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Roof, 101 FAA85 In the county's comprehensive plan, the Urban Service Area boundary identifies the urban growth limits for the plan's 20 year horizon. Generally, this boundary should provide a clear separation between urban uses and rural/agricultural uses. For various reasons, including the county's encouragement for agricultural uses within the urban service area to remain, the boundary does not provide that clear urban/rural separation. Nevertheless, there are important differences between a residential development being adjacent to an active agricultural operation within the Urban Service Area and a similar situation outside of the Urban Service Area. The first difference concerns the long-range use of the properties. Although the comprehensive plan and county LDRs recognize the economic and open space benefits of agriculture within the Urban Service Area, that land is eventually expected to be converted to urban uses,. usually -residential. The county bases its long-range planning (including planning for infrastructure, capital improvements, hurricane evacuation, and future budgets) on the assumption that such conversion of land will ult1mately occur. Because many owners of active agricultural land within the Urban Service Area eventually plan to develop that land, they often oppose additional development regulations, even when the purpose of those regulations is to protect active agricultural operations. Another difference is_ the equitable treatment of land owners. There is a question regarding to what extent the county should require a property owner. whose. property is -within the Urban Service Area to buffer his land from active agricultural uses when it is anticipated, as reflected in the comprehensive plan, that agricultural land eventually will be converted to a more compatible use. *Analysis of Imvacts As noted in the Descriptions and Conditions section of this staff report, the major adverse impacts on residential development from adjacent agricultural operations involve noise, odors, and spraying. That section also noted that residential development adversely impacts agriculture by increasing incidences of trespassing, vandalism, and caribbean fruit fly host plants. Spraying Spraying is used to apply pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer. As long as the spray remains in the agricultural area, it does not cause incompatibilities with residential uses. When the spray drifts over residential areas, however, several problems often result. The first problem concerns the adverse impacts of the spray on the health of people that are sensitive or allergic to the spray. Another problem is that the spray drift often settles on cars in residential areas. That is a problem because chemicals in the drift sometimes-.damage_car-paint. Both aerial and ground sprayings occur in Indian River County. Aerial spraying is used for applications to extremely large areas or when a pesticide must be applied as soon as possible. Because most groves within the urban service area are too small to warrant it, aerial spraying rarely occurs within the Urban Service Area. Ground sprayings usually involve a motorized sprayer pulled through a grove by a tractor. Most groves are sprayed 1-6 times/year. Most spraying is done during daytime hours. To prevent drift, however, spraying is sometimes done during early morning or nighttime hours. Wind and rain are - less frequent, particularly during the Summer, at those hours. The distance drift can travel is affected by climate conditions, type of sprayer, and the presence of physical barriers. Ground spray drift that is observable with the naked eye can travel approximately 80 feet over an open area. Unobservable drift travels somewhat farther. Knowing that drift will cover trees at the perimeter of groves, most grove operators concentrate spraying in the interior of groves. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulates spraying. To prevent drift, state law prohibits most spraying in Indian River County when the wind speed is over eight miles/hour. MAY 20, 1997 20