Why the Future Land Use Map was drawn the way it is:

It was mandatory that the following 9 future land use categories be used so that the New Haven Plan is consistant with the Adams County Plan, but we had complete control over the boundries.  Each category was mapped according to a specific criteria or intention.  Ownership of the land had no bearing on any of the map boundries.

Here are the criteria used for the mapping of each category:

1.  Residential - includes three general areas where higher density residential growth has already concentrated, the Gillette Drive/5th Drive area, Big Spring and the north and south shore of Mason Lake.  We believe it makes more sense to direct future high density residential development to these areas rather than selecting new undeveloped areas.  There is no effect on land already zoned R-1 Residential.

2.  Rural Residential - includes all lands in the Town that are currently zoned A-3  (5 acre minimum lot size) or R-2  (4 acre minimum lot size).  These areas are already zoned for this type of medium density residential development and are scattered throughout the Town on non-prime agricultural soils.  There is no effect on the current zoning allowance for a house on 35 acres of A-1.

3.  Commercial - other than existing commercial land, specific areas were not drawn on the map.  A general recommendation is given that future commercial development would be best suited for areas along Hwy. 23 that do not contain prime agricultural soils.

4.  Industrial - same as #3.

5.  Gov't and Public - currently only includes the Town Hall property.

6.  Agricultural Areas - includes lands which are both zoned A-1 Agriculture and contain prime agricultural soils.  The intention is to separate the truely productive agricultural areas from areas that are not as conducive to agriculture, by using an objective criterea.  Although there are some areas outside the boundries of this category that are being farmed and some within the boundries that are not being farmed, we believe the mapped area is the best representation of actual and potential productive farmland, and is the area which should be given priority for preservation per the Adams County Zoning Ordinance standards for rezoning A-1 land.  There is no change in the zoning or rezoning requirements for A-1, but rather a new emphasis on adhering to the requirements we already have in our county zoning laws for agricultural areas.

7.  Forestry Areas - includes all the areas left over after the other 8 categories are mapped.  These are primarily the areas that do not contain prime agricultural soils, which is why most of these areas have remained woodland over the years.  For the Forestry Areas that are zoned A-1 Agriculture, that portion of the county zoning requirements that pertain to "agricultural use" and "rezoning agricultural lands" will be deemphasized, in relation to all other zoning requirements.  The intention is for common sense to apply and for land that has been wooded for generations to not be considered "productive farmland". 

8.  Transportation Corridor - includes all current Town, County and State roads.

9.  Preservation and Open Space - includes the DNR land around Amey Pond, DNR mapped wetlands, FEMA floodplains, open water and shoreland protection setbacks for vegetation removal.  All these areas are already preserved and protected to one degree or another and this map only concurs with the protections and regulations already in place.