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EXHIBIT A Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law The Board of Commissioners, after careful consideration of the testimony and evidence in the record, issues the following findings of fact: 1, No objections were raised to notice, jurisdiction, bias, ex parte contacts, conflict of interest, or to evidence or testimony by any party during the public hearing before the Board or otherwise during the appeal. 2. The subject property is designated Special Agriculture in the Marion County Comprehensive Plan and correspondingly zoned SA (Special Agriculture). The primary intent of both this designation and zone is to promote and protect commercial agricultural operations while also providing the opportunity for timber production and other uses that are compatible with agricultural activities. The subject parcel consists of 5.97-acres of naturally forested hillside in the rural unincorporated area of south Salem. The forested area appears to consist of a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees. The slopes on this parcel are significant, and the geohazard overlay shows particularly steep slopes wrapping around the west, east, and south sides of the parcel. A south -pointing triangular section of the parcel based across the northern property line consists of relatively mild 2-point geohazard. The parcel is also within one of Marion County's SGO (Sensitive Ground Water) overlays indicating groundwater supply may be a concern now or in the future. The access to the subject parcel is via an undeveloped easement that utilizes tax lots 2000, 2301, and 2300. Tax lot 2300 was partitioned twice, once in 2005 and again in 2008. Both new parcels had homes developed clustered together at the end of Little Haven Ln S. Tax lot 2000 was the subject of a measure 37/49 decision that has not been exercised, allowing that parcel to create two additional parcels and develop each with a dwelling. 4. The subject parcel was created in its current formation by partition in the fall of 1978 which legitimized the sale of this parcel and the description thereof which is included in the deed recorded in January 1978 on Reel 111 Page 1041 of the Marion County Book of Land Records and is therefore legal for land use purposes. The Major Partition case (MJP78-078) divided a 10-acre parcel in the RA (Residential Agricultural) zone (a zone no longer existing in Marion County Code) into three parcels of approximately 2-acres, 2-acres, and 6-acres. At the time of the partition the land was jointly owned, and the partition was to accomplish division of this ownership. The subject parcel at this time was separated as described by the deed referenced above and came solely under the ownership of the Blackman family. The other two parcels created by this partition are accessed off Inland Dr S. When Marion County adopted an updated Comprehensive Plan in 1982 the RA (Rural Agricultural) zone was removed, and the AR (Acreage Residential) zone was applied to these two smaller parcels. At this time the subject parcel in this case (CU24-006) was changed to SA (Special Agriculture). 5. Properties directly surrounding the subject parcel to the north, west, and south are zoned SA, and parcels to the east are zoned AR. The adjacent AR parcel tract extends to the City of Salem UGB which is a half -mile to the east. The UGB is also a half -mile north of the subject parcel. Some of the SA parcels around the subject parcel have woodlots and most of those are simultaneously in