Mar 9, 2015 1 min read

WAYNESBURG – Franklin Township supervisors voted Monday to approve the creation of an agricultural security area, a designation that helps farmers protect their land from development and ensure its continued use for agricultural purposes.

Five property owners are participating in the security area, Richard Patterson, Richard Patton, Bruce Rohrer, Sam Fox and township supervisor Corbly Orndorff.

Orndorff abstained on the motion. The agricultural security area includes a total of 785 acres among the five property owners.

The agricultural security area “gives farmers some protection against nuisance ordinances that might be approved by the township,” Orndorff said.

This could come into play if, for example, homes were built nearby and the new home owners complained about noise associated with normal farm operations and sought ordinances to restrict it.

“It also has some potential protections against eminent domain,” Orndorff said. The designation makes it more difficult for someone to use eminent domain to condemn a farm property.

Properties in an agricultural security area also can be eligible for agricultural easements.

Under the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, the state purchases agricultural easements from the property owner, who then agrees not to commercially develop the land and instead use it only for farming.