If the application is complete and the minimum criteria established in § 154.45 are met, the application shall be evaluated and scored by the Woodford County Rural Land Board. However, if WRLB is working with an accredited land trust, the evaluation criteria of the accredited land trust must supersede those presented herein.
(A) Area of parcel (12 possible points plus 15 potential bonus points). The purpose of this criterion is to assist in building a critical mass of agricultural land. These points shall be calculated as follows:
(1) Basic.
Over 350 acres | (12 points) |
251-350 acres | (10 points) |
121 -250 acres | (8 points) |
41-120 acres | (6 points) |
21-40 acres | (2 points) |
10-20 acres | (1 point) |
(2) Bonus. Additional points will be assigned to parcels of 30 or more acres if the landowner agrees not to subdivide the parcel and build residences on those parcels. The property owner shall receive 1 bonus point for each right to develop a 1-acre tract which is extinguished up to a maximum of 15 bonus points.
(B) Length of public road frontage (5 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to encourage the preservation of parcels with significant road frontage. These points shall be calculated as follows:
1,001 feet+ | (5 points) |
501 feet-1,000 feet | (3 points) |
300 feet-500 feet | (1 point) |
(C) Proximity and/or “batch” application (15 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to encourage the protection of large contiguous blocks of rural land. Distances shall be measured from the parcel’s boundary lines and the points from division (C)(2) of this section (part of “batch application”) are in addition to any points from division (C)(1) of this section (proximity to another property protected with conservation easement). These points shall be calculated as follows:
(1) Proximity.
Adjacent | 10 points |
Within 1/2 Mile | 5 points |
Within 1 Mile | 3 points |
More than 1 Mile | 0 points |
(2) Batch application. The purpose of this criterion is to encourage landowners of contiguous parcels pursuant to § 154.02 to apply to the program as a joint batch application pursuant to § 154.02. Each application submitted as a “batch application” will be individually evaluated and the batch will be given 5 additional points for being part of a batch application.
(D) Quality of soils (30 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to examine the quality of soils on the property for agriculture. Soil information will be provided by the landowner in the application and verified by the Woodford County Rural Land Board with the assistance of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The NRCS maps will be the basis to decide this question. These points shall be calculated as follows:
At least 80% prime farmland | 30 points |
At least 70% prime farmland | 25 points |
At least 60% prime farmland | 20 points |
At least 50% prime farmland | 15 points |
At least 50% statewide important | 10 points |
At least 25% prime farmland & less than 50% statewide important | 5 points |
(E) Farm activity (5 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to evaluate whether the parcel is actively farmed. In evaluating whether the parcel is actively farmed, consideration will be given to the percentage of cropland and/or pasture land of the property as well as agricultural activities pursuant to § 154.02. These points shall be calculated as follows:
Actively farmed more than 5 of last 10 years | 5 points |
(F) Environmentally sensitive areas (10 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to protect environmentally sensitive areas. If the parcel includes environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) as determined by data produced by the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the most recently adopted Versailles-Midway-Woodford County zoning ordinance, and the most recently adopted comprehensive plan, it will receive up to 5 points. These points shall be calculated as follows:
At least 50% environmentally sensitive areas | 10 points |
At least 25% environmentally sensitive areas | 5 points |
(G) Designated rural greenways (5 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to protect designated rural greenways. If any part of the parcel is located within one of the rural greenways, as determined by the most recently adopted comprehensive plan, it will receive 5 points.
(H) Designated focus areas (10 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to protect the designated focus areas, as determined by the most recently adopted comprehensive plan and Rural Land Board. If any part of the parcel is located within one of the focus areas, the application receives 10 points.
(I) Natural protection areas (10 possible points).
(1) The purpose of this criterion is to protect the special natural protection areas. These points shall be calculated as follows:
(a) Parcel is included in “A” list of special natural (10 points) protection areas provided by data from The Kentucky Division of Forestry, The Nature Conservancy, and in the most recently adopted comprehensive plan.
