admin | on January 01, 2020

A proposed county ordinance that would implement California’s AB 551 is seen as benefiting local agriculture by recognizing its benefits, according to the San Diego County Farm Bureau.

The County of San Diego recently made the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones (UAIZ) Draft Ordinance available for public review. That period will end January 31, 2020.

The draft ordinance can be found at:  www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/pds/advance/UAIZ/UAIZ%20Draft%20Ordinance.pdf

In 2018, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to establish an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone ordinance within the unincorporated areas of the County. It implements California Assembly Bill No. 551 (AB 551), the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act (UAIZ,) authorizes counties and/or cities to establish Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones whereby the county or city and a landowner can enter into a contract for small-scale production of agricultural crops in exchange for a potential property tax benefit.

UAIZ is intended to promote small-scale urban agriculture by providing a financial incentive for property owners of unimproved, underutilized, and vacant properties in census-designated urban areas to use their properties for agricultural uses.

Hannah Gbeh, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, told The Roadrunner,  “I am encouraged to see the County implementing AB 551, which intends to promote and protect agricultural uses while recognizing the public benefit of agriculture. The County’s proposed Urban Agricultural Incentive Zones Ordinance aims to promote small-scale urban agriculture by providing a financial incentive for eligible property owners. For agriculture in San Diego County, where 69% of our farms are 1 to 9 acres in size, this ordinance has the potential to significantly benefit agriculture.”

Gbeh added, “The Draft Ordinance is available for public review until January 31st and I would encourage anyone interested in urban agriculture to review and provide comments to the County. The San Diego County Farm Bureau stands ready to assist all local growers in starting or expanding agriculture operations within our County lines. We encourage all growers to be active and engaged in activities affecting the regulatory environment of agriculture and are available to assist any members experiencing issues.”

Under this ordinance, a property owner voluntarily enters into a contract with the county for a minimum of five years. While under contract, the property owner pays property taxes based on the assessed agricultural value of the property, which can offer substantial savings. 

To be eligible for the program, the property must be located within an urbanized census area; be between 0.1 and 3.0 acres in size; vacant, unimproved, or have only non-residential structures; and be fully dedicated to agriculture.

Lands that are not eligible include (1) property that is currently subject to, or has been subject to within the previous three years, a Williamson Act Contract (current Government Code section 51200 et seq.); or (2) property in the unincorporated County, within the sphere of influence of a city, unless the legislative body of the city consents to inclusion of the property within the County UAIZ Establishment Area.

For more information contact: Project Contact: Timothy Vertino at timothy.vertino@sdcounty.ca.gov or call 858-495-5468