Placer County Unincorporated

The cancellation is consistent with the purposes of the California Land Conservation Act of 1965. a. A notice of nonrenewal has been served. b. Cancellation is not likely to result in the removal of adjacent lands from agricultural use. c. An alternative use is proposed which is consistent with the county general plan. d. Cancellation will not result in discontinuous patterns of urban development. e. There is no proximate noncontracted land which is both available and suitable for the proposed alternative use, or, development of the contracted land would provide more contiguous patterns of urban development than development of proximate noncontracted land, which is sufficiently close to the contracted land that it can serve as a practical alternative for the use which is proposed for the contracted land.

Land to qualify for an agricultural preserve, based on open space uses, may be located within any zone district listed in Section 17.64.060(A). Within one year after an open space preserve is established and the owner enters into a land contract, the county shall initiate a rezoning, if necessary, to include the property in the open space (O) zoning district in compliance with Section 51252 of the Act.

The minimum site area for open space preserves and land contracts shall be twice the minimum lot area required by the applicable zoning district for proposed subdivisions. Also, the preserve may consist of one or more individually qualifying ownerships as follows: i. A single ownership of an area of not less than 40 acres; or ii. Any ownership of not less than 20 acres that is adjacent to an existing agricultural or open space preserve.

The minimum site area for open space preserves and land contracts shall be twice the minimum lot area required by the applicable zoning district for proposed subdivisions. Also, the preserve may consist of one or more individually qualifying ownerships as follows: i. A single ownership of an area of not less than 40 acres; or ii. Any ownership of not less than 20 acres that is adjacent to an existing agricultural or open space preserve.

If a property subject to contract consists of two or more existing parcels, the smallest parcel or contiguous parcel area that can be conveyed to a new owner or retained by the existing owner is twice the minimum lot area required by the applicable zoning district, except that the entire acreage described in a contract may be conveyed to a new owner.

Land contracts for the preservation of lands devoted to open space uses shall comply with the Act and this article and all contracts shall state that "no landowner shall dispute the applicability of the Act and these regulations on the open space property under contract."

The planning department shall mail a notice of intent to process a notice of nonrenewal to the landowner at his or her last known residential address and all parties listed in Section 17.64.070(C)(1) at least 30 calendar days before the agricultural commission shall hear the matter and include a statement that the landowner has a right to protest the proposed county-initiated notice of nonrenewal.

All procedures under this section should be completed at least 60 days before the renewal date of the contract; otherwise, the nonrenewal period will not begin until the following year.

A landowner may make a written protest of the notice of nonrenewal. Such protests shall be submitted to the clerk of the board of supervisors at least five business days before the board of supervisors shall hear the matter.

The county shall process petitions to enter into a farmland security zone when the land under consideration is designated on the important farmland series maps, prepared pursuant to Section 65570 of the Government Code as predominantly one or more of the following: 1. Prime farmland; 2. Farmland of statewide significance; 3. Unique farmland; 4. Farmland of local importance.

No land shall be included in a farmland security zone unless expressly requested by the landowner. Any land located within a city's sphere of influence shall not be included within a farmland security zone, unless the creation of the farmland security zone within the sphere of influence has been expressly approved by resolution by the city with jurisdiction within the sphere of influence.

If more than one landowner requests the creation of a farmland security zone and the parcels are contiguous, the county shall place those parcels in the same farmland security zone.

The term of a farmland security zone contract shall be for an initial term of no less than 20 years. Each contract shall provide that on the anniversary date of the contract or on another annual date as specified by the contract, one year shall be added automatically to the initial term of the contract unless a notice of nonrenewal is given pursuant to Section 51245 of the Act.