(b) Parcel is included in “B” list of special natural (5 points) protection areas provided by data from The Kentucky Division of Forestry, The Nature Conservancy and the most recently adopted comprehensive plan.
(2) Alternatively, applicants will be eligible to demonstrate the parcel contains special natural protection areas not identified in the most recently adopted comprehensive plan. The landowner who indicates on the applicant’s application that the property includes rare or unusual flora or fauna, special indigenous plant sites, wildlife habitat or provides wildlife ecosystem linkages necessary to ensure biodiversity will need to provide background information relating to the existence of these resources on the property. The existence of these items should be independently verified by the Woodford County Rural Land Board or a state conservation agency or an independent non-profit conservation organization such as The Nature Conservancy. If the landowner can document that the parcel includes special natural protection areas not identified in the most recently adopted comprehensive plan, the application would receive points, not to exceed 10, due to this inclusion.
(J) Linkages (4 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to protect linkages within the rural areas. This criterion examines whether the parcel is located near or has the ability to be linked to parks, nature preserves, nature sanctuaries, historic sites or other lands that have been specifically designated for long term natural resource use, conservation or preservation purposes. Distance is measured from parcel boundaries. These points shall be calculated as follows:
Contiguous or provide direct linkage | 4 points |
Within 1/2 mile or provide a buffer | 2 points |
Within 1 mile | 1 point |
(K) Historic/cultural resources (11 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to protect the historic/cultural resources of the rural area. Points in divisions (3) through (5) are in addition to any points accumulated from division (1) or (2), and shall be calculated as follows:
(1) If any part of the property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, or is designated a locally designated historic district or landmark, it would receive 3 points, or if the property is determined eligible for the National Register, it would receive 2 points.
(2) If any part of the property is located in a National Register Historic District, or is located in the Old Historic District (OH) or a locally designated historic district, it would receive 2 additional points.
(3) If the property includes stone fences, the property would receive 2 additional points. A minimum of 100 linear feet of stone fence is necessary.
(4) If any part of the property is designated as a national Historic Landmark, it would receive 2 additional points.
(5) If the property contains any registered or significant archeological sites, it would receive 2 additional points.
(L) Scenic resources (11 possible maximum points). The purpose of this criterion is to protect the scenic resources of the rural area. Points in divisions (4) through (6) are in addition to any points accumulated from divisions (1), (2) or (3).
(1) If the property is located on one of the Heritage Preservation Districts or other scenic rural roads identified in the most recently adopted comprehensive plan, the property would receive 2 points;
(2) If the property is located on a local/state designated scenic or historic byway or highway, it would receive 3 points; or
(3) If the property is located on a federally designated scenic or historic byway or highway, it would receive 5 points.
(4) If the property is adjacent to I-64 or Bluegrass Parkway and/or is part of the scenic viewshed visible from I-64 or Bluegrass Parkway, it would receive 2 additional points.
(5) If the property is part of the scenic viewshed visible from publicly owned land such as parks, nature preserves, sanctuaries, historic sites, the property would receive 2 additional points.
(6) If the property contains other scenic features, such as tree-lined canopy, or significant view sheds, it would receive 2 additional points. The scenic features of the property must be documented and independently verified.
(M) Elimination of undeveloped nonconforming tracts (15 possible points). The purpose of this criterion is to encourage consolidation/elimination of nonconforming tracts of less than 30 acres. Such tracts may be part of a platted property or part of a larger parcel. For each nonconforming tract of less than 30 acres which is consolidated/eliminated, add 1 point up to maximum of 15 points.
(N) Urban service area boundary (15 possible points). The following point additions shall be applied in the following cases:
(1) If the property is contiguous or within 1/2 mile to the existing urban service area boundary, add 5 points.
(2) If the property is between 1/2 mile and 1 mile of the existing urban service boundary, add 10 points.
(3) If the property is more than 1 mile from the existing urban service boundary, add 15 points.
(Ord. 2009-06, passed 7-14-2009; Am. Ord. 2023-05, passed 5-23-2023)