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Weaver family ends Hoover Ridge farmland lease; board to consider RFP after harvest season
Summary
The Weaver family notified Madison County of a lease termination on about 38 acres of Hoover Ridge (current annual payment ~$1,700). Staff recommended issuing an RFP for a new lease; supervisors suggested waiting until the second August meeting to account for crop harvest timing and master-planning options.
County staff informed the Board of Supervisors that the Weaver family intends to terminate an existing lease covering roughly 38 acres of county-owned land at Hoover Ridge, effective the end of November. The lease produced about $1,700 per year in rent and has been used for crop production rather than recreation.
Mr. Weekley told the board staff can issue a request for proposals (RFP) for a new agricultural lease and circulate it to the Farm Bureau, Extension and young-farmer networks. Several supervisors urged caution and recommended continuing the existing agricultural use until the board decides whether to seek long-term economic-development options or to complete a comprehensive master plan for Hoover Ridge.
Supervisors noted practical farm-timing concerns: planting deadlines and cover-crop program windows mean a new lessee will need clear possession timing (harvest usually concluded by late November). Several board members suggested postponing any RFP issuance and revisiting the matter at the board's second August meeting to allow staff to coordinate contract timing with agricultural schedules and to consider master-plan outcomes.
No RFP was released at the meeting; staff will return with a timeline and draft solicitation language in August unless the board directs otherwise.
