§ 106-743.1. Enhanced voluntary agricultural districts.
Part 3. Enhanced VoluntaryAgricultural Districts.
§ 106‑743.1. Enhancedvoluntary agricultural districts.
(a) A county or amunicipality may adopt an ordinance establishing an enhanced voluntaryagricultural district. An ordinance adopted pursuant to this Part shallprovide:
(1) For theestablishment of an enhanced voluntary agricultural district that initiallyconsists of at least the number of contiguous acres of agricultural land, andforestland and horticultural land that is part of a qualifying farm under G.S.106‑737 or the number of qualifying farms deemed appropriate by thegoverning board of the county or city adopting the ordinance.
(2) For the formation ofthe enhanced voluntary agricultural district upon the execution of aconservation agreement, as defined in G.S. 121‑35, that meets thecondition set forth in G.S. 106‑743.2 by the landowners of the requisiteacreage to sustain agriculture in the enhanced voluntary agricultural district.
(3) That the form of theagreement under subdivision (2) of this subsection be reviewed and approved byan agricultural advisory board established under G.S. 106‑739, or othergoverning board of the county or city that adopted the ordinance.
(4) That each enhancedvoluntary agricultural district have a representative on the agriculturaladvisory board established under G.S. 106‑739.
(b) The purpose ofestablishing an enhanced voluntary agricultural district is to allow a countyor a city to provide additional benefits to farmland beyond that available in avoluntary agricultural district established under Part 2 of this Article, whenthe owner of the farmland agrees to the condition imposed under G.S. 106‑743.2.The county or city that adopted the ordinance may take any action it deemsappropriate to encourage the formation of these districts and to further theirpurposes and objectives.
(c) A county ordinanceadopted pursuant to this Part is effective within the unincorporated areas ofthe county. A city ordinance adopted pursuant to this Part is effective withinthe corporate limits of the city. A city may amend its ordinances in accordancewith G.S. 160A‑383.2 with regard to agricultural districts within itsplanning jurisdiction.
(d) A county or cityordinance adopted pursuant to this Part may be adopted simultaneously with thecreation of a voluntary agricultural district pursuant to G.S. 106‑738. (2005‑390, s. 5.)