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County staff prepare ordinance, advisory board and fee change to accept Agricultural Protection Area applications
Summary
Planning staff briefed the commission on Agricultural Protection Areas, proposed ordinance updates, a recommended advisory board drawn from the conservation district, and a revised application fee (proposed $300 for first five parcels, $25 each after). Staff will bring an ordinance markup and resolution for board appointment to the commission.
County planning staff briefed the commission on the Agricultural Protection Area (APA) statute and a renewed interest in APAs from landowners in western Weber and some valley areas. Craig Brant explained the statute's protections and the proposed local process: "APA, what is it? It's a agriculture protection area designated geographic area created under specific legal statutes to protect our cultural activities," and staff walked through who can apply, the advisory-board role and the timeline for review. Commissioners were told proposals are filed with the county legislative body, are referred to an APA advisory board and planning commission for a 45-day review, and the board must decide within 120 days of submission.
Staff proposed standing up the APA advisory board using members of the conservation district board, lowering the on-paper minimum contiguous acreage from the greenbelt-equivalent five acres to two acres to allow subdivided parcels to qualify, and updating the fee schedule. The fee proposal would make the application $300 for the first five parcels and $25 per additional parcel, which staff said would cover GIS, recording and legal review. Commissioners asked staff to bring back ordinance markups, a resolution for appointment and an updated fee schedule for formal action.
