ORDINANCE  

A RESOLUTION TO AMEND SECTION 15-300 OF THE FAUQUIER COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE WITH RESPECT TO THE DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURE  

            WHEREAS, Section 15-300 of the Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance contains a definition of agriculture; and

WHEREAS, text amendments have been proposed to that definition to prevent the inclusion of activities more suited to Commercial and Industrial Zoning Districts; and

WHEREAS, these amendments to the definition of agriculture still would permit property owners to produce and store mulch for private use and to utilize property for the sorting and grading of logs if they are cut on site or on adjoining properties; and

WHEREAS, other manufacturing, processing and storage of mulch or the grading and sorting of logs would need to be located within a Commercial or Industrial Zoning District following proper approvals; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors believes this text amendment would be in the best interest of the citizens of Fauquier County ; now, therefore, be it

ORDAINED by the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors this 17^th day of March 2003, That the definition of agriculture as found in Section 15-300 (Definitions) of the Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance be amended to read as follows:

            AGRICULTURE:  The use of a tract of land not less than five (5) acres for (a) the tilling of the soil, (b) the growing of crops or plant growth of any kind in the open, including forestry, (c) pasturage, (d) horticulture, (e) dairying, (f) floriculture or (g) raising of poultry and/or livestock.   

            The term agriculture shall not include the following uses:  (a) the maintenance and operation of commercial greenhouses and hydroponic farms, (b) the operation or maintenance of a commercial stockyard or feed yard, (c) the manufacture, processing or storage of mulch made from off-site material or for commercial purposes, (d) the sorting and grading of logs and trees except where the logs and trees are from on-site or from adjoining properties.  Furthermore, the definition of agriculture shall not be deemed to preclude (a) the keeping of livestock on parcels of two (2) acres in size as permitted by Section 2-512, or (b) gardening as permitted as an accessory use in Section 6-102.  Provided, however, subsection (c) of this above provision shall not apply to applications received by the Department of Community Development on or before March 17, 2003 .