ADOPTED - APRIL 13, 2010
Agenda Item No. 16
Introduced by the County Services Committee of the:
INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION APPROVING OPEN SPACE SELECTION CRITERIA (SCORING SYSTEM) FOR RANKING LANDOWNER APPLICATIONS TO THE INGHAM COUNTY FARMLAND AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZING THE INGHAM COUNTY FARMLAND AND OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION BOARD TO PROCEED WITH A 2010 OPEN SPACE PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS APPLICATION CYCLE
RESOLUTION #10-101
WHEREAS, Ingham County desires to provide for the effective long-term protection and preservation of open space in Ingham County from the pressure of increasing residential and commercial development; and
WHEREAS, the Ingham County Open Space Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance (under consideration by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners) authorizes the establishment of the Ingham County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board to oversee the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program; and
WHEREAS, in the course of implementing the Ingham County Purchase of Open Space Development Rights Ordinance, the Ingham County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board has established Open Space Selection Criteria, contingent upon passage of the Open Space Ordinance, for ranking landowner applications to the Ingham County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program; and
WHEREAS, the Ingham County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board now has funding in place to implement the Open Space portion of the Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the Ingham County Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance requires that the Selection Criteria be approved by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners before each application cycle.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners approves the attached Open Space Selection Criteria developed by the Ingham County Agricultural Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board as set forth in the Purchase of Development Rights Ordinance.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners authorizes the Ingham County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board to proceed with a 2010 Open Space Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) application cycle.
COUNTY SERVICES: Yeas: Copedge, Schor, Celentino, Grebner, McGrain
Nays: None Absent: Vickers Approved 4/06/10
Selection Criteria for Protection of Open Space Land, 2010 Edition
These selection criteria will be used to rank applications to the Ingham County Open Space Preservation Program.
Tier I Criteria Sections
Ecological, scenic, geological criteria (50 points)
Property size and location criteria (20 points)
Cost criteria (20 points)
ECOLOGICAL, SCENIC, GEOLOGICAL CRITERIA (50 points)
A. Potential Conservation Area(s) maximum points: 10
1. High Potential 10 points
2. Medium Potential 8 points
3. Low Potential 6 points
B. Water quality values
1. Riparian land maximum points: 5
Property with a water frontage of 200 linear feet or greater receives 5 points. Points for a property with water frontage of less than 200 linear feet are: 5 x linear feet of water frontage/200 = points.
2. Land in the 100-year flood plain maximum points: 8
Property that is 100% in the flood plain receives 8 points. Points for a property with less than 100% in the flood plain are: 8 x percent in flood plain/100 = points.
3. Wetlands, including buffer area maximum points: 4
Property that is 100% wetland receives 4 points. Points for a property with less than 100% wetland are: 4 x percent in wetland/100 = points.
4. Aquifer recharge land maximum points: 8
Property that is 100% aquifer recharge land receives 8 points. Points for a property with less than 100% aquifer recharge land are: 8 x percent aquifer recharge land/100 = points.
C. Habitats
1. Forestland maximum points: 5
Property that is 100% forest land receives 5 points. Points for a property with less than 100% forest land are: 5 x percent in forest land/100 = points.
2. Others – grassland, shrub land, etc. maximum points: 3
Property that is 100% in other types of natural habitat receives 3 points. Points for a property with less than 100% in other types of habitat are: 3 x percent in other types of habitat/100 = points.
D. Rare species maximum points: 10
1. State and federal threatened and endangered species on the property
Up to 10 points may be given depending on rarity category; the higher the rarity category the more points given.
E. Scenic value and visibility maximum points: 4
Up to 4 points may be given.
F. Physically (geologically) significant features maximum points: 3
Up to 3 points may be given.
PROPERTY SIZE and LOCATION CRITERIA (20 points)
G. Parcel size maximum points: 5
Parcels of 100 acres or greater receives 5 points. Points for a property of less than 100 acres are: 5 x acreage of parcel/100 = points.
H. Location with respect to other protected property maximum points: 10
Permanently protected land is property with a conservation easement or a deed restriction that permanently prohibits development on the property. Linear distance is from nearest land boundaries.
Property is adjacent to protected land 10 points
Property is not adjacent but within 1/2 mile of protected land 8 points
Property is not adjacent but within 1 mile of protected land 6 points
Property is not adjacent but within 2 miles of protected land 4 points
I. Road frontage (paved or gravel) maximum points: 2
Road frontage of 1320 feet (1/4 mile) or greater receives 2 points. Points for road frontage of less than 1320 feet are: 2 x feet of road frontage/1320 = points.
J. Block applications maximum points: 3
Properties applying in a block application must be contiguous (they may be separated by a road). Each applicant in the block application will receive the stated points.
Two or more landowners applying together and submitting 300 or more contiguous acres each receives 3 points. Points for two or more landowners submitting less than 300 acres are: 3 x number of contiguous acres submitted/300 = points.
Note: If only one property in a block application is preserved, the remaining landowners will continue to receive full points for this section of the scoring criteria in future cycles, provided the remaining landowners still wish to participate in the block application.
TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE – 90
Applicants note: Landowners that accept federal, state or local matching funds to protect their open space land may be selected for the program before landowners that do not accept such funds regardless of their relative ranking based on the above “Selection Criteria for Protection of Open Space Land”.
TIER II SELECTION CRITERIUM – Maximum 50 points
THIS SECTION PERTAINS ONLY TO THE TOP 10 SCORING FARMS
K. Tier II Donation Maximum points: 50
After the first round of scoring is complete, the top ten ranked applications will be invited to donate a portion of the easement purchase price to Ingham County. The amount of donation will determine the overall ranking of the applications that will be selected for protection. Every percent donation from 25% and higher will be multiplied by .55 with a maximum of up to 50 points. Tier II points will be added to Tier I points for a Grand Total (Tier I + Tier II = Grand Total). Grand Total points will be used to determine the applications selected for protection. This option allows applicants in the bottom tier of the top 10 applicants, an opportunity to increase their standing in the ranking.
Examples: Donation of 0-24% = 0 points
Donation of 25% = 25 x .55 = 13.75 points
Donation of 40% = 40 x .55 = 22 points
Donation of 50% = 50 x .55 = 27.5 points
Donation of 90% = 90 x .55 = 49.5 points
Note: Donating part of the value of a conservation easement to a qualified organization such as Ingham County is considered a charitable gift donation by the Internal Revenue Service. Seek advice from a certified public accountant or other professional advisor on the effect of such a gift donation on your tax situation.