PUBLIC NOTICE

TOWN OF HAMLIN
PROPOSED AGRICULTURAL PROTECTIVE ZONING DISTRICT

The first official draft of a proposed local law to add a new Agricultural Protective Zoning District to the Town of Hamlin Zoning Regulations was presented to Town Board at its July 13, 2009 meeting.

BACKGROUND: The Town’s Comprehensive Master Plan, updated in 2007, incorporated the desires of a Town survey done in 2003 to protect and preserve farmland. Some indications of support of agriculture/farmland protection included: 83% of the survey respondents wanted the Town to remain rural; 77% wanted it to remain agriculturally based; 94% thought it “important” or “very important” to protect agricultural based land. Not surprisingly, only 14% would be willing to offer tax incentives to protect farmland and only 22% would be willing to offer transfer of development rights. To implement the goals of protecting farmland and remaining rural, a plan other than the purchasing of development rights was necessary.

As part of the Implementation Plan contained in the Comprehensive Master Plan, Town Board, in conjunction with representatives from the Town’s three Support Boards and other interested residents, who comprise the Town’s Zoning Review Workshop, has been working hard to achieve the published goals of protecting farmland and maintaining the rural environment. Valuable information and guidance was obtained from a number of sources including Monroe Community College’s Agricultural and Life Science Institute, Ontario County Planning Department, the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Commission, the Town of Batavia Comprehensive Plan, the Genesee County Farmland Protection Plan, the Town of Riverhead Zoning Code, the Town of Seneca Zoning Code and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

In March 2009, a survey was sent to the major farmers in the Town. 59% of those surveyed farmers responded. Those responding farmers work almost 13,000 acres of farmland out of the 17,000 acres contained in the Northwest Agriculture District No. 5. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of responses felt that protecting farmland was the most important issue in the Town, that the current 5-acre minimum lot size was not conducive to protecting farmland and that it was important to restrict residential development. The majority preferred agricultural protective zoning to public purchase of development rights.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets reviewed and critiqued the proposed local law and made a number of recommendations, which serve to keep the law in compliance with the provisions required of a County-approved agricultural district. For information the Northwest Agriculture District No. 5 now comprises over 60% of the land mass included in the proposed Agricultural Protective Zoning District. The Department of Agriculture and Markets’ recommendations have been incorporated into the proposed law.

That brings us up to where we are now – a proposed local law to establish an Agricultural Protective Zoning District within the area currently zoned Residential-Very Low (RVL). The proposed local law can be reviewed at this link Agricultural Protective Zoning District. Following further review and workshops, a public hearing will be held before the proposed local law is considered by the Town Board for enactment. Comments pertaining to the proposed law can be sent to: Supervisor, Town of Hamlin, 1658 Lake Road, Hamlin, NY 14464 or emailed to: Supervisor@hamlinny.org.