CU25-019 Staff Decision - Laserfiche WebLink

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(B) An assessment of the individual impacts to each farm and forest practice, and whether the proposed use is likely to have an important influence or effect on any of those practices. This assessment applies practice by practice and farm by farm; and The applicant determined the potential impacts of the proposed landscaping in conjunction with nursery crop production business and provided assessments of the individual impacts. These potential impacts include dust, noise, and traffic impacts. The potential for dust production is for reasons common to the existing farm uses in the area. The dust production will be a result of farming the nursery crops and driving vehicles over the gravel parking lot. The applicant plans to employee standard dust mitigation efforts such as watering the gravel area as needed. The noise created will be entirely congruous with existing farm uses in the area. These noises will be related to the planting and movement of nursery crops, the assembly of employees, and maintenance of vehicles and equipment within the existing Agricultural structure. The potential traffic will result from employees traveling to and from the subject parcel. No customers will visit the property. The applicant notes that the business is somewhat seasonal, being busiest from May through September, when there will be between four to six vehicles traveling to and from the subject parcel through the day. The traffic impact is not unlike traffic generated by a farm operation and cannot be said to have significant influence or effect on those farm operations around the subject parcel. (C) An assessment of whether all identified impacts of the proposed use when considered together could have a significant impact to any farm or forest operation in the surrounding area in a manner that is likely to have an important influence or effect on that operation. The identified impacts of dust production, noise, and traffic impacts have been described individually by the applicant and are all impacts that are standard impacts from farming. Even when considered together, these impacts will not have a significant impact on any of the farm operations in the surrounding area. (D) For purposes of this subsection, examples of potential impacts for consideration may include but are not limited to traffic, water availability and delivery, introduction of weeds or pests, damage to crops or livestock, litter, trespass, reduction in crop yields, or flooding. The applicant considered these impacts and addressed those that were applicable the subject parcel and area within ¼ mile of the subject parcel. Those impacts, as addressed above, are dust, noise, and traffic. (E) For purposes of subsection (a) and (b), potential impacts to farm and forest practices or the cost of farm and forest practices, impacts relating to the construction or installation of the proposed use shall be deemed part of the use itself for the purpose of conducting a review under subsection (a) and (b). The applicant is not proposing any construction or installation required for the landscaping aspect of the proposed use. The planting, maintenance, and harvest of nursery crops is an outright permitted farm use. The existing graveled area and agricultural structure will used for the storage of landscaping and farm equipment related to the use. The previous construction of the structure on the property would not be dissimilar to the construction of pole barns on farm properties in the area, and no evidence suggests that the construction created impacts on surrounding farm practices. (F) In the consideration of potentially mitigating conditions of approval under ORS215.296(2), the governing body may not impose such a condition upon the owner of the affected farm or forest land or on such land itself, nor compel said owner to accept payment to compensate for the significant changes or significant increases in costs described in subsection (a) and (b). The county recognizes this requirement. No conditions of approval are being imposed on affected farm or forest landowners, nor are any landowners being compelled to accept payment as compensation for significant changes to, or significant increases in costs of, accepted farm and forest practices in the area. The applicant provided, and staff has reviewed, the above analysis of the proposal subject to the Farm Impacts Test in ORS 215.296(1) subsection (a) and (b) via the process outlined in subsection (c)(A-F), which shows that the proposal to establish a landscaping business in conjunction with nursery crop production on the subject parcel