§ 12. Farmland ranking system.
(a)
The farmland ranking system is hereby adopted. The system shall be the sole means by which the priority of acquisition of development rights under the program is determined when available funding is insufficient to purchase the development rights on all available property which is the subject of applications for the sale of such rights. The number of farmland ranking system points assigned to property shall not be used in determining the value of development rights or the amount of any offer to purchase such rights.
(b)
There shall be five (5) categories of criteria for evaluation under the system. In each such category, certain factors descriptive of the characteristics of property sought to be included in the agricultural reserve program are included. Each factor is assigned a numerical weight signifying its importance relative to all other factors in that category. Each factor is also stratified into a range of possible point values ranging from zero (0) to ten (10). To determine the total points assigned to such property, the values for all five (5) categories are added. Property having the highest total scores shall rank highest in priority of acquisition. The maximum total score is one hundred (100) points. The categories, with their respective factors and weights, are as follows:
(1)
Quality of the farmland (productivity capability) constitutes thirty-five (35) percent of the number of points in the system. Factors and weights are as follows:
A.
Size of farm (Weight = 10)
100 acres or more 10 60 to 99 acres 7 20 to 59 acres 4 10 to 19 acres 2 Less than 10 acres 0 B.
Soils—Percentage in United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Land Capability Classification System Land Capability Class 1, 2E, 2W, 3W, and 4W undrained (Weight = 10)
80% or more 10 60 to 79% 8 40 to 59% 6 20 to 39% 3 Less than 20% 0 C.
Percentage of farm in cropland or pasture (Weight = 8)
80% or more 10 60 to 79% 7 40 to 59% 4 20 to 39% 2 Less than 20% 0 D.
On-farm agricultural infrastructure and improvements (Weight = 8)
Unique regional services 10 Headquarters farm 9 Good farm buildings 7 Adequate farm buildings 3 No farm buildings 0 E.
Percentage of farm in high-value crops (Weight = 6)
80% or more 10 60 to 79% 7 40 to 59% 5 20 to 39% 3 Less than 20% 0 F.
Amount of animal units produced on the farm (Weight = 6)
250 animal units or more 10 150 to 249 animal units 8 75 to 149 animal units 5 25 to 74 animal units 3 Less than 25 animal units 0 (2)
Circumstances supporting agriculture constitutes twenty-five (25) percent of the number of points in the system. Factors and weights are as follows:
A.
Number of nonfarm rural residences within one-half mile of the farm (Weight = 10)
0 to 3 dwelling units 10 4 to 7 dwelling units 8 8 to 12 dwelling units 5 13 to 18 dwelling units 3 More than 18 units 0 B.
Proximity of parcel to other farms with agricultural reserve program or other perpetual easements (Weight = 10)
Contiguous 10 Within ¼ mile 8 Within ½ mile 5 Within 1 mile 3 Greater than 1 mile 0 C.
Proximity to significant or unique agricultural support services (Weight = 10)
Contiguous 10 Within 1 mile 8 Within 2 miles 5 Within 3 miles 3 Greater than 3 miles 0 D.
Batch application with contiguous parcels (Weight = 10)
Contiguous 10 Not contiguous 0 (3)
Likelihood of conversion to nonfarm use (development pressure) constitutes twenty (20) percent of the number of points in the system. Factors and weights are as follows:
A.
Urgency of circumstances favoring conversions (Weight = 10)
Farm subject to potential forced sale 10 Farm subject to estate settlement sale 8 Farm actively marketed for voluntary sale 6 Other 0 B.
Farm suitability for residential conversion—Percentage of well or moderately well-drained soils on the farm (Weight = 6)
80% or more 10 60 to 79% 8 40 to 59% 6 20 to 39% 3 Less than 20% 0 C.
Percentage of farm offered to agricultural reserve program (Weight = 10)
90% or greater 10 70 to 89% 6 Less than 70% 0 D.
Amount of public road contiguous to farm (Weight = 10)
1,000 linear feet or more 10 600 to 999 feet 8 300 to 599 feet 7 100 to 299 feet 4 Less than 100 feet 0 E.
Aesthetic value of forest on the farm (Weight = 8)
No significant timber harvest within 20 years 10 Significant timber harvest within 10 to 20 years 4 Significant timber harvest within 5 to 10 years 2 Significant timber harvest within 5 years, land cut over within 10 years and not reforested, or land cut over within 5 years and not reforested 0 (4)
Environmental quality constitutes fifteen (15) percent of the number of points in the system. Factors and weights are as follows:
A.
Percentage of farm in upland forest (excluding swamp) (Weight = 10)
80% or more 10 60 to 79% 8 40 to 59% 6 20 to 39% 3 Less than 20% 0 B.
Proximity to areas identified as having high environmental value, such as state or federal parks, areas within the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge designated expansion boundary, exemplary wetlands, critical areas and endangered species habitat, as shown in "A Natural Areas Inventory of the City of Virginia Beach", Natural Heritage Technical Report 93-14 (Weight = 10)
Contiguous 10 Within ½ mile 8 Within 1 mile 5 Within 1½ miles 2 Greater than 1½ miles 0 C.
Proximity of farm to perennial stream or waterway (Weight = 10)
Farm either includes or is adjacent to perennial waterway 10 All other 0 (5)
Historic, scenic, and application frequency constitutes five (5) percent of the number of points in the system. Factors and weights are as follows:
A.
Proximity to historic or cultural features (Weight = 6)
On-farm exceptional features favorable to preservation, as noted in the Reconnaissance Architectural Survey Report, City of Virginia Beach 10 Exceptional features favorable to preservation within ¼ mile 8 Exceptional features within ½ mile 7 Exceptional features further than ½ mile 0 B.
Frequency of application submittal (Weight = 10)
Third or more time 10 Second time 5 First time 0 (Ord. No. 2585, 6-6-00)
(Ord. No. 2585, 6-6-00)