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STAFF REPORT Prepared by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Dane County Agricultural Preservation Plan, Amendment for the Town of Oregon November 29, 1996 Background Dane County submitted a proposed land use plan for the Town of Oregon as an amendment to the Dane County agricultural preservation plan for certification by the Land and Water Conservation Board (LWCB). Dane County Action On July 12, 1994, the Town of Oregon adopted a new land use plan. Dane County adopted this plan as an amendment to the Dane County agricultural preservation plan on December 15, 1994. On October 6, 1995, Dane County submitted this plan amendment for certification by the LWCB. During the last year, the department has met with, and exchanged correspondence with, representatives of Dane County and the Town of Oregon concerning deficiencies in their certification request. While most of these deficiencies had already been dealt with, Dane County submitted the final necessary plan amendments to the department on November 27, 1996. These amendments were passed by the Town of Oregon plan commission on November 26, 1996, and will be presented to the Dane County Board before December 31, 1996, according to the Director of the Dane County Planning & Development Department. Staff Review The Department has worked with Dane County and the town's planning consultant to address the deficiencies in the plan amendment. The county planning official has provided updated studies describing trends in agricultural use and productivity, housing and residential development, and need for public facilities. The three major issues that had to be resolved included: (1) the size of the transition areas, (2) the inconsistencies between the agricultural preservation and transition areas of the plan and the exclusive agricultural districts of the zoning ordinance maps; and (3) the findings required under s. 91.55, Wis. Stats., to justify the removal of lands from agricultural preservation designation under the Dane County agricultural preservation plan. This plan was certified by the LWCB in 1981. The transition area designated in the plan amendment was 4462 acres, consisting of land previously designated in agricultural preservation areas. The 1981 plan designated no agricultural transition areas within the town. The plan amendment also designates 1976 acres within rural development areas in addition to the areas designated for agricultural transition. The department estimates that roughly 600 acres of the 1976 acres were already designated for development, and placed outside agricultural preservation areas, in the 1981 plan. Consequently, only about 1400 acres of this land is proposed to be added to rural 1