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6001( 101 The Board established the 120 foot buffer/setback based on the depth of the property for which the comprehensive plan amendment was approved. Since the referenced property had a depth of 1,320 feet, the Board considered 1,200 feet to be an adequate development distance, and 120 feet to be a sufficient setback/buffer amount. Consequently, the Board adopted 120 feet as the interim setback/buffer distance and directed staff to determine if this was appropriate. In recent years, Indian River County has transitioned from a rural area to an urban county. As one of the principal citrus producing counties in the state, however, Indian River County still has many producing groves within its urban service area. Recognizing that conflicts occur when residential projects develop adjacent to agricultural operations, the county established agriculture/ residential setback/buffer requirements several years ago. These existing regulations apply to new development. New Residential Development Adjacent to Active Agricultural Uses Existing county regulations require newly created lots in subdivisions to have either extra setbacks or special buffering between new residences and active agricultural operations. "Active agricultural operations-"- include citrus groves, orchards, field crops, and truck farming. The developer or property owner creating the new lots must provide a special separation distance or buffer between new residential dwellings and the adjacent, active agricultural operation; -as follows: - -" - 1. For projects zoned for 1 unit per acre or less, the developer/owner shall establish a 50' building (residence) setback and a Type "B" buffer with 6' opaque feature (see attachment #2). 2. For projects zoned for more than 1 unit per acre, the developer/owner shall: a. Establish a 50' building (residence) setback with no buffer required, or b. Establish a 25' buffer yard with a Type "B" buffer and 6' opaque feature (see attachment #2). These setback and buffer requirements have been applied since the late 198o's. Included among the subdivisions where these requirements were applied are "Laurel Oaks," (north boundary) and "Stonebridge" (east, south, and west boundaries). Staff has not received any complaints from residents of those subdivisions. New Agricultural Research Facilities Existing county regulations allow new agricultural research facilities only on property designated as agricultural or rural on the county's land use plan map. The developer/owner of any such new facility is required to provide: 1. A 50' setback from structures and test plots to residential Property; or 2. A 30' bufferyard with a "Type A" buffer (see attachment #3), between structures -and -test plots and residential property. Host Plant Prohibition Over the last two years, the-- County has applied to special exception use projects a policy of requiring new developments near agricultural areas to prohibit caribbean Emit fly host plants. Examples of projects where such prohibitions were required by the County are: Harvest Christian Ranch, Trails- End Planned Development, and Stonebridge North Planned Development. That Policy was recommended- -in --the- -approved- Eva-3xation--and --Appraisal Report (EAR). In the near future, that policy will be -formally adopted and incorporated --in- the--comprehensive--plan and land development regulations (LDRs). Summary Current county regulations require residential developers to provide special setbacks or -buffers between homes on new lots and adjacent active.agr-.cultural---operations._ Such requirements apply MAY 20, 1997 18 ® M