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The Planning Commission voted at its
March 27, 2003
meeting to hold a public hearing on this proposed
text amendment. The
public hearing was held on
April 24,
2003
, and the
Planning Commission voted to send the text amendment forward with
refined text, as provided in Attachment 1, for the Board of
Supervisors public hearing and approval.
The current Zoning Ordinance standards for
farmer’s markets limit the location of this use to the lot that
“contains the bona fide, primary residence of the property owner
or lessee.” The
proposed text amendment would permit a farmer’s markets to be
conducted on properties adjacent (not necessarily contiguous) to
where the owner’s or lessee’s primary residence is located,
when that property is also owned or leased by the same individual
or entity.
In the case where multiple properties are farmed by
the same owner or under the same lease, this amendment would
provide more flexibility in the location of a farmer’s market.
An adjoining or nearby parcel might provide improved siting
for a market in terms of road access, sight distance or
compatibility with the surrounding land relative to the property
where the primary residence is situated.
The ownership or lease requirement would prevent several
area farmers from picking a centralized site and operating the
type of operation that is better suited for a Commercial Zoning
District.
A farmer’s market is permitted in the Rural
Agriculture Zoning District with special permit approval from the
Fauquier County Board of Zoning Appeals.
Site plan approval also is mandatory.
Farmer’s markets must be located on a lot of at
least five (5) acres in size.
The use also is subject to road standards, parking and
loading area setbacks, restrictions upon the types of materials
offered for sale and VDOT and Health Department approvals.
The special permit requirement allows for specific
review of each individual application by the Board of Zoning
Appeals.
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