Sec. 7(a).1. - Background.

The Comprehensive Plan for Exeter, finalized in 2024 and titled "Exeter 2044," addresses the mounting challenges that local agricultural operations encounter in sustaining economic viability through conventional farming practices alone. This plan examines adaptive land use strategies designed to integrate complementary agricultural enterprises alongside existing farming activities. Such an approach aims to establish alternative revenue streams that alleviate development pressures, thereby supporting the preservation of Exeter's agricultural lands for future generations while maintaining the town's rural character.

The farm overlay district floating zone (FOD) is designed as a floating zone intended to establish a framework that supports the development of both medium- and large-scale agricultural enterprises. This district aims to facilitate the establishment of businesses that complement primary farming activities and generate supplementary revenue streams. The overarching objective aligns with the preservation of the town's farmlands, as articulated in the Exeter 2044 Comprehensive Plan. The goal of the farm district floating overlay zone is to be broad enough to allow farmers to use their ingenuity to explore business ventures, yet restrictive enough that the character and primary purpose of the farm is preserved and the rural character of the town is protected. The farm district floating overlay zone will set conditions that a farm must meet in order to apply for the floating zone. Eligibility criteria for farms seeking designation under the FOD will be delineated, encompassing parameters such as minimum usable acreage, an established history of active farming spanning at least five consecutive years, adequate property access, and adherence to existing zoning.

(Ord. of 7-7-2025(1))