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In 1979, the city oft~(/oodland, California, adopted a
<br /> comprehensive ur~ban d~vel°pment policy with Yolo County.
<br /> Under the plan, the ci~is to'provide urban services, and the
<br /> county is to protect agr!~:ultural land. The plan established an
<br /> urban limit line that defined :the boundary for growth for the
<br /> next 20 years. Today, dte city is updating the plan with a
<br /> proposal to establish a l~ermanent urban limit line in some areas
<br /> to protect prime farmlafid from development. According to .
<br /> community development director Janet Ruggiero, the urban
<br /> limit line has been an effective tool for separating urban
<br /> development from agficBlture by establishing a clear boundary
<br /> between the city and th,~ unincorporated areas. Townships in
<br /> Lancaster County, Pen~ylvania, also .use urban limit lines to
<br /> encourage compact development and reduce conflicts between
<br /> farmers and their nonfa~m neighbors.
<br /> Agricultural zonin~ Agricultural zoning is used to separate
<br /> farms from conflicting la, nd uses such as commercial and
<br /> residential developmenti[ In areas with intense development
<br /> pressures, agricultural zo~ning can be effective in protecting
<br /> farmland and reducing conflicts between agricultural and urban
<br /> land uses. Ideally, such ~ning should be in place before
<br /> nonfarm development h~s moved into the area. The idea behind
<br /> agricultural zoning is toilimit the number of nonfarm-related
<br /> buildings and uses in ar~as zoned for agriculture.
<br /> More than 450,000 ~eople live in Lancaster County, where
<br />agricultural production is the leading industry. In most
<br />townships within the co~unty, the current agricultural zoning
<br />requirement is one building lot per 25 acres, with the building
<br />lot area not to exceed tWo acres. Tom Daniels says this zoning
<br />requirement has been su~:cessful in protecting farmland while
<br />allowing some residential development in areas where conflict is
<br />kept to a minimum. (Fo~ more information on Lancaster
<br />County's zoning require~'nenr,, see "Agricultural Zoning:
<br />Managing Growth, Protecting Farms," August 1993.)
<br /> Right-to-farm ordinances. In an effort to protect farmers
<br />from restrictions to staiadard agricultural operations and legal
<br />responsibility in nuisance suits, right-to-farm laws have been
<br />adopted by all 50 state{ as well as many county and local
<br />governments. Such legi}lation attempts to tip the scale in
<br />favor of farming by defining standard farming practices as
<br />acceptable land uses, d~spite the negative impacts such
<br />practices may have on fieighboring property. These laws
<br />make it difficult for nea~rby residents to terminate certain
<br />farming activities by filthg nuisance suits. Without such laws,
<br />neighbors can claim that impacts such as noise, odor, and
<br />pesticide drift are nuisances.
<br /> Right-to-farm leglsladon does not eliminate complaints
<br />about agricultural opetations, but governments hope it will
<br />limit charges from urban! residents in agricultural areas. The
<br />Michigan Department 0~'AgriCulture's Right-to-Farm Office
<br />received 418 complaintsi~againSt agricultural operations from
<br />1991 to 1993. Over 99 percent were resolved. Right-to-farm
<br />legislation can help nonf~arm residents gain an understanding of
<br />the activities necessary in; commercial farming practices.
<br />
<br />Communiccttlon :
<br />Dave Whitmer, the Nap~ County agricultural commissioner,
<br />says that while man}, of these tools are helpful ,n reducing
<br />conflicts at the agr,cultur~al-urban edge, the most important way
<br />of reducing the tension i} communication between farmer and
<br />neighbor. "It is importan~t to get both sides to recognize that
<br />each has a right to be the{re, then they can work towards a
<br />cooperative solution," sa~s Whitmer.
<br />
<br /> For example, sulfur is commonly used in its dust form to
<br />combat a disease of grapevines in California's Central Valley. "If
<br />nearby residents know ahead of time when a farmer will be
<br />dusting, they can plan ahead and, for example, reschedule the
<br />backyard cookout," he says. "The urban community is
<br />interested in having knowledge about what is going on."
<br /> The county agricultural commissioner's office receives many
<br />of the complaints from residents and farmers, and he is able to
<br />put them in touch with each other in hopes of resolving the
<br />conflict. These issues also come up at local watershed
<br />stewardship group meetings attended by people representing
<br />both the agricultural and urban communities.
<br /> Communication between farmers and nearby urban residents
<br />in San Diego County is handled through a voluntary consumer
<br />disclosure program. Farmers enroll in the program to receive
<br />information about land uses within a mile of their property that
<br />may affect their farming operations. New county residents can
<br />also get information about the types of farming activities that
<br />exist within a mile of their home.
<br /> In order to reduce and control conflicts between farmers and
<br />urban residents, a combination of techniques is necessary. If
<br />buffers or right-to-farm laws are the only regulations in place, it
<br />is unlikely that the conflict between agricultural and urban uses
<br />will be reduced.
<br /> At the 1995 conference held in Davis, California, Janet
<br />Ruggiero pointed out, "None of this is going to work unless you
<br />have a comprehensive approach, a reference for what you want
<br />your community to be. This defines who you are as a
<br />community, and if you can't do that, I think you've got some
<br />real difficulties ahead in trying to deal with the agricultural-
<br />urban edge."
<br />
<br />Hudist Camps
<br />Spread Their Wings
<br />
<br />APA's Planning Advisory Service (PAS) receives an average of
<br />20 to 30 inquiries per day from subscribers. At that pace, one
<br />might assume that every possible land-use and zoning issue has
<br />received some research attention. Recently, however, PAS
<br />received several inquiries on regulating nudist camps. What
<br />information existed? Not much. However, it appears that nudist
<br />camps not only occupied a land-use niche in the past but
<br />remain popular in certain communities today.
<br /> Nudist camps were introduced to this country around the
<br />turn of the century, originating along the coast of California.
<br />The nudist lifestyle became popular during the industrial era for
<br />men and women seeking to remove themselves from the
<br />confines of the industrial city to a natural environment free
<br />from the constraints of clothing. Similar to other resorts, nudist
<br />camps offer a wide variety of recreational activities that include
<br />volleyball, tennis, swimming, and dining. Their uniqueness
<br />derives from practice of the naturalist lifestyle. Because most of
<br />the country does not practice public nudism, the camps are
<br />perceived as eccentric, which forces them to locate in remote
<br />areas with natural surroundings. It is not necessarily true,
<br />however, that local regulations have contributed to such siting
<br />decisions.
<br /> Despite the longevity of the tradition, few regulations exist to
<br />control such uses. In 1938, Los Angeles County passed an
<br />ordinance banning nudism, which stood until 1968, when a
<br />judge ruled it unconstitutional. In the meantime, nudists won a
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