Ad-Hoc Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resource Economy
Ad-Hoc Committee on Auburn’s Agriculture and Natural Resource Economy
Study to Support and Enhance Auburn’s Agricultural and Resource Sector
“The City of Auburn values its agricultural heritage, protects the natural beauty of its land, and promotes locally grown food, raising livestock, managing forests and natural resource-based businesses.”
Rural Auburn has a unique Agricultural and Resource Protection (AGRP) zoning district, which has been in place since the early 1960’s that contains over 40% of the city’s land area, or over 20,000 acres. The purpose and intent of the AGRP zoning regulations has been to manage development and to promote food, agricultural, timber and natural resource production and uses. The AGRP zoning regulations have significantly restricted development for the last 50 plus years. Today however, the nature and trends of farming and food production have drastically changed. In response, Auburn desires to strengthen its natural resource-based economy (farming, timber, food businesses, etc) and better integrate this sector into community planning and City-wide priorities. In order to do so, the City requires a better understanding rural land owner needs and goals; the identification of opportunities for additional support and/or investment, and greater understanding of existing barriers and potential solutions and strategies.
The Ad-Hoc Committee on Auburn's Agriculture and Natural Resource was established to serve in an advisory role to the City Council, Planning Board and city staff during the length of the contract term with Crossroads Resource Center (the “consultant”). Committee Members are the primary volunteer liaisons with Crossroads Resource Center and will meet at a time, place and such frequency as the Committee and the consultant deem necessary. Any final report and/or recommendations from the work of the consultant will come to the City Council and/or Planning Board by way of votes of the Committee. The Committee may select a chair or vice-chair, if necessary, and shall determine as a group and with guidance from the consultant the best way to facilitate their meetings. It is expected that the Committee is not the only means of public input and involvement in the study, but they may provide guidance to city staff and the consultant on approaches to public engagement throughout the study period. Any continuation of this Committee beyond the term of the consultant’s contract will be at the discretion of the Mayor at the time or vote of the City Council.
Committee Members
The following individuals are appointed to serve on the Committee:
- Joe Gray, 9 Third Street
- David Haines, 384 Butler Hill Road
- Mary Sylvester, 208 Maple Hill Road
- Karen Bolduc, 310 Sopers Mill Road
- David Bell, Bell Farms, Riverside Drive
- RitaMae Morin, 150 Sopers Mill Road
- Mia Poliquin Pross, 14 Hersey Hill Road
- Kim Finnerty, Whiting Farm/JFM, Summer Street
- Dan Herrick, 470 Hatch Road
- Bill Sylvester, 1128 Riverside Drive
Additional Links: Sun Journal Article Regarding Food Sovereignty / AGRP RFP Final with Attachment / Crossroads Proposal 2017
Past activities that got us to this point: November 14, 2016
VIEW HISTORIC DOCUMENTS
Agriculture & Resource Protection Zoning District
The City of Auburn’s Agricultural and Resource Protection District
Rural Auburn has a unique Agricultural and Resource Protection (AGRP) District, which has been in place since the early 1960’s and contains over 40% of the city’s land area, or over 20,000 acres. The AGRP regulations have limited development and promoted food, agricultural, timber and natural resource production and associated uses. The AGRP regulations have significantly restricted development for the last 50+ years. Today however, the nature and trends of farming and food production have drastically changed. This means the AGRP regulations have created unintended consequences that should be evaluated as part of the study.
Over the last 2 years, growing concerns have been raised by the City Council and others to re-evaluate the Agricultural and Resource Protection District. Potential goals of this evaluation might include:
- Build community consensus on the future of the AGRP District through an open public forum and readily available resource information.
- Gain an understanding of how AGRP property owners and producers are utilizing their land, what their future plans are and find out if there are barriers to successful operations through property owner interviews and surveys.
- Determine the economic and community development potential for the AGRP District at both the local and regional level and create policies and regulations that meet that potential.
See below for details on the upcoming Public Meeting:
- November 14, 2016 AGRP Public Meeting Invitation Letter
- Auburn Agricultural & Resource Protection Zone Information and Opinion Survey
- Auburn zoning map