Placer County — Williamson Act Lands

Agricultural Preserve Eligibility

A proposed agricultural preserve and contract must be found capable of accommodating commercial agricultural operations. The Agricultural Commission and Board of Supervisors must determine that the site meets Chapter 17.64’s requirements. § 17.64.060

For an agricultural preserve, the proposed preserve ordinarily must total 100 acres, either on the applicant’s parcels or together with contiguous contracted parcels. A preserve under 100 acres may be approved only for a unique agricultural enterprise when it is in the public interest and consistent with the general plan. § 17.64.060

Individual contracted parcels must meet the applicable 10-acre prime-land or 40-acre non-prime-land threshold. The site must have an established commercial agricultural operation, except that a planted but not-yet-producing orchard or vineyard may qualify if irrigation is installed and the operation could ultimately produce at least $4,500 in gross income. § 17.64.060

No contract may be approved where a pre-application violation of the Subdivision Map Act, Placer County Code, or a land-use permit condition exists on the site. For parcel configuration and mapping requirements, see Placer County Final Maps & Parcel Maps. § 17.64.060

Eligible Zoning Districts

Chapter 17.64 identifies six underlying districts in which land may qualify for an agricultural preserve contract. Listing here means the district is eligible for Williamson Act consideration; it does not itself establish permitted uses, setbacks, height limits, density, or other district development standards. Those parcel-level rules remain under Title 17 and the applicable Placer County Development Standards. § 17.64.060; § 17.02.030

Agriculture Exclusive (AE)

AE is listed as an eligible Agriculture, Resource and Open Space district for agricultural preserve and contract applications. Chapter 17.64 supplies no separate AE purpose statement, permitted-use list, dimensional standards, or geographic applicability description. § 17.64.060

A parcel in AE still must independently satisfy Williamson Act acreage, agricultural-operation, income, compliance, and approval requirements. Verify the underlying zoning and contract terms for any proposed use. § 17.64.060; § 17.64.080

Farm (F)

F is an eligible Agriculture, Resource and Open Space district for an agricultural preserve and contract. Not found in source materials: the F district’s purpose, typical permitted uses, setbacks, height standards, and specific mapped applicability. § 17.64.060

The eligibility listing does not authorize a new use by itself. A proposed use must be allowed by the applicable zoning and must also be stated in the recorded contract. § 17.02.030; § 17.64.080

Forestry (FOR)

FOR is listed as an eligible Agriculture, Resource and Open Space district. Chapter 17.64 does not establish a distinct FOR development standard or use schedule for Williamson Act parcels. § 17.64.060

A FOR parcel proposed for agricultural contract enrollment must meet the same preserve-area, parcel-area, agricultural-operation, income, and violation-screening criteria that apply to agricultural preserve applications. § 17.64.060

Open Space (O)

O is listed as an eligible Agriculture, Resource and Open Space district for agricultural preserve contracts and is also relevant to open-space contracts. § 17.64.060; § 17.64.160

For an approved open-space preserve located in another eligible district, the County must initiate a rezoning to O, if necessary, within 1 year after the preserve and contract are established. Not found in source materials: the ordinary O district’s permitted-use list or dimensional standards. § 17.64.160

Residential Agricultural (RA)

RA is one of two residential districts listed as eligible for agricultural preserve and contract applications. Its presence on the eligibility list does not make residential development automatically compatible with a contract. § 17.64.060; § 17.64.080

Not found in source materials: RA district purpose, ordinary residential-use permissions, setbacks, density, lot coverage, or whether an ADU is contract-compatible. Verify the underlying zoning and the recorded contract before applying. § 17.02.030; § 17.64.080

Residential Forest (RF)

RF is the other residential district listed as eligible for agricultural preserve and contract applications. Chapter 17.64 does not establish separate RF use, height, setback, density, or location standards. § 17.64.060

Eligibility does not displace the County rule that new land uses and development must meet applicable zoning, permits, and contract restrictions. Verify the jurisdiction, zone, and contract-specific compatible uses. § 17.02.030; § 17.64.080

Open Space Williamson Act Contracts

An open space Williamson Act contract may protect qualifying nonagricultural open-space or recreational lands that the general plan classifies as desirable open space or environmentally sensitive, as well as other lands the Board finds highly valuable. Approval is case-specific, and the contract must be tailored to identify and protect the qualifying features and uses. § 17.64.160

Qualifying open-space land may be in any of the six districts listed above. The minimum preserve and contract area is twice the minimum lot area otherwise required by the applicable zoning district for proposed subdivisions; a qualifying ownership must be at least 40 acres, or at least 20 acres and adjacent to an existing agricultural or open-space preserve. § 17.64.160

The property must meet one of the chapter’s open-space-use definitions, such as qualifying scenic-corridor land, wildlife habitat area, managed wetland area, or land enrolled in a qualifying federal conservation program. Public access is not required for open-space eligibility. § 17.64.020; § 17.64.160

Application, Hearing, and Recordation

Applicants file Planning Department forms, the information required by the County’s agricultural-preserve application instructions, and the nonrefundable fee set by the current Planning Department schedule. To take effect before January 1, an application must be filed by September 1; later filings may take effect in the next calendar year. § 17.64.070

The County refers applications to the Agricultural Commission, farm advisor, assessor, Local Agency Formation Commission, Placer Conservation Authority, and every city within 1 mile of the proposed preserve boundary, among others. The Agricultural Commission schedules a hearing within 60 days of receiving the application, then makes a recommendation. § 17.64.070

The Board of Supervisors schedules its hearing within 60 days after receiving the Agricultural Commission packet. Notice must be published once and sent at least 15 calendar days before the hearing; the Board must make general-plan consistency findings and, for preserves below 100 acres, a unique-characteristics finding. § 17.64.070

