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Overview
Each year,
landowners may file by February 1st to create a
new Agricultural and Forestal District or to add parcels to
any existing Agricultural and Forestal District and the
Board considers these applications for new districts and
additions.
The
Middleburg/Marshall Agricultural and Forestal District
currently contains 135 parcels totaling 12,160.271 acres and
will run until June 30, 2014.
Criteria
for Evaluating Applications
The Code
of Virginia also establishes standards to be considered
in determining whether or not to include land in an
agricultural and forestal district. These broad standards
include:
- The
agricultural and forestal significance of the land and
adjacent land;
- The
presence of any significant agricultural or forestal
lands within the district or adjacent areas that are not
now in active agricultural or forestal production;
- The
nature and extent of land uses other than active farming
or forestry within the district and in adjacent areas;
- Local
development patterns and needs;
- The
comprehensive plan and, if applicable, the zoning
regulations;
- The
environmental benefits of retaining the lands in
agricultural and forestal uses; and
- Any
other relevant matters.
The Code
further states that “in judging the agricultural and
forestal significance of land . . . soil, climate,
topography, other natural factors, markets for agricultural
and forestal products, the extent and nature of farm
structures, the present status of agriculture and forestry,
anticipated trends in agricultural economic conditions and
such other factors as may be relevant” may be
considered.
Overview
of Property
These
parcels were added to the District by a Board of
Supervisors’ Ordinance on November 19, 1996. On November
18, 1997, the first renewal of the district occurred and
these properties were not included in that ordinance due to
an error by the Department of Community Development. The
Director of Community Development is initiating the addition
of these properties back into the district to correct the
error (see Attachment 1).
The first
parcel is almost entirely open space. The Commissioner of
Revenue records show that the 70.7390-acre parcel is
improved with five homes, three stables, two shelters, two
sheds, and a storage building. The Fauquier County Soil
Survey shows the property to predominately have the
following soil types:
|
Soil Type |
Soil Name |
Characteristics |
Potential
Agricultural Uses |
|
31C |
Purcellville – Tankerville
complex |
Very deep, well drained, strong
brown, fine-silty (Purcellville) and moderately
deep, well drained, strong brown, coarse-loamy (Tankerville)
soils on strongly sloping backslopes; marginal
development potential |
Secondary Cropland |
|
30D |
Edneytown – Chestnut complex;
rocky |
Very deep, well drained,
yellowish-brown (Edneytown) loamy soil and
moderately deep, well drained dark brown (Chestnut)
coarse-loamy soil on moderately steep backslopes in
dissected landscapes; marginal development potential |
Secondary Pasture |
|
20D |
Tankerville – Purcellville
complex, rocky |
Moderately deep, well drained,
strong brown coarse-loamy soils (Tankerville) and
very deep, well drained, strong brown fine-silty
soils (Purcellville) on moderately steep backslopes;
poor development potential |
Prime Pasture |
|
17B |
Middleburg loam |
Very deep, well drained, brown
loamy soils in concave swales and along small
drainageways; not suited for development |
Secondary Cropland |
The second
parcel is mostly open space with about 25% being wooded.
The Commissioner of Revenue records show no improvements on
this parcel. The Fauquier County Soil Survey shows the
property to predominately have the following soil types:
|
Soil Type |
Soil Name |
Characteristics |
Potential
Agricultural Uses |
|
30C |
Edneytown – Chestnut complex;
rocky |
Very deep, well drained,
yellowish-brown (Edneytown) loamy soil and
moderately deep, well drained dark brown (Chestnut)
coarse-loamy soil on rolling summits and strongly
sloping backslopes in dissected landscapes; marginal
development potential |
Prime Pasture |
|
31C |
Purcellville – Tankerville
complex |
Very deep, well drained, strong
brown, fine-silty (Purcellville) and moderately
deep, well drained, strong brown, coarse-loamy (Tankerville)
soils on strongly sloping backslopes; marginal
development potential |
Secondary Cropland |
|
20D |
Tankerville – Purcellville
complex, rocky |
Moderately deep, well drained,
strong brown coarse-loamy soils (Tankerville) and
very deep, well drained, strong brown fine-silty
soils (Purcellville) on moderately steep backslopes;
poor development potential |
Prime Pasture |
|
15B |
Seneca loam |
Very deep, moderately well
drained, yellowish-brown loamy soils with
intermittent high water tables in concave swales and
along small drainageways; not suited for development |
Secondary Cropland |
|
30D |
Edneytown – Chestnut complex;
rocky |
Very deep, well drained,
yellowish-brown (Edneytown) loamy soil and
moderately deep, well drained dark brown (Chestnut)
coarse-loamy soil on moderately steep backslopes in
dissected landscapes; marginal development potential |
Secondary Pasture |
|
2A |
Codorus loam; frequently
flooded |
Very deep, moderately well
drained, yellowish brown loamy soils with
intermittent high water tables on floodplain; not
suited for development |
Secondary Cropland |
The third
parcel is entirely open space. The Commissioner of Revenue
records show no improvements on this parcel. The Fauquier
County Soil Survey shows the property to predominately have
the following soil types:
|
Soil Type |
Soil Name |
Characteristics |
Potential
Agricultural Uses |
|
31C |
Purcellville – Tankerville
complex |
Very deep, well drained, strong
brown, fine-silty (Purcellville) and moderately
deep, well drained, strong brown, coarse-loamy
(Tankerville) soils on strongly sloping backslopes;
marginal development potential |
Secondary Cropland |
|
38B |
Swampoodle loam |
Very deep, moderately well
drained, mottled brownish-yellow and strong loamy
soils with intermittent high water tables on broad
summits and slight depressions; may have
shrink-swell clay in subsoil; poor development
potential |
Secondary Cropland |
|
20C |
Tankerville – Purcellville
complex, rocky |
Moderately deep, well drained,
strong brown coarse-loamy soils (Tankerville) and
very deep, well drained, strong brown fine-silty
soils (Purcellville) on rolling summits and strongly
sloping backslopes; marginal development potential |
Prime Pasture |
|
15B |
Seneca loam |
Very deep, moderately well
drained, yellowish-brown loamy soils with
intermittent high water tables in concave swales and
along small drainageways; not suited for development |
Secondary Cropland |
|
10A |
Mongle loam |
Very deep, somewhat poorly
drained, yellowish brown loamy soils with
intermittent high water tables in concave
landscapes, along small drainageways and on alluvial
fans; not suited for development |
Secondary Pasture |
Issues/Staff Recommendation
Staff is
recommending the inclusion of the parcels in the District to
correct the error made in 1997 when these parcels were not
included in the renewal process.
If the Board
recommends the parcels be included in the District, staff
recommends that they be subject to the standard conditions.
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