned about his ability to continue research on this property. There is a citrus pest which has been confined to this particular piece of property but which could affect local groves and marsh areas. He was also concerned about normal grove caretaking and felt there should be a more gradual delineation between such a high density residential area abutting agricultural land. He felt there could be complaints due to caretaking noise and spray drift and suggested either not rezoning or assuring the Center there will be an adequate buffer area for these activities to continue. Director Keating advised there is a required buffer between new development and existing agricultural lands of 50 feet which can be reduced if vegetated. Mr. Adair felt the buffer might not be much help. Night spraying does minimize drift but then you have the noise to contend with. He felt that trees in a 50 or 100 foot area would help and would be a good way to compromise. Commissioner Bird suggested rezoning only the southerly 1100 feet to RMH-8, leaving the northerly portion zoned for agriculture. Director Keating noted that the County has previously recognized this as a problem in a number of areas. However, there are 2 citrus growers on the Planning & Zoning Commission who voted in favor of the project and everyone felt fairly comfortable with it. Chairman Adams stated that complaints are received now where subdivisions have gone up around groves and she believed that Commissioner Bird's idea was a very good one. NOVEMBER 12, 1996 62