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Board directs creation of ag zoning stakeholder committee to address five‑acre parcel concerns
Summary
The Board directed staff to form a nine‑member ag zoning stakeholder committee to study five‑acre parcel impacts and related zoning and animal‑ordinance issues.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors directed staff on June 24 to form an agricultural zoning stakeholder committee focused on policy options related to five‑acre parcels and related zoning impacts in the county.
Staff (RL Goodspeed and Planning staff) recommended that where zoning changes touch general‑plan policies, the committee’s work should be coordinated with the county’s ag‑element update. Board members discussed membership and scope; supervisors sought a focused group that would include ag stakeholders, land‑preservation representation, a real‑estate or assessor perspective and two supervisors.
Why it matters: The county has experienced tensions between small (five‑acre) parcelization and agricultural operations. The committee aims to develop policy options — including potential zoning adjustments and consideration of animal‑ordinance issues — that protect working farmland while addressing neighbor and property‑rights concerns.
Key directions and next steps
- Membership and size: Board members reached consensus on a nine‑member panel: five ag‑community representatives, one land‑preservation/conservation representative, one real‑estate or assessor representative (or assessor participation as staff), and two supervisors. Staff will produce an application process and selection criteria. - Timing and coordination: Planning staff said the ag‑element public draft is targeted for fall; the board asked staff to have the committee’s logistics and appointment process ready so the committee can begin work and align with the ag‑element timeline. Staff was directed to work with the Clerk to set meeting days/times and recruitment steps.
Ending: Staff will return with a formal item to appoint members and present committee bylaws and a meeting schedule. The board emphasized a focused, stakeholder‑driven process and that any committee recommendations touching general‑plan policy be routed through the ag‑element process.
