HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-03-13AAC2013-3-13
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Agriculture Advisory Committee
Wednesday March 13, 2013
Members Present: Evan Carpenter (Chair), Kim LaMotte, Joe Osmeloski, Douglas
Barton, and Steve Stuttle (absent)
Staff Present: Dan Kwasnowski, Town Planner and Joshua Bogdan, GIS Technician
Town Board Liaison: Jason Leifer
Conservation Board Liaison: Craig Schutt
Planning Board Liaison: Craig Anderson
Guests: Nancy Munkenbeck
The meeting was opened at 7:46 PM by Chairman Evan Carpenter.
E. Carpenter introduced everyone around the table.
Dan Kwasnowski – Town Planner
His purpose for attending tonight is to fill in the Ag. Committee with where
things are regarding agriculture and agricultural programs in the Town. The Town
of Dryden has an active Farmland Protection Program. The Lew-Lin (Steven Stuttle)
farm is already part of the program. Jerry Dell Farms should be part of it this year
and Evan Carpenter has waited three years to be part of the program which will
protect farmland permanently. The program is stalled in Albany due to monetary
circumstances.
The Town of Dryden has a couple of places that still want to be part of the
program but it is easier to add acreage to farmland that it is already protected than
it is to get a new applicant into the program.
Open Space Plan
The Conservation Board did an open space inventory when they became a
permanent advisory board. Several years ago, an intern in the Planning Department
started working on an Open Space Plan and had organized it into three systems:
Conservation, Recreation and Agriculture.
One area that is underrepresented is the small farmers who are not as easily
recognized as the large dairy farms.
The Agriculture zoning districts and rules are loose. A person could own a
tractor supply store or farm land. The Ag Committee can help determine some of the
zoning requirements in those districts.
The Planning Department would like the Ag Committee to look at the open
space plan and generate ideas that can be used to established guidelines.
“Amenity” or “incentive” zoning are part of the Zoning plan and can be used to
require a large project to compensate the town for the potential negatives by
completing one of the ideas in the open space plan. For example, they might be
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required to an easement on agricultural land or donate funds to a local park, etc.
There is a cost for development and the Town wants to keep taxes low.
E. Carpenter pointed out that in south Cortlandville they are building on
prime farm soil. It is also a perfect place for business, flat with well draining soil.
C. Anderson added that they missed a great chance to have both agriculture
and commercial development. They could have kept the development to the side
and kept the farmland as well.
C. Anderson said that the Ag protection (open space) plan will provide
forethought; what is appropriate? Do you want multifamily unit tucked up alongside
your cows or a tractor store?
D. Kwasnowski said that the Town now has a Subdivision law that
encourages conservation; instead of using the entire lot, you set aside portions of
the lot that are constrained or valuable to the town and shift the buildings to work
with that. Conceptually, you can still build the same number of units but only use
30-40 percent of the land. It is cheaper for the developer and generally sells better
because of all the open land.
D. Barton said there are about 700 acres on Irish Settlement Road between
Yellow Barn and Hammond Hill state forest that the farmers in the valley would like
to see protected. The rising prices associated with farming, in addition to the new
assessment of open land in Tompkins County, has farmers worried about being able
to keep their land.
Agricultural design guidelines would help keep farms open land even if it has
to be sold off. The zoning guidelines have made it easier for farmers to sell parcels
without selling off good land. For example, selling a parcel at the back of a property
rather than on the road…. A shared driveway and other options allow a wide range
of options.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust has approached the Bartons about selling their
land or some of their land to further the trail they have built.
E. Carpenter asked if the state reimbursed the Town for the money fronted
for the Stuttle farm? Yes.
Assessment problems:
E. Carpenter brought up the recent assessment of open land in Dryden. The
Committee members questioned how the assessment office came up with the rates
they did and where are they getting their cost per acre – how are they coming up
with the value of land? And how are they able to compare those lots with mine?
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C. Anderson said that if a farmer decides to challenge the assessment, they
should go to Ithaca to argue the assessment, not Dryden. The assessment people
here are not going to actually do something, they just make recommendations.
There is a Farmland Protection Plan grant available but D. Kwasnowski/the
Planning Department is not sure if that is the way to go because it gives the state
some input and influence. The grant can be up to $25,000 per town. D. Kwasnowski
suggested that the grant could be used to fund the expansion of our efforts and bring
in some expertise.
The grant would fund the writing of the Farmland Protection law.
C. Anderson pointed out that it would provide a lot of research and provide a lot of
information on what we are actually trying to protect.
D. Kwasnowski said the funding is available to support any manner of
farmland protection that the committee feels is appropriate. Once the Committee
has an idea of what direction they want to go, then the focus of the grant request
will be more specific.
C. Schutt said applications are increasing for agriculture assessments on the
smaller landowners that are renting land for farming.
N. Munkenbeck asked if there are grants out there that can be used to
increase the information provided to the farmers or the general public so they know
about the agriculture assessment designation.
C. Anderson said that soil types and what the land can actually produce are
what the assessment is based on.
Virtual Farmers Market: Joshua Bogdan
The Planning Department set up a website that shows where all of the local
farms are located and what produce they have available. The website is still in the
development phase but the planning Department is hoping to officially launch the
site next week.
N. Munkenbeck asked about whether the farmers that are on the website
were contacted before their information was posted. Most of the information is
from the county, which means they had to sign off to having their name out there.
Town Board report: Jason Leifer
He agrees that reviewing the comprehensive plan and open space plan are
good directions for the committee to explore.
He has been talking with Ann Marie Cummins from Tompkins Weekly. She is
open to ideas from this board which will increase publicity. The Committee can use
her and the Tompkins Weekly venue to promote the Committee and some of the
plans they develop.
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After a short discussion, Doug Barton offered a motion to designate the
second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 as the official meeting day and time. E.
Carpenter seconded the motion which was then unanimously passed.
There being no further business, D. Barton motioned to adjourn at 9:09 PM.
The motion was seconded by J. Osmeloski, unanimously passed.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin A. Bieber
Deputy Town Clerk