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Rsc+?niziny tnis +aralv.'h,eiming s:a~port of Agricultural Tourism leads us to the conclusion that this Bill
<br /> m..5. oe pfOg re55l~'6 and lead to increasing opportun dies in agriculture on the Big Islantl.
<br /> 3alow are spec:fi:: re:.rmmenda:icns.
<br /> •~Fa:AMtiLE: rr arde~ croatc a Dili toot will accomplimh it's goals, a sprdt must be created that guides
<br /> n >3rpretaticn a( the Blii Nell into the future, after it's drafters are no longer with us. The preamble should
<br /> ate he mandates of the State Constitution and County Charter to preserve, favor and enhance
<br /> a,Jot ~.il}u re as hart of ot, ~ lifestyle and unique Island Chafacter l'he Spirit of this BIII should be fucused on
<br /> t:: p aitive and accommodative nature. while the regulatory details are clear bu[ not the primary purpose.
<br /> r~ ;or:xr led that sh<,uld the :one and context of the Bill be ne0ative and highly regulatory, it could
<br /> serf+3 a chailengE in the courts as being contrary to the State and County mandates to favor agriculture.
<br /> 'D '~?I :~JSed jsrtion. ZS_.:.. ~5. ~~gpr;,,ll?UI SJ tourism.
<br /> ;L){~;'hi:: par.:7raph ^ec:d~css a minimum of $10,000 verifiable gross sales of agricultural
<br /> a or acts in :he previoP~,: year tr ;uali`, foe permitted Agriculture! tourism operations. The fixed amount
<br /> c +t c.nh ~,s arbitrary, and will unnecessarily and unfairly limit the ~,gTOUrism potential of many farms. Why
<br /> ;f s limit imposed % It +S ImposeC as a litmus test to make sure that all operations applying for
<br /> 4 :,l ; ursm >C~'u~- are I fact bcr.: tide Farms. There is no dollar amourrt that would be fair to all
<br /> dilp~lcants. vc:~sider '.•.e Esc z. fanner who plants an orchard ofjapoticaba, an exotic tropical fruit
<br /> tree that dt»s . rol. bear relit for t-~' yews Is this farmer less qualified to engage in AgTourism than a
<br /> lo-ttr c+a'arme= i~,ho b'4. ~s in hl_ st crop ;n six weeks? Should this farmer be precluded from AgTourism
<br /> fcr 1 ~n years?
<br /> I su~,tge;t th3', r+C dol ~r omit br. ~z.~~; Ir~siead the -ederal Tax ~chadul® "F" should be accepter) as proof
<br /> t(at the- apl:Gcant +s a'~ana fide'rm. The horse (agriculture) should definitely precede the cart (tourism).
<br /> E y reyrr,rinE a Scheaula ''F"from+'he applicant, it is Certain that the applicant has been farming for at
<br /> lea: t approximately any year.
<br /> {p){a) h r~nax~r~ ;m of 40,700 visitors annually is proposed. Why rs this limit imposetl~ In order to
<br /> r,_,d Ice or e iminate ccr strudive nuisance to the neighbor properties, However number (4) requires that
<br /> a I l.arlong, oadmp Inc unloadir.;, and tom-arounds shall be enilrely on site. Some have proposed
<br /> Ihniii^g :he nur-rber to E:.000 visiY_rs per year, which is approximately 18 per day. Flow would any limit
<br /> be ietermined or' enfr;rced7 C~~uld 16 visitors per day possibly support even one ®mployee where
<br /> rroredica± insurar;ce and workers oompensntion coal:, are $7,100 pQr year! Should the AgTourism
<br /> Cpe^zto~ be recurred t. close w':e.n the limit is reached? Who will Count visitors?
<br /> I s~ .;gest that ro imd ~ e +mposz_, as the reason for the limltaticn has already been satlsfactorlly
<br /> adaressed by requiri";S parking ~:nd Ceding/unloading on the farm site, However to match the traffic to
<br /> tea nature of the site, z !+fnitatiur ,r th a type of tour vehioles should be imposed. It is not desirable to
<br /> f~a~ a three axle f at sizr:d buses =ring visitors to farms that are ;ocated on small, rural roads. To avoltl
<br /> t•ra yp? of tratf~ ; over burden °c Tura; roads and nuisance to neighbors, I suggest the following
<br /> sta•rdards: Visitor verrles shoul~~ be limited to two axles and 1.2 times the wltlth of the paved access
<br /> eta i :o the farm '-or ti ~ ample.. if Rho f:avement is 20 feet wide. 4?ccluding shoulders, tYten the maximum
<br /> I:~n t:h of the. tou~ van c ~ would n 24 reef. Wider roads would ocrmit proportionately larger vehicles.
<br /> b);~; ~r~f.~ser- .a lirrlt to eae total area of spaces, Inrluding covered decks, lanais, tents or
<br /> c;arooies and g~azebas, whether ne•Nly constructed or within existing structures, to be utilized principally
<br /> I .r i'~e agrs;,altura! tore^sm actn+ ,shall not exceed (500) to 1000 square feet." Here Is another example
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<br /> r{~ je,r+d L6959ZE TO ~69 S09L/88/iT
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