"The proposed Rural Zoning Amendments, presented to the Planning Commission Aug. 28, would establish a maximum building coverage parameter for non-ag uses across all four rural zoning districts in Santa Clara County. The exact value of the parameter is still a matter of discussion, but staff are considering possible values ranging from 7,500 to 12,500 square feet."
"The changes would also require property owners to preserve farmland elsewhere when converting five or more acres of important local farmland to other uses through mitigation strategies such as the creation of a conservation easement, an in-lieu fee or other equivalent. A specific mitigation plan will be developed in Phase Two of the project."
""We're trying to facilitate the development of new agricultural uses and clarify where non-agriculture projects can be built in the rural areas, and at what scale," Charu Ahluwalia, senior planner for Santa Clara County, said in her presentation to the Planning Commission. "This is to benefit applicants as well as the surrounding community by setting clear expectations for development in the rural areas.""
Santa Clara County is considering amendments to rural zoning that would set maximum building coverage for non-agricultural uses and require mitigation when important farmland is converted. Proposed coverage caps under consideration range from 7,500 to 12,500 square feet and would apply across all four rural zoning districts. Mitigation would be required when five or more acres of important local farmland are converted, using conservation easements, in-lieu fees, or equivalents, with a specific plan to be developed in Phase Two. The changes aim to clarify where and at what scale non-ag projects can be built and to replace subjective local-serving provisions with objective standards prompted by recent CEQA court cases.
Read at San Jose Inside
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