Laserfiche WebLink
Since Policy 6.5's restrictions on Caribbean Fruit Fly host plants could also benefit the many active <br />citrus groves within the urban service area. those restnctions should have been applied countywide <br />Limiting the provisions of Policy 6.5 to agriculturally designated land constitutes an oversight. For <br />that reason. the proposed amendment expanding the restrictions on Caribbean Fruit Fly host plants <br />meets the second criterion of Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3 and is consistent with Future <br />Land Use Element Policy 14.3. <br />The proposed amendment involving utility service to agricultural areas also corrects an oversight. <br />In that case. the county previously overlooked the fact that juice making plants and other legitimate <br />approved agricultural businesses located on agriculturally designated land may need centralized <br />utility services to operate. For that reason. the proposed amendment allowing utility service to <br />agricultural Areas meeting certain criteria meets the second criterion of Future Land Use Element <br />Policy 14.3 and is consistent with Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3 <br />Summary of Consistency with Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3 <br />Each proposed plan amendment is necessary either because of a change in circumstances or to <br />correct an oversight. Therefore, each meets either the second or the third criterion of Future Land <br />Use Element Policy 14.3. For that reason. all of the proposed amendments are consistent with <br />Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3. <br />Optional Agricultural PDs <br />Future Land Use Element Objective 6 promotes the preservation of active agricultural operations. <br />Conventional wisdom indicates that clustered residential development of agriculturally designated <br />land preserves agricultural operations by allowing most of the property to continue to be used for <br />agriculture. Except for a few large tracts, however it is not feasible for Indian River County farmers <br />to use a portion of their land (even up to 80%) for agriculture, while another portion contains <br />residences. Due to incompatibilities. residences on a portion of a site essentially prohibit agricultural <br />use of an entire site. Therefore clustering does not protect agricultural operations: and eliminating <br />the clustering requirement does not impede agricultural protection For these reasons, the proposed <br />amendment is consistent with Future Land Use Element Objective 6. <br />The proposed amendment is also consistent with Future Land Use Element Policy 2.3. That policy <br />requires development at densities greater than 1 unit/5 acres to be located within the urban service <br />area. The proposed amendment does not change any densities or land use designations. In fact, by <br />allowing 5 acre lots along the urban service area boundary, the proposed amendment discourages <br />urban service area expansion. <br />Caribbean Fruit Fly Host Plants <br />Future Land Use Element Objective 6 and its policies promote protection of active agricultural <br />operations in the county. Future Land Use Element Policies 6.3 and 6.4 specifically protect <br />agriculture within the urban service area. The proposed amendment also works to protect agriculture <br />within the urban service area. For that reason, the proposed amendment is consistent with Future <br />Land Use Element Objective 6 and Future Land Use Element Policies 6.3 and 6.4. <br />Utility Service to Agricultural Areas <br />The proposed amendment is consistent with Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element Policy 2.4 and Potable <br />Water Sub -Element Policy 2.4. Those policies commit the county to providing utilities to areas of <br />the county where the lack of utilities is determined to be a health risk. The proposed amendment <br />March 20, 2001 <br />