Rice County directed their staff to research what neighboring counties were doing and to come up with a recommendation for ordinance language --just like our Board did!
The proposed Rice County ordinance will recommend that an agricultural operation that has more than 6 events per year or more than 250 people will have to apply for a Conditional Use Permit. This means that specific conditions that pertain to how the property can be used will be developed and reviewed annually.
You might think that since our processes were somewhat parallel that our results will be too, especially since they are our neighbors. Well, Rice County is a big place and one obvious difference is that they have staff.
We are a small township where research has to be done by the Planning Commission members if the Board is unwilling to hire a planner or consult the attorney as they were in this case. In Eureka "everyone is related" according to Board Chair, Pete Storlie, when giving the reason why he did not recuse himself when voting to dismiss the complaint against his cousin's current "agritourism" operation. The ordinance language proposed by the Eureka Board will be considered at the Public Hearing at 8pm on Tuesday, Sept, 3rd. The Board cut short the research process, rejected efforts by a subcommittee of the Planning Commission to provide language similar to the counties surrounding us and is proposing to make Agricultural Tourism a use by right. That means that once established, an operation can function without review and with very few restrictions. They can operate forever, on a year round basis, as long as they keep to the suggested hours.
Sound like a good idea to you? Or does it seem like an attempt to just be done with it--to move on, and not give much thought to future ramifications of the proposed change? Come to OUR hearing and let your voice be heard, then go to the Board meeting that follows, when they will make the final call, or they may reject the majority opinion and base their decision on their personal findings and opinions as they did for the Accessory Use Structure changes.
Proposed Definition
Agricultural Operation:
Operations operating for a profit which include, but not limited to, the cultivation and tillage
of soil, dairying; the production, irrigation, cultivation, growing, harvesting and processing of
any agricultural commodity, including horticulture and timber; the raising of livestock, fur
bearing animals, fish or poultry; or any commercial agricultural practice performed as
incident or in conjunction with such operations; including preparation for market, delivery to
storage, to market, or to carriers for transportation to market, and agricultural tourism.
Proposed Ordinance addition to ordinance 3, chapter 2 zoning districts, section 1
item B-11
Agricultural Tourism: “Agricultural tourism”, “Ag-tourism” and/or “Agri-tourism” means activities conducted for
profit – or- not for profit, year round on a regular basis, shall be an accessory to the primary
working agricultural operation and allowing the public or invited groups for the purpose of
education, enjoyment or active involvement in the agricultural operation.
Activities include, but not limited to, agricultural operation tours, educational events,
hayrides, pony rides, historical or cultural events, exhibiting animal, agricultural products,
corn mazes, pick your own fruit or vegetables and retail sales related to the agricultural
operation. Allowed hours for agricultural tourism will be Monday – Wednesday 8am - 8pm,
Thursday – Saturday 8am – 10pm and Sunday 10am – 7pm. Adequate and designated
parking on agricultural property, is required to accommodate the public and/or invited
groups. On street parking maybe allowed on one side of the road. Agricultural tourism does
not include activities as, but not limited to, music events, rodeos, and auctions unrelated to
normal agricultural operation.
(emphasis is mine).
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