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I. Introduction The Town Board of Oregon on behalf of property owners, respectfully petitions the Dane County Board of Supervisors to rezone the following described properties to the A-1 Agriculture Exclusive District and the A-3 Agriculture District from their current designation as A-1 Agriculture: (Please see attached legal description which is labeled Attachment 1) II. Background This petition is based upon consideration of several factors and reflects the commitment of the Town of Oregon and its citizens toward good planning and the creation of a desirable community. Owners of over % of the property in the Town have requested this action to implement Exclusive Agricultural Zoning. It is important to note that this effort is the result of a two year planning effort that included grassroots support from Town residents and property owners. Farmers in the Town of Oregon have expressed their support for this petition. There is a shared understanding in the community that the present zoning situation threatens the viability of existing farms and the quality of life that Town residents have come to expect. Following a series of public working sessions and public hearings, the Oregon Plan Commission and Town Board both voted to support the Exclusive Agricultural Zoning petition. The Town sponsored a number of well attended planning and zoning informational meetings over the past two years to study the issue in detail and inform the public . County Supervisor Lyman Anderson is on record supporting this request. Ill. Planning Considerations Agriculture has been an important component of the local, County and State economies. The Town of Oregon has historically been an agricultural based community. Increasing urbanization threatens the continued viability of agricultural operations in the Town. Adoption of Exclusive Agricultural Zoning in the Town of Oregon would not constitute a significant change in policy. The Town Plan Commission and Board have been enforcing a one dwelling unit per 35 acres of land owned density policy in the past. However, recent court decisions in Dane County have forced the Town to reconsider how it will enforce the density standard. It was decided by the Town that Exclusive Agricultural Zoning was the best approach to enforce the policy in the Town of Oregon. The present A-1 Agriculture Zoning which covers over 90% of the Town of Oregon presumes that development any where in the Town is acceptable. The two year planning process in the Town indicated that this presumption is not correct. The majority of the Town residents and land owners would like Exclusive Agricultural Zoning in order to provide for orderly, well-planned growth in the community. The Town of Oregon has been one of the faster growing Townships in Dane County over the past decade. With this growth has come the demand for more services such as schools,