NOTICE OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE

AND

PUBLIC HEARING

 

 

Notice is hereby given that on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 6:00 P.M. the City Council of the City of Geneva, Alabama will consider for adoption the following ordinance:

 

ORDINANCE NUMBER 03-2023-03

 

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 6.02 “AG-1 GENERAL AGRICULTURE DISTRICT” AND THE ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF GENEVA, ALABAMA OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 12-2017-05 DATED THE 18TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2017 AND REPEALING  AND ANY OTHER ORDINANCE IN CONFLICT OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE, AND TO PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GENEVA ALABAMA, AS FOLLOWS:

 

Amending the Official Zoning Map herein referred to, known as the "Zoning Map of the City of Geneva, Alabama," shall be further identified by the signature of the mayor and attested by the city clerk. The Zoning Map of Geneva and all explanatory matter thereon is hereby adopted and made a part of this Ordinance. The map is filed in the office of the city clerk.

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Sec. 6.02. AG-1 General Agriculture District.

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The purpose of this district is to provide for agricultural, forestry and other compatible uses. The district regulations are designed to maintain the essentially natural, open and rural character of these areas by requiring certain minimum yard and area standards.

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1.     Uses Permitted.

        a)     Uses Permitted by Right: general farming, including crop farming, livestock, and similar agricultural uses; detached single-family dwellings; home occupations; parks and playgrounds; cemeteries; and accessory structures incidental to the preceding uses

       b)     Special Exception Uses. The following uses may be permitted upon approval by the Board of Adjustment in accordance with §12.06 and subject to any use-specific regulations: bed and breakfast; boarding house; public facilities; public utility facilities; telecommunications towers

       c)     Conditional Uses. The following uses may be permitted upon approval in accordance with §11.06: airports; campgrounds; clubs; country clubs; farm support business; golf courses; kennels; livestock sales; outdoor entertainment; outdoor recreation

                               Table 6-1 Area and Dimensional Regulations, Agricultural Districts

 

                                                                                 AG-1                                                    AG-2

                         Minimum Lot Area                           3 ac                                                       2 ac

                         Minimum Lot Width                      100 ft                                                     100 ft

                         Minimum Setbacks

                           Front Yard                                      45 ft                                                      45 ft

                           Rear Yard                                       40 ft                                                      40 ft

                           Side Yard                                       15 ft                                                      15 ft

                           Maximum Building Height           3 stories or 45 ft                                 3 stories or 45 ft

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2.     Development Criteria.

        a)     A booth or stall from which farm produce grown on the same premises and sold to the general public may be permitted subject to the following:

                1)     Sales areas must be set back from all lot lines so as to meet the district yard requirements.

                2)     Sales areas may not occupy any part of a required off-street parking or loading area.

3.      Uses Strictly Prohibited.

         a)  Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) of any size; animal slaughtering; and commercial food

 

          or fish processing operations: (as defined in Section 2.05, Uses Defined #15.)  This language is intended to  

 

          PROHIBIT any swine operations, chicken houses or other such animal production facilities in which the

 

         Animal/fowl/poultry, etc. would be housed in a confined manner and fed in a confined manner.

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        1) Animal feeding operations allowed:

 

         The following narrative provides some examples outlining general farming procedures, not meeting the definition of prohibited CAFO/AFOs.  Drought and in climate weather may necessitate additional hand feeding of animals normally sustained by grazing.  These examples are not absolute but give guidance in determining if an operation complies with adopted Zoning Ordinances.

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         (i).  Example: An operation raises beef cattle in a pasture rangeland.  In the winter, food is brought to various locations in the pasture rangeland to supplement and sustain the animals.  The area immediately around the food supply is rendered barren of vegetation.  However, the animals have full access to the pasture area.  The operation is not an CAFO/AFO because the animals are free to move within the entire pasture and the vegetation is sustained in pasture areas.

 

        (ii).  Example: An operation raises beef cattle in a pasture rangeland.  A calf crop results from the brood cows.  The resulting calf crop is separated and housed in a restrictive lot for a specific period to wean them from the brood cows.  Food is brought to the weaning lot to sustain the animals.  The area immediately around the food supply is rendered barren of vegetation.  Upon completion of the weaning process, the calves are reintroduced to grazing areas as a normal part of a brood cow operation, so this procedure shall not be considered a CAFO/AFO.

 

      (iii)  Any animals/livestock contained in a rangeland operation would be viewed in the same manner to conclude if the operation does meet the adopted Zoning Ordinances, ensuring the operation is not a CAFO/AFO.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED on this __ day of March, 2023.

                                                            The City of Geneva, Alabama

 

                                                            By:__________________________

                                                                  David B. Hayes, Mayor

ATTEST:

___________________________

Lisa Johnson, City Clerk

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                Areas that are proposed to be rezoned from their current zoning classification to an AG-1 (agricultural zoning) are depicted in green outlined in red on the following map: