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The Board reviewed a Memorandum of May 14, 1997: TO: James E. Chandler County Administrator D I ON HEAD CON CE: ober M. Kea g, AI Community Develop ent D' ector FROM: Stan Boling ICP Planning Director DATE: May 14, 1997 SUBJECT: Proposed LDR Amendment: Modifying Buffer Requirements Between New Residential Projects and Active Agricultural Operations It is requested that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting of May 20, 1997. At its meeting of March 18, 1997, the Board of County Commissioners considered a comprehensive plan amendment application that would allow development of a mobile home park adjacent to an active agricultural operation. In that case, the agricultural operation was an agricultural research facility known as the "Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture". In discussing this amendment, the Board expressed concern that the County's required agriculture/residential buffer was insufficient (see attachment W. The Board's concern related both to the agricultural use's impact on the proposed residential development and the proposed residential development's impact on the agricultural use. These concerns are similar to the issues which caused the Board several years ago to establish its current agriculture/residential buffer requirements. In the County's adopted comprehensive plan, exfsting agricultural uses within the urban service area are encouraged to remain. Increasingly. however, residential subdivisions are being developed adjacent to active -citrus groves which are also located within the urban service area. Generally, grove operations produce noise, odors, and pesticide/fertilizer spray, all of which may adversely affect residential developments For those reasons, people residing proximate to groves may complain about the impacts. As a result, grove owners may need to eliminate aerial spraying, limit the hours of ground spraying, relocate pumps, and reduce other impacts. Also, grove owners are more subject to pilfering and vandalism when residential development occurs nearby. In conjunction with its approval of the referenced comprehensive plan amendment, the Board directed staff to assess the County's current agriculture/residential buffer requirement and to initiate a land development regulation (LDR) amendment to increase the minimum required buffer ..idth. To address residential projects which may be submitted prior to adoption of the referenced LDR amendment, the Board invoked the pending ordinance doctrine for a 120 foot agriculture/residential setback/buffer. According to that doctrine, the proposed or pending ordinance requiring a minimum 120 foot buffer/setback for residential development projects abutting active agricultural operations will apply to all residential development project applications submitted after the date that the pending ordinance doctrine was invoked (March 18, 1997). MAY 20, 1997 17 BOOK 1-01 PAcE 002