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June 24, 2002Farmland program could be extended- Voters may be asked in November to expand, extend the purchase of development rights planBy BILL O'BRIENRecord-Eagle staff writer MAPLETON - Eight years after Peninsula Township moved to the forefront of the nation's farmland preservation efforts with its groundbreaking "purchase of development rights" program, residents and officials say it's time to do more. A proposal to both expand and extend the Old Mission Peninsula's purchase of development rights program has been endorsed by the township planning commission. The proposal has been put together by several study committees involving dozens of township residents who've been working on the issue since early in the year. "It's actually been discussed for about five years whether we needed more funding," said township resident John Wunsch who's been deeply involved in helping organize the program, known as PDR in township circles. "There's been more interest from farmers than we could accommodate so far." The township's original PDR millage was approved by Peninsula residents in 1994. It was a 1.25-mill, 15-year levy extending through 2008. The current proposal is to increase the PDR millage by 0.75 mills to 2 mills per year and extend it for another 15 years through 2023. The 2-mill levy would generate more than $700,000 a year in the township. The increase would cost the owner of a house with a $150,000 market value an additional $56.25 a year. That same taxpayer pays about $94 a year for the program now. There are around 9,000 acres that the township has targeted in an agricultural preservation zone. So far, development rights for around 3,100 acres have been purchased. Supporters of the PDR program say expanding it could get another 4,000 acres into the program, which would put the program at nearly 80 percent of the goal. "We haven't finished this job," Wunsch said. "There is a larger amount of acreage out there (where landowners) want to do this." A pair of public meetings at which residents can learn more about the proposals have been tentatively set for July 17 and 25. In order for the measure to appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, the township board will have to vote by mid-August to set a special election and approve ballot wording by the end of that month. Township planning commission chairperson Virginia Coulter said that as land values on the peninsula continue to escalate, she feels it's important for the township to act now to expand the PDR program. "We can't wait 10 years to do this," Coulter said. "We need to preserve land now while we can still afford to do it." There are presently around 27 agricultural landowners with PDR agreements, officials said, and other farm properties are also covered by private conservation easements through the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. In the PDR program, farmers are paid on a per-acre basis in exchange for future development rights to the land. They remain the owners and can live there and keep farming and can build one house per 20 acres in specific areas identified in their agreement. They can also sell, and the PDR agreement stays with the land. The amount the township pays for the development rights for an acre of land varies widely in terms of the location and natural features of the property, Wunsch said. It ranges from $1,500 up to $8,000 per acre, although most of the agreements are in the $2,700- to $3,400-per-acre range, he said. Proponents are optimistic that residents will continue to support the PDR program, based on a recent survey commissioned by the township with a grant from the Old Mission Conservancy. The survey, done by a Florida company, indicated that 71 percent of township voters feel the PDR efforts have done a good job of protecting farmland and preserving the township's rural character. Some 85 percent felt the township should extend the current program beyond its scheduled expiration date in 2008, although funds from the current millage have already been committed. Wunsch said the challenge will be to turn those positive survey results into strong support from within the community. "The greatest need right now is for members of the community to get informed and start talking about it," Wunsch said. |
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