After approval, the Board chair and landowner sign the contract. The clerk must record it no later than 20 days after the County enters into the contract, making its restrictions notice to later owners. § 17.64.070

Contract Effect, Uses, and Development

The contract describes the qualifying agricultural uses and limits activity to agricultural uses plus general or specifically tailored compatible uses. Only activities stated in the contract are allowed; a use allowed by underlying zoning alone is not enough. § 17.64.080

A contract runs with the land until it ends through nonrenewal or cancellation and binds purchasers and other successors. Conservation easements may coexist with a Williamson Act contract if they recognize the property’s agricultural or open-space character and do not preclude agricultural activity on agricultural land. § 17.64.010; § 17.64.080

The County’s normal zoning rules still apply to development in unincorporated areas, including applicable permits, minimum parcel size, height, setbacks, parking, and sign requirements. A building permit cannot issue unless the project satisfies Title 17; construction may also require compliance with the California Building Standards Code. § 17.02.030

A contracted owner generally may not file a County development application until no more than 3 years remain before contract termination through nonrenewal. Exceptions are contract-allowed development, compliant subdivisions, a proposal filed with contract cancellation, and a qualifying specific plan that delays contracted-land development until contract termination. § 17.64.120

Divisions and Transfers

A division of contracted property must comply with the Act, Subdivision Map Act, and Chapter 17.64. The baseline minimum area for each resulting parcel is the larger of the Williamson Act contract-area standard or the applicable zoning district minimum; the County may require a larger parcel to preserve agricultural viability. § 17.64.100

If the Agricultural Commission questions whether a proposed parcel can support agricultural use, the applicant must provide an agricultural-viability report prepared by a County-approved agricultural economist. The County’s approval of a division remains discretionary even where minimum area is met. § 17.64.100

When contracted land is subdivided, each new parcel generally requires a new contract through rescission and simultaneous replacement, unless no more than 3 years remain under a nonrenewal. A parcel-map division may designate one “original parcel” that retains the earlier contract and any relevant nonrenewal notice, subject to County amendments. § 17.64.100

A transfer remains encumbered by the contract. Transferred land must independently sustain agricultural viability and remain eligible, except for an immediate-family transfer or land subdivided under the specified Map Act provision. § 17.64.110

Monitoring and Enforcement

The Agricultural Commissioner monitors whether contracted properties continue the qualifying uses, while the Planning Department monitors divisions, combinations, and minimum parcel size. Owners must maintain the land in agricultural use and in a condition that does not diminish the characteristics that qualified it for the program. § 17.64.170

The Board may treat an arrangement allowing a contract-inconsistent use as a breach and seek compliance or restraint in Superior Court. For incompatible uses, the owner has 90 days from discovery to remove the use before the County may initiate nonrenewal or seek court-ordered removal. § 17.64.170

For broader compliance issues, see Placer County Code Compliance & Enforcement. Chapter 17.64 also directs challenges to County action under the Act or chapter through the judicial-review procedure identified in the code. § 17.64.170; § 17.64.200

Information Gaps

Not found in source materials:

• The separate qualification, contract, or termination standards for a farmland security zone contract beyond its 20-year term.
• The text of compatible-use standards referenced in § 17.64.090.
• The full cancellation and nonrenewal procedures referenced in § 17.64.140 and § 17.64.150.
• District-specific permitted uses, setbacks, height limits, density, lot coverage, and mapped locations for AE, F, FOR, O, RA, and RF.
• Whether design review or overlay districts apply to a particular Williamson Act parcel.

Checklist

• Confirm the property is in unincorporated Placer County and identify its underlying zoning district. § 17.02.030
• Confirm the site is in AE, F, FOR, O, RA, or RF for agricultural-preserve eligibility. § 17.64.060
• Document commercial agricultural operations and at least $4,500 qualifying gross income, unless the planted-orchard/vineyard exception applies. § 17.64.060
• Verify the proposed preserve meets the 100-acre standard or supports a below-100-acre unique-enterprise finding. § 17.64.060
• Verify each proposed contracted parcel is at least 10 acres of prime land or 40 acres of non-prime land. § 17.64.060
• Resolve identified violations of the Subdivision Map Act, County Code, or land-use permit conditions before filing. § 17.64.060
• File the Planning Department application, required information, and fee by September 1 if seeking effectiveness before January 1. § 17.64.070
• Review the proposed recorded contract to ensure every intended activity is expressly allowed. § 17.64.080
• For a transfer or division, verify continuing agricultural viability, parcel size, and new-contract requirements. § 17.64.100; § 17.64.110
• Do not submit a County development application during the contract term unless a listed exception applies. § 17.64.120

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If your unincorporated Placer County property is under a Williamson Act contract, think of the contract as a recorded promise to keep the land in the qualifying agricultural or open-space use. You cannot rely on ordinary zoning alone to add a use, split the parcel, or pursue development: the contract, County review, and ongoing agricultural viability all matter. § 17.64.080; § 17.64.100; § 17.64.120

Source References

• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.010 — establishment and purpose of program.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.020 — definitions and contract types.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.030 — purpose and applicability.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.050 — administration and appeals.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.060 — eligibility, acreage, income, and compliance.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.070 — filing, hearings, findings, and recordation.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.080 — required contract provisions.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.100 — divisions of contracted property.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.110 — transfers.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.120 — development-proposal limitation.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.160 — open-space contracts.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.170 — monitoring and enforcement.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.64.200 — challenges to County action.
• Placer County Zoning Code § 17.02.030 — unincorporated-area applicability and other permits.