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Planning commission opens public input on selling or moving 'building eligibilities' to help young farmers
Summary
Staff briefed the commission on Lincoln County's 1995 building‑eligibility framework (one eligibility per quarter‑quarter), estimated ~14,000 eligibilities remain, and solicited public input. Tony Ventura proposed county‑run sales or township‑limited transfers as options; commissioners asked for more public input and plan to return with drafts and public hearings.
Lincoln County planning staff reviewed longstanding rules that grant one building eligibility per quarter‑quarter (40 acres) and laid out two draft options the Planning Commission had sent to the Board of County Commissioners: remove the same‑owner restriction on transferring eligibilities or limit transfers to remain within townships to protect local tax bases.
Staff explained the policy’s origins in a 1995 density framework and said roughly 14,000 building eligibilities remain countywide when lots of record and platted parcels are included. Staff said the system has become a private market; members of the public and staff noted the administrative burden of researching eligibilities for property transactions.
Tony Ventura presented several options to address landowner needs: run eligibilities more like a limited county license (with the county setting the number and price sold annually), allow eligibilities to be moved with price controls, or keep transfers inside townships to preserve local tax bases. Public speakers were split: some urged flexibility to help young families return to farms; others warned that opening transfers countywide could depress the market value of eligibilities in high‑demand areas and erode landowner investments.
No ordinance was adopted. Commissioners asked staff to take additional public input, prepare draft ordinance language and advertise formal public hearings so the Board of County Commissioners can review any recommended changes.
