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1 Dane County Planning and Development Department Room 116,City-County Building,Madison,Wisconsin 53703 Fax (608)267-1540 rfr F4 te,/♦ Housing& Economic Development (608)266-4270,Rm.362 July 30, 2015 Planning (608)266-4251,Rm.116 Karl Dettmann 435 M atlerhorn Drive Records&Support Verona, WI 53593 (608)266-4251,Rm.116 Zoning Proposed Agricultural Building at 4200 County Hwy P (608)266-4266,Rm. 116 Town of Cross Plains Dear Mr. Dettmann, This correspondence is to express my concern regarding a recent zoning permit, DCPZP-2015-00547, that was issued by the Dane County Zoning Division for the property at 4200 County Highway P in the Town of Cross Plains. The zoning permit allows for a 14,699 sq.ft. agricultural accessory building to be constructed on the premises for the purposed of agricultural production. It was explained that the intention of this building is to assist in the production and storage of grapes that will be produced on the property. It has also been explained that you are in the process of establishing a vineyard on the property as a farming operation. Under Dane County Code of Ordinance Section 10.01(230 farm is defineal as: (231)Farm means all land under common ownership that is primarily devoted to agricultural use. Agricultural Use is defined as: (2a)Agricultural use. Means any of the following activities conducted for the purpose of producing an income or livelihood: (a) Crop or forage production. (b) Keeping livestock. (c) Beekeeping. (d) Nursery, sod, or Christmas tree production. (e) Floriculture. (1) Aquaculture. (g) Fur farming. (h) Forest management. (i)Enrolling land in a federal agricultural commodity payment program or a federal or state agricultural land conservation payment program. As you are aware, property is zoned A-1 Exclusive Agriculture and is located in the Agricultural Preservation Area as designated in the Town of Cross Plains Comprehensive Plan. The primary use permitted on this property is agricultural production. Ancillary uses could possibly be permitted in this district in conjunction with an active farm operation. Commercial operations such as, restaurants, wine tasting rooms, wedding/event facilities are prohibited in the A-1 Exclusive Agriculture Zoning District. Also the production of wine from grapes that have not been grown on the property would also be considered a commercial operation and thus prohibited in the A-1 Exclusive Agriculture Zoning District. Dane County Zoning Division has reviewed the current conditions of the property and have determined that it is not a farm operation. The majority of the property is wooded with steep slope topography. A majority of the crop field has recently been zoned for residential development. The remaining fields, approx mately 11 acres, are dormant. There a single-family dwelling on the property that is used as rental property. The proposed agricultural building is being located in an agricultural field. There is no evidence that the land is devoted to agricultural use.