A. Purpose. The purpose of the AC Agricultural Conservation District is to encourage a proper environment to sustain customary agricultural operations and to locate rural residential land uses in such a manner as to minimize adverse impacts upon said operations; to maintain an open rural character; to protect viable agricultural soils; and to coordinate residential densities with the availability of utilities. The district regulations contain incentives to encourage landowners to maintain lands in permanent open space and/or agricultural use. In exchange for owners agreeing to maintain lands in open space or agricultural use, the Town Board may approve an incentive that would increase the number of single-family lots that would be otherwise permitted. The Town will strive to achieve attractive and functional site development plans consistent with the rural residential objectives of the Town's Comprehensive Plan and the Town's Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan. Strip single-family roadside development fronting along highways will be discouraged and subdivisions should be designed to maintain open space and to minimize the disruption of viable farming activities.

B. Intent. The intent of the AC Agriculture Conservation District (hereinafter referred to as the "AC District") is to implement development regulations for meeting the objectives contained within the Town of Chili Right to Farm Law, § 265-4: Declaration of right to farm of the Chili Town Code, by declaring agricultural operations as the principal land use within the Strategic Farmland Protection Areas contained in the adopted Town of Chili Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan. The AC District regulations as established to minimize land use conflicts from occurring between agricultural land use operations/practices and nonagricultural single-family residential development upon the Town's irreplaceable natural resource base, its prime and unique classified soils, that are deemed essential for sustaining the Town's agricultural sector. Within the AC District, any agricultural practice determined to be a sound agricultural practice by the New York State Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, pursuant to Article 25-AA, § 308, of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law, including but not limited to the practices necessary for an on-farm production, preparation and marketing of agricultural commodities operation and storage of farm equipment, proper use of agricultural chemicals and other crop protection methods, direct sale of agricultural commodities or foods produced on-farm to consumers. Established harvesting operations and the construction and use of farm structures shall not constitute a private nuisance.

The Rural Agricultural District is intended to conserve those areas which are suitable for farm and agricultural uses and protect them against the encroachment of any incompatible uses and to maintain the openness and rural nature of the countryside and to provide areas which are appropriate for all kinds of typical rural development.

The Rural Agricultural District is intended to conserve those areas which are suitable for farm and agricultural uses and protect them against the encroachment of any incompatible uses and to maintain the openness and rural nature of the countryside and to provide areas which are appropriate for all kinds of typical rural development.