Sonoma County tightens rules on ag land tax-incentive program

<p>The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Tuesday formally adopted tighter rules for agricultural lands that qualify for property tax breaks.</p><p>The rules affect landowners enrolled in the Williamson Act, which offers property-tax reductions for maintaining agriculture and open space land.</p><p>Starting Jan. 1, new and renewing contracts in the program will not be allowed on properties that have schools, churches, non-farm airstrips and other facilities deemed non-compatible with agriculture. </p><p>New minimum farm-income standards and property size requirements are also set to kick in for Williamson Act participants.</p><p>Landowners with properties that do not meet the new rules will be allowed to fulfill their contracts provided they notify the county of their non-renewal by Sept. 1 next year. </p><p>The rules, which were driven by a program audit and updates to state policy, were the subject of a series of public meetings this year before planning commissioners and supervisors. </p><p>The meetings also focused on zoning code changes for agricultural land in the county, a separate issue that sparked strong opposition from some real estate and farming interests.</p><p>Supervisors agreed Tuesday to continue work on the zoning changes, which would limit some commercial uses and restrict building sizes on lands zoned for agriculture in the county while allowing other activities through a permit process. </p><p>Recent lobbying by real estate interests appears to have paid off on one particular proposal: Supervisors have moved away from banning vacation rentals on properties zoned Land Intensive Agriculture, or LIA.</p><p>The board discussed how the county might allow the existing 27 unpermitted rentals on LIA parcels to continue operation, and how many additional rentals might be accepted under a proposed cap.</p><p>The board is set to return to the issue and the other zoning code changes at its Jan. 31 meeting.</